Mumbai: Maharashtra Minister of Food and Civil Supplies Chhagan Bhujbal on Wednesday clarified that Aadhaar card will not be mandatory to have lunch at Rs 10 under the Maha Vikas Aghadi's ambitious Shiv Bhojan canteen scheme.
Bhujbal refuted reports in a section of media that people would need to show their Aadhaar cards to buy the subsidized thaali (meal). "No Aadhaar card would be necessary," Bhujbal told reporters here after the weekly cabinet meeting.
The Rs 10 meal scheme for the poor was one of the poll promises of the ruling Shiv Sena in the last year's Assembly elections. It was later included in the Maha Vikas Aghadi's common minimum programme declared on November 28 last year.
Bhujbal informed that the Shiv Bhojan will start from January 26 at 50 places in all 36 district headquarters. ''This will be launched initially at the district hospital, area around bus and railway stations, government offices and markets. The department will prepare an app to give details,'' he said. He added that each canteen will have the capacity to serve 25 customers at a time, and provide 75 to 150 meals between 12 noon to 2 pm on the first-come-first-served basis.
Bhujbal hoped that the government employees will not go for it. Already the government has made an allocation for the Rs 6.5 crore.
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