Bhubaneswar: The state government has opened 158 Aahar centres across Odisha in last four years with a total investment of Rs 166.71 crore, Housing and Urban Development Minister Pratap Jena told the Assembly Tuesday.
The minister furnished the information while replying to query of Congress MLA from Bolangir, Narasingha Mishra.
The Congress MLA sought to know the status of Aahar centres in the state and their financial implications. He also wanted to know the future plans of the government on the scheme.
Jena in his written reply to the House said, “At present, 158 Aahar centres are functional in the state. The state government has approved seven more centres this year. Aahar programme has been introduced in state with effect from April 1, 2015.”
The minister also said that Rs 166.71 crore has been spent on Aahar programme from FY 2015-16 to FY 2018-19. “For the current financial year, a sum of Rs 47 crore has been spent on the scheme. The proposal for new Aahar centres depends on the requirement and assessment. Now, there is no plan to open new Aahar centres,” the minister said.