Maharashtra issues new Shivbhojan rules: CCTV mandatory, penalties for violations
The Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection Department has issued a comprehensive rulebook for Shivbhojan centres to curb irregularities and bring transparency.
Mumbai: The state government has made major changes to the Shivbhojan scheme, which provides cheap meals to the poor, labourers and the needy. To stop irregularities and bring transparency to the functioning of the centres, the Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection Department has issued a new comprehensive set of rules.
Under the rules, every Shivbhojan centre must install CCTV. Footage of the meal distribution hours must be preserved for at least 90 days. If officials ask for the footage during an inspection, the centre operator will be responsible for providing it.
The price of a thali will remain Rs 10 for beneficiaries. According to available information, the value of a thali has been fixed at Rs 50 in urban areas and Rs 35 in rural areas, and the government will pay the balance as subsidy. According to recent district-level information too, people are given two chapatis, a vegetable dish, dal and rice for Rs 10.
Centre timings have also been fixed. Centres must remain open from 11 am to 3 pm. Each centre is to distribute a minimum of 75 and a maximum of 200 thalis a day. Each centre must also have seating for at least 25 people at a time.
Persons with disabilities, senior citizens, pregnant women and women accompanying small children will be served first so that they do not have to wait long in the queue.
Taking meals out of the centre as parcels has been banned. Bringing outside food into the centre is also prohibited. Government employees and employees of the establishment concerned cannot avail of the subsidised thali.
The government has taken a tough line on violations. For minor lapses such as not opening the centre on time or not following cleanliness rules, a show-cause notice can be issued. Penal action is provided for serious lapses such as a non-working CCTV or closing the centre without prior notice. For serious violations, a fine of up to Rs 5,000 or action against the centre is possible.
For very serious misconduct, such as serving stale or poor-quality food or uploading the same photograph twice, the centre's approval can be cancelled. Centre operators now have a greater responsibility to follow the rules strictly.
