For the passengers as well as the general public, the Cuttack Municipal Corporation is starting the first modern Aahaar Kendra of Odisha at the Cuttack Netaji Bus Terminal. The bus terminus is currently being constructed.
The CMC which is designing the interior and exterior of the structure is building it at a cost of Rs.1.8 crore. The Centre which is spread over 5,800 square feet area will be centrally air-conditioned. Unlike other Aahaar Kendras, this one will have tables and chairs for seating, to enable people to eat comfortably.
The Kendra will be offering beverages like tea and coffee and also breakfast and evening snacks. The Self-Help Group, Maa Tarini has been given the charge of preparing different food items to be made available at this eating outlet.
With a view to make the dining experience of people pleasant and enjoyable, the Kendra will have chairs for infants, child-friendly wash basins and special basins for the specially-abled.
The Kendra will be equipped with a refrigerator and freezer to store eatables and drinks, a hot plate to keep food items warm and also a heater to enable people to boil milk. The used plates at the outlet will be cleaned in a dishwater and visitors can dry their hands with a drier.
Waiting guests who want to read will have access to magazines and newspapers which will be kept in a rack. To entertain people, two large size LED screens will also be set up.
The CMC is seeking permission for the Government to allow them to keep the Aahaar Kendra open on Sundays also.
The Aahaar programme was started in Odisha on April 1 2015 in five municipal corporations, including Bhuabaneswar, Cuttack, Sambalpur, Rourkela and Berhampur. The aim of the initiative is to provide subsidised meals to the needy in urban areas.
