Rajasthan govt to incur Rs 700 crore in FY24 for wholesome meal plan

The state government will incur Rs 700 crore during this financial year in providing subsidies for wholesome meals to the needy under the Indira Rasoi Yojana.

“We had around 1,000 Indira Rasois operational in the state till the end of last financial year (2022-23). Now, we plan to increase the number to 2,000 by expanding mainly in rural areas. With this, an annual expenditure of Rs 700 crore will be incurred on this scheme,” a senior state government official said. He added that work on expanding it in the state has already started.

He said the main aim of Indira Rasoi is to provide a wholesome meal with “dignity” for Rs 8 only.

The scheme was started by the Ashok Gehlot government on August 20, 2020, with 358 kitchens in 213 urban local bodies. Food was being served for Rs 8 per plate that included 100 gm dal, 100 gm sabzi, 250 gm chapati and pickle.

When the scheme was launched in August 2020, the state government had tweeted, “Life will change with the Indira Rasoi Yojana. No one would sleep hungry. This is the promise of the Rajasthan government.”

In 2022-23, it was decided to increase the number of kitchens to 1,000. The government is giving a subsidy of around Rs 17 per plate.

The kitchens in this scheme so far have been set up at community buildings, railway stations, bus stands, hospitals, markets and chokdi (a place where labourers gather), among other places, that is, mostly in government properties.

And now, the state government plans to enter rural areas by setting up these Indira Rasoi’s. The state government had served around 130 million thalis by the end of last financial year.