The Aahaar, a social welfare scheme launched by the State Government has now reached new heights with the Mission Shakti SHGs emerging as partners in running all163 Aahaar Kendras across 114 urban local bodies (ULBs) in the State.

A virtual orientation programme for members of Mission Shakti Groups was organised by the Housing and Urban Development Department on how to look after the effective functioning of the Aahaar Kendras on Saturday here. Around 1,700 Mission Shakti Group members across all Aahaar Kendras participated in one of the largest ever training programme that primarily aimed at increasing awareness and ownership of the groups in running the Aahaar programme for the benefit of poor and needy.

Notably, the Aahaar programme was launched by CM  Naveen Patnaik on April 1, 2015 with the vision of providing hot cooked meals to the poor and needy at a subsidized rate of Rs 5 per meal and since then, the programme has served 10.5 crore meals comprising rice and dalma, largely to the poor and needy people across the State.

During the recent Corona pandemic, Aahaar programme played a most critical role in saving the life of thousands of people through day and night meals as the livelihood of the people was devastated and they had hardly anything left with them for survival.

Currently, more than 1 lakh meals are provided per day in all the Aahaar Kendras and in line with the mandate for excellence, all Aahaar Kendras and central kitchens have been made ISO certified.