In the run-up to the first major state assembly elections in India, the West Bengal government is set to provide meals at a nominal cost of ₹5. The scheme (Maa Scheme) of meals will be launched by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata on Monday.

The “Maa” scheme gets its name from TMC’s slogan of “Ma, Mati, Manush (Mother, soil, people)”. “Initially, Maa scheme would be launched in Kolkata where 16 common kitchens have been set up. The meal would comprise rice, dal, a vegetable, and egg and would be served at ₹5 per plate. The food would be available at a fixed time,” said a senior official of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation.

The scheme would gradually be extended to other towns and cities in the state. The state government has already allocated a budget for this.

Also See: Would West Bengal election really be a three-way fight after the defections?

Earlier, the TMC had started a community kitchen, “Didir Rannaghar” (Mamata’s kitchen) to support migrant workers who were hit due to job losses due to the Covid19 pandemic.

The CPI (M) too had started a few hundred “Sramojibi canteen” (community kitchen) to serve vegetarian food to the poor. The party had also initiated 50 health clinics and safe houses for those who cannot afford healthcare facilities.

Also See: West Bengal 2021: Battleground for BJP and TMC

Even in schools, closed during the pandemic, while mid-day meals were not served, the state government continued to provide ration to the students’ families.

The state assembly elections are due in March–April this year. The BJP which is trying to make inroads in the state through taking in disaffected members away from TMC now poses a challenge to the ruling TMC.  In its desperation for the West Bengal election, it had asked many leaders in TMC including Chhatradhar Mahato, to switch over to the saffron camp. Many leaders have defected to BJP, which has been termed as dirt-cleaning by many TMC leaders, who remain confident of victory in the upcoming state polls. But, on the farcical side of the BJP-story, local leaders of BJP in Bengal like Dilip Ghosh, and their families are known to be taking benefits from the state government schemes formulated by TMC like Swasthya Sathi card, the very policies which they criticize.