Rajasthan comes up with 512 new Indira Rasois (Indira Kitchens)

NEW DELHI: On Sunday in Jodhpur, Chief Minister of Rajasthan Ashok Gehlot inaugrated 512 new Indira Rasois (Indira Kitchens). With 378 of them already in place, there are a total of 870 Indira Rasois in the state. It should be noted that in August 2020, Gehlot began building 358 permanent kitchens in 213 urban areas under the slogan ‘No One Sleeps Hungry.’

Through Indira Rasoi, the underprivileged receive a one-time meal for Rs 8 each. Local institutions or NGOs are chosen to manage the kitchen for the execution and monitoring of the programme by the district level Coordination and Monitoring Committee, which is presided over by the district collector. The programme offered kitchen operators a subsidy of Rs 12 per plate, which was increased to Rs 17 per plate on January 1, 2022. The operators of Indira Rasoi have been given an advance of Rs 50,000 to meet the costs of daily operations, including electricity, water, internet, kitchen repairs, etc.

According to an official announcement, this programme has already served 7.01 crore food plates, which is 73.23 percent of the intended number. With the help of 1000 Indira Rasois, 13.81 billion food plates will be provided to the poor annually.

Currently, 358 kitchens are in operation, and the government has planned to increase the number of Indira Rasois to 1000 in this year’s budget. The project included a provision of Rs 125 crore, which was increased to Rs 250 crore in the budget for 2022–2023. As per the scheme, the State Finance Commission provides a 50 percent subsidy to the urban local bodies, with the remaining 50 percent coming mostly from the Chief Minister Relief Fund or other heads as needed. Each kitchen receives a one-time payment of Rs 5 lakh for its infrastructure and Rs 3 lakh annually for its ongoing needs.