Annapurna Akshayapatra Yojana in Chandigarh
The government of Haryana and Punjab launched this new scheme under which food was being provided to the poor sections of the society. The foods that were being provided are at a lesser cost than in the market. Recently this new scheme has been launched for Chandigarh and t has already gained a lot of popularity.
Launch of the scheme
On Tuesday when the scheme was launched the food packets were to be given from 6pm to 9pm but it didn’t take that long for the food packets to be finished. Apparently within an hour of the launch, the food packets disappeared. They were being given at five key strategic locations in Chandigarh and they were being given at only 10 rupees.
Getting 6 chapattis and vegetable at this price was a big deal for the poor sections. Hence one can see that the chapattis along with the vegetables had vanished pretty quickly. Perhaps this is why the food could be given to only 500 people instead of 600 mentioned earlier.
The food packets were strictly for the poor people and they contained pickles and vegetables along with chapattis. This was supposed to not just give people nutrition but also indulge their taste buds.
What this means for the scheme?
The rising demand for the food packets made it a point that people truly needed this scheme in place – that feeding people is the need of the hour. Apparently this is the reason why this scheme has been given special attention to.
The government officials too took note of this demand and therefore keeping this in mind they have increased the production of chapattis to 4000 at one go. In fact, machines are being put in place so that 4000 chapattis are being manufactured at one go. This is twice the capacity that they presently have.
The food packets will be distributed between 6pm to 9pm at Sector 26, vegetable mandi at the transport area, Labour Chowks around the capital and many more areas where there are mainly construction workers present. They will be given the food at subsidized rates.
Security and overseeing of the scheme
The government officials have announced that to avoid people coming to take the packets twice, they will now be using tiffins. These tiffins are the same ones that are being used at the railways.
On the first day the food was being given in tin foils but that is not being done anymore. Also the officials announced that they are keeping a strict vigilance. In fact, videography is being done in all places to keep a track of the smooth and even distribution of food packets.
What are the objectives that this scheme aims to achieve?
By this scheme, the state government aims to achieve these following jobs –
- The poor sections of the society and mainly the labour class are aimed to provide the nutrition that they need. They are often undernourished however they are the ones that have to indulge in maximum physical labour. This is why this scheme was directed towards them to give them the strength that their profession demands.
- Not just food at cheaper prices but healthy food at cheaper prices was the aim of the government. As of now the situation is such that the workers are unable to afford good and sustainable food for themselves. This is why this scheme was provided to them.
- The scheme aims to provide 1000 packets a day as of now, but if the scheme really proves to be helpful and more and more people are benefitted from it, then as many as 10,000 packets will be provided to the people daily.
- 3 lakh per month is supposed to be invested into this scheme every month and in this amount food for nearly 3000 people will be created and distributed state wide.
- The food menu is so created that the food contains all the vital minerals and nutrients that are required for a balanced and healthy meal. This is why experts and officials have been appointed to get this benefit.
What about the food quality?
Now there’s just one question in everyone’s mind – is the food of good quality? If it is not, then the entire scheme would fail because instead of enhancing the health factor, it will simply deteriorate it. Hence, the food aspect should be given attention to.
As per the inspectors, the food are all in good condition and they are cooked and served hot so that they retain healthy aspects and stay clear of any processing further. The effect can be seen in people who are getting better in health. The children and women no longer die of hunger or bad food habits. They are able to get proper and healthy nourishment, thanks to this scheme.
A tabular overview of scheme
| Serial No. | About Scheme | Detailed info |
| 1 | Launched by | VP Badnore |
| 2 | Directed towards | Working class, labour, poor |
| 3 | Launched in | Chandigarh |
| 4 | Project in process for | 3 months |
| 5 | Food distribution carried out | In government vans |
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