Eknath Shinde doles out gifts to the needy in Maharashtra

A day after he was formally appointed Shiv Sena’s chief leader, Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde on Wednesday announced a gift to the needy ahead of the Gudi Padwa festivities and birth anniversary of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar.

The government will give around food kits containing palm oil, sooji (rava), chana dal (split chickpeas) each weighing a kg, to 1.63 crore ration card holders in the state for Rs 100.

The packets would be known as 'Anandacha Shidha.'

While Gudi Padwa, which marks the arrival of traditional new year falls on 22 March, Dr Ambedkar’s birth anniversary is on 14 April. After Shinde and Devendra Fadnavis took over as Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister, a similar packet had been distributed during the Diwali festivities in 2022 but its limited reach had invited criticism from the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi.

The subsidised ration kits would be given under the Antyodaya Food Scheme to the poor and needy sections of society.

The festive season largesse will be given to priority families, farmers under various categories from different districts of Aurangabad and Amravati Divisions, besides Wardha of Nagpur Division, 14 suicide-prone districts and farmers falling below poverty line.

“The tendering process will be completed within 15 days instead of 21 days through an online method to procure the required rations for the upcoming scheme in time,” officials said.