Hindustan Times ST (Jaipur)

Patients to get free food at govt hospitals in state

- HT Correspond­ent htraj@hindustant­imes.com

About 3040 percent hike in food quantity has been approved in a meeting jointly chaired by UDH minister Srichand Kriplani and health minister Kalicharan Sarraf at the secretaria­t on Monday. Also, the food soon will be served free of cost at government hospital across the state

The state government has announced that it will offer food free of cost at government hospital across the state and health department will bear the entire expenditur­e. The scheme is likely to be implemente­d from September.

In addition, the government has increased the rations in the food served at the subsidised Annapurna Kitchen centre.

“About 30-40 percent hike in food quantity has been approved in a meeting jointly chaired by UDH minister Srichand Kriplani and health minister Kalicharan Sarraf at the secretaria­t on Monday. Also, the food soon will be served free of cost at government hospital across the state,” an official release stated. Rajasthan goes to polls in December 2018.

In accordance with the decision taken in the meeting, consumers will get 100gm more food in breakfast and lunch at Annapurna Kitchen scheme across the state. Soon, the breakfast will be increased to 350gm from 250gm and lunch or dinner to 450gm from 350gm. This hike is about 40 percent in the breakfast and 30 percent in lunch or dinner.

Annapurna Rasoi Scheme, which was launched to provide meals at subsidised rate to the common man through mobile vans, also decided to be expanded to more regions of the state.

Under this scheme, possibilit­ies would be searched to set up permanent kiosks at selected venues so that the beneficiar­ies can access cheaper food any time at one place.

Officials said that the scheme has received good response from students, labourers and others since its launch. By December 2017, all sub divisional headquarte­rs will be under the scheme. Currently, it is running in 18 cities.

Chief minister Vasundhara Raje had launched this subsidised meal scheme in December 2016. With breakfast for ₹5 and lunch and dinner for ₹8 each, the scheme aims to benefit students, working women, senior citizens and labourers.

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