Egg-fish-veg meals on new Maa menu; state plans to add 110 Maa Ahar centres

Kolkata: The state govt has renamed Maa canteens as Maa Ahar, and started a new menu wherein they will serve fish meal twice a week, eggs twice a week, and vegetarian food on the remaining two days, all at Rs 5. The decision was taken at the third cabinet meeting at the state secretariat on Wednesday. Earlier, beneficiaries of the Maa scheme used to get egg-rice six days a week.

State municipal affairs minister Agnimitra Paul said, “The name of the Maa project has been changed to Maa Ahar. Earlier, the subsidised food used to be available at 390 centres across the state. About 110 new Maa Ahar centres will be set up, which will take the number of centres to 500.”

Community kitchens, cooperative societies and NGOs cook the food and distribute it to the canteens run by self-help groups. They have started exploring supply channels for procurement of fish to cater to the people twice a week according to the govt’s decision. These canteens operate from 11.30 am to 2 pm from Monday to Saturday.

Ashok Mondal, a beneficiary of the subsidised meal at Kasba, said, “All these years, we had been getting rice, boiled egg, dal and vegetables at the Maa canteen for Rs 5. The new govt has introduced a new menu containing fish, vegetables and egg.”

Officials said that with the decision on the new menu finalised at the cabinet meeting, a circular will follow regarding its introduction.

In 2021, former CM Mamata Banerjee came up with the Maa scheme, and the govt allocated Rs 100 crore for it. While the beneficiaries pay Rs 5 for their meals, the govt provides Rs 15 subsidy now. With the change in menu, the govt subsidy will also increase, officials said.

Ganesh Das, who runs a Maa centre on Harish Mukherjee Road, said, “The cooked meals are sent to us in the morning. We served egg-rice on Wednesday. We don’t know of the exact date when the new menu will be implemented.”