The suggestions and preparedness of the district administration for the program of providing cooked food at nominal price or free of cost to vulnerable people:

Whereas it is a good endeavor to provide food and nutritional security to the vulnerable individuals and sections through the program of cooked food through community kitchens with the support of local corporate. It is submitted that the same be kept open to all in districts like Rayagada, where there is a vast population which is below poverty line (72.90%) and even  the lot of  most of those who are not in the official BPL list isn’t much different from those in it. Hence, keeping the scheme of providing cooked food (Rice and Dalma) to all at a nominal cost of Rs. 2/ per plate, on the lines of the ‘Jhunka Bhakar’ scheme that was implemented in Maharashtra, would really be of great help in providing food security to the needy. It is also pertinent to bring to the kind notice of the Honourable CVC that the identification of the vulnerable sections in this district (or all districts for that matter) is already done in the shape of inclusion of beneficiaries in the Antyodaya and Annapurna Yojana. These beneficiaries already get emergency feeding.  Having said so, there still remains a population devoid of these benefits and which is required to be taken care of in this program. In this backdrop, it needs to be made clear, whether those receiving emergency feeding through the existing schemes of the govt, be need to included for feeding through community kitchen program, free of cost or at a nominal rate, or not. In our opinion it is not only more convenient, but also logical and deserving to keep the program of providing cooked food through community kitchens for all at a nominal price, as exclusion for some individuals or section, inadvertently, may result in an unpleasant situation for any organization operating the community kitchens.  Also it is submitted that along with the NGOs, SHGs be involved in this program, as we have a good network of SHGs in these districts.

Also it is submitted that such centres where community kitchen are to be established be in each and every GP and located at the Anganwadi centres in rural areas (a list of AWC in Rayagada district is enclosed) preferably and also near bus stands and Railway stations.

The structure for implementation of this program be devised on a three tier system, i.e.

1. District level body ( comprising of Dist. Administration and representatives of corporate houses)
2. NGOs in charge of a specific areas and under whom will be the third tier,
3. That is , a network of other NGOs and SHGs or other organizations ( such as religious and charitable) who will actually operate the community kitchen in the assigned area.

Also there are no corporations or PSU under administrative control of ministries in the district of Rayagada, but a number of private industries are already running or in the pipe, who can also contribute to this program as their CSR activity. The list is as follows:

Already running

1. JK Paper Mill, Rayagada
2. Indian Metal and Ferro Alloys limited, Therubali
3. Vedanta Alumina ( partly)

Coming up:

1. Utkal Alumina, Tikri
2. Aditya Alumina ( partly)
3. RSB metals
4. L&T ( along with Dubal, A subsidiary of Dubai Aluminum)

The allocation of grains and funds for all the operators will be monitored by the dist. Administration and the financial and performance audit be done by the appropriate audit agencies such as CAG.

Annexure 1:

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Annexure 2: