Bengal polls: Mamata takes a cue from Jayalalithaa, launches Rs 5 meal scheme for poor

By Express News Service

KOLKATA: Following the footprint of former Tamil Nadu CM J Jayalalithaa, who had launched Amma Unnavagam (also referred to as Amma Canteen) scheme, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee on Monday flagged off a similar scheme titled ‘Maa’ (mother) offering a lunch plate with rice, daal, veg and egg curry at Rs 5.

The common kitchen named ‘Maa’ will offer food between 1 pm and 3 pm and lunch will be given on a first come first serve basis. The state government already released Rs 100 crore for the new project.

In 2013, the Jayalalithaa government offered breakfast, lunch, and dinner at the cost of Rs 5 through a chain of over 200 outlets in Tamil Nadu’s urban centres. Taking a cue from it, Bengal CM decided to go one step forward by offering the lunch package across the urban and semi-urban pockets of the state. 

Amma canteen scheme is believed to have played a key role in AIDMK’s sweeping victory by bagging 37 out of the 39 seats in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.

“The targeted beneficiaries of the scheme are daily wage earners or poorly-paid workers. These people find it difficult to afford regular meals even in cheap eateries. This new scheme will help them,” said Mamata Banerjee after inaugurating the new venture virtually from the state secretariat.

On the first day, Maa kitchen were set up in all 16 boroughs of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation area and in the district headquarters. Shortly, the initiative will be spread in all municipal areas across the state, said an official of the state government.

Senior leaders of the ruling Trinamool Congress described the initiative as the Bengal CM’s another masterstroke after announcing free health insurance protection for all the people of the state ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections.

“There is massive response under the Swastha Sathi health insurance scheme. On the first day of Maa initiative, needy people’s presence in front of the outlets reflected that the new scheme is going to be another masterstroke of Mamata Banerjee which will give us electoral dividends in the upcoming Assembly elections,’’ said a TMC leader.

The state government has engaged self-help group workers to run the scheme. “Fund will not be an issue. We have chalked out a plan meticulously. We have our own mechanism to procure ingredients to run the scheme,” added the CM.