The Maharashtra government has increased the number of meals under Shiv Bhojan Thali to 1.5 lakh. Earlier, the government was providing meals to one lakh people. The Shiv Bhojan Thali scheme is a highly subsidised meal available for the poor and the needy.
Since the nationwide lockdown has been extended till May 3, the demand for the Shiv Bhojan Thali schemes has increased, especially among the poor and stranded migrant workers and labourers who are left with no money and work due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Maharashtra Food and Civil Supplies Minister Chhagan Bhujbal said that the state government has decided to provide 50,000 additional thalis under the Shiv Bhojan Thali scheme. This is being done to ensure that the poor do not go empty stomach during the lockdown, Bhujbal said.
“When the nationwide lockdown was announced on March 24, we started supplying one lakh thalis. The number has now increased to 1.5 lakh,” Bhujbal informed while adding that the distribution of the new extended number of Shiv Bhojan Thalis will continue till May 2.
The Maharashtra government had started the Shiv Bhojan Thali scheme for the poor and needy in the state and provided the same for ₹10 which was later changed to ₹5 per thali in the view of the lockdown. The government had also allotted ₹160 crores for the scheme.
Anyone can avail the Shiv Bhojan Thali for ₹5 which contains chapati, rice, dal and vegetables. The Maharashtra government earlier introduced the scheme for those who don’t have a ration card.
During a cabinet meeting earlier, the government decided that the state-sponsored ‘Shiv Bhojan Thali’ will be available at ₹5 per plate for the next three months and it will be initiated at ‘Taluka’ level in Maharashtra.
India has been under nationwide lockdown since March 25 and on April 14, the same was extended till May 3 in the view of the increasing cases of the coronavirus or COVID-19.
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