In January 2020, Maharashtra's ruling party Shiv Sena started the 'Shiv Bhojan' meal scheme with an aim to provide food at a discounted rate, to the poor and needy people in the state. The Shiv Bhojan thali which was priced at ₹5 during the lockdown helped many citizens, labourers and workers in the state during the tough phase.
The scheme was started on Republic Day this year and it is said that so far 88,48,601 plates have been distributed under the scheme. Chief minister Uddhav Thackeray implemented the scheme at a district level extending it further across different places in the state. So far, 848 centres are functioning under this scheme. Here's a month-wise breakdown
Month | Number of meals served |
January | 79,918 |
February | 4,68,869 |
March | 5,78,031 |
April | 24,99,257 |
May | 33,84,040 |
June (Until 18th) | 18,39,486 |
In January 2020, the per plate was priced at ₹10, however, with an aim to provide relief to the people in distress. during the lockdown, the state government decided to reduce the prices for three months, to ₹5. This move also ensured that no one remains hungry during the lockdown.
As the entire state was shut down due to the coronavirus spread, the Shiv Bhojan thali came across as a relief for several migrants, homeless people, as well as students who were stranded in the suburbs and across the state. Reports indicate that a large number of citizens in Maharashtra took advantage of this scheme.
To ensure safety at these centres, the state government also focused on precautionary care by disinfecting the area, asking people to wash hands frequently and wearing masks while distributing food.