Ahmedabad, Oct 15 (IANS) Gujarat will open 101 new food distribution centres for construction workers across 28 districts on Friday, increasing the daily reach of the state government's 'Shramik Annapurna Yojana' to around 45,000 people, from the current average of more than 35,000.
With the addition of the new centres, the total number of centres operating under the scheme will rise to 372.
The initiative provides cooked meals to construction workers and their family members at Rs 5 per person.
Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel will inaugurate a new Shramik Annapurna Centre at Chanakyapuri in Ahmedabad on October 16. He is also scheduled to serve meals to workers as part of a voluntary service activity and interact with them.
Ministers, Members of Parliament and Members of the Legislative Assembly will inaugurate centres at various locations across the state.
The scheme, implemented by the state government's Labour, Skill Development and Employment Department, aims to make nutritious food accessible to construction workers at an affordable price while reducing their daily food expenses.
Meals served under the scheme include rotis, vegetables, pulses, rice, pickle, chillies and jaggery. Sweets such as sukhdi and sheera are also provided once a week. More than five crore meals have been distributed through the scheme so far, according to the department.
The opening of the 101 additional centres is expected to increase daily meal distribution by 10,000, taking the total to around 45,000 meals a day.
The scheme also provides for meal delivery directly to construction sites where more than 50 workers wish to avail themselves of the facility.
This service supplements the permanent centres located at construction labour points and is intended to make meals more accessible to workers who may find it difficult to visit a distribution centre.
"Approximately 27 lakh meals have been distributed at construction sites so far," the department said.
The expansion is part of the state government's efforts to extend subsidised meal services to construction workers and their families, who form a significant part of the state's workforce.
