The West Bengal government has officially renamed the Maa canteens as Maa Ahar and introduced a revamped menu offering fish meals twice a week, eggs twice a week, and vegetarian options on the remaining two days, all at a subsidized price of Rs 5 per plate. The decision was finalized during the third cabinet meeting held at the state secretariat on Wednesday.
Previously, beneficiaries of the Maa scheme received egg-rice meals six days a week. The change aims to provide greater nutritional variety to the underprivileged. State Municipal Affairs Minister Agnimitra Paul confirmed the rebranding and expansion plans, stating, "The name of the Maa project has been changed to Maa Ahar. Earlier, the subsidized food was available at 390 centers across the state. About 110 new Maa Ahar centers will be set up, taking the total number of centers to 500."
The meals are prepared by community kitchens, cooperative societies, and NGOs, which then distribute the food to canteens run by self-help groups. These canteens operate from 11:30 am to 2 pm, Monday through Saturday. Officials have begun exploring supply channels for fish procurement to meet the new menu requirements.
Ashok Mondal, a regular beneficiary at a Kasba canteen, welcomed the change: "All these years, we had been getting rice, boiled egg, dal, and vegetables at the Maa canteen for Rs 5. The new government has introduced a new menu containing fish, vegetables, and egg."
The Maa scheme was launched in 2021 by former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee with an initial allocation of Rs 100 crore. Beneficiaries pay Rs 5 per meal, while the government provides a subsidy of Rs 15. With the introduction of the new menu, the subsidy amount is expected to increase, according to officials.
Ganesh Das, who manages a Maa center on Harish Mukherjee Road, noted, "The cooked meals are sent to us in the morning. We served egg-rice on Wednesday. We don't know the exact date when the new menu will be implemented." A circular detailing the rollout is expected to follow the cabinet decision.
