Shiv Bhojan thali to cost Rs 5 for six more months in Maharashtra

The state government will extend the Shiv Bhojan thali scheme at the cost of Rs5 a plate for six months. A proposal will be tabled at the cabinet meeting on Thursday. It is a pet project of Shiv Sena, a senior partner in the government, and was priced at Rs10 a plate but since lockdown it has been made more affordable.
The scheme was applicable at half the price till June 30, which was extended by three months, which ended on September 30. Now, the food and civil supplies department, implementing the scheme, proposed the extension.

Officials said it will cost the government nearly Rs 10 crore but as it is getting a good response from people it has been decided to extend it at the same cost. Over 1 crore thalis have been served under the scheme. The thali has two chapatis, a vegetable, rice and dal. It costs the government Rs50 in urban areas and Rs35 in rural areas.
Shiv Bhojan scheme draws its inspiration from the highly-successful Amma canteens launched by Jayalalithaa in Tamil Nadu. It has been replicated by Delhi, Jharkhand, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka.