Seva Bhoj Yojana
(a) whether the Ministry has launched a scheme of financial assistance under the Seva Bhoj Yojana in the country;
(b) if so, the details thereof along with the objectives of the scheme and the details of the activities proposed to be supported under the scheme;
(c) the details of the criteria for financial assistance as well as the quantum of assistance to various Institutes and State Governments/UTs to be provided under the scheme, Institute and State/ UT-wise;
(d) whether the Government has received any proposal to provide more assistance and to increase the food items registered under the scheme; and
(e) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?
To know the answer of above questions reg. Seva Bhoj Yojana please see below the full text of Loksabha Unstarred Question No. 3612.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF CULTURE
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO: 3612
ANSWERED ON: 15.07.2019
Seva Bhoj Yojana
Sudheer Gupta
Pratima Bhoumik
P.P. Chaudhary
Gajanan Chandrakant Kirtikar
Bidyut Baran Mahato
Sanjay Sadashivrao Mandlik
(Dr.) Ram Shankar
Ravindra Shyamnarayan
Will the Minister of CULTURE be pleased to state:-
(a) whether the Ministry has launched a scheme of financial assistance under the Seva Bhoj Yojana in the country;
(b) if so, the details thereof along with the objectives of the scheme and the details of the activities proposed to be supported under the scheme;
(c) the details of the criteria for financial assistance as well as the quantum of assistance to various Institutes and State Governments/UTs to be provided under the scheme, Institute and State/ UT-wise;
(d) whether the Government has received any proposal to provide more assistance and to increase the food items registered under the scheme; and
(e) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE (IC) FOR CULTURE AND TOURISM
(SHRI PRAHLAD SINGH PATEL)
(a)Yes Sir.
(b) Seva Bhoj Yojna is a Central Sector Scheme for providing reimbursement of CGST and Central Government’s share of IGST paid by charitable/religious institutions on purchase of specific raw food items for serving free food to public / devotees.
The specific raw food items covered under the Scheme are (i) Ghee (ii) Edible Oil (iii) Sugar/Burra/Jaggery(iv) Rice (v) Atta/Maida/Rava/Flour and (vi) Pulses.
Under the scheme of Seva Bhoj Yojna, the financial assistance will be provided for free ‘prasad’ or free food or free ‘langar’ / ‘bhandara’ (community kitchen) offered by charitable/religious institutions like Gurudwara, Temples, Dharmik Ashram, Mosques, Dargah, Church, Math, Monasteries etc.
These Charitable Religious Institutions should have been distributing free food in the form of ‘prasad’, ‘langar’/bhandara (community kitchen) to at least 5000 persons in a calendar month for at least past 3 years.
(c)CRITERIA FOR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE:
A Public Trust or society or body corporate, or organisation or institution covered under the provisions of section 10 (23BBA) of the Income Tax Act, 1961 (as amended from time to time) or registered under the provisions of section 12AA of the Income Tax Act, 1961, for charitable/religious purposes, or a company formed and registered under the provisions of section 8 of the Companies Act, 2013 or section 25 of the Companies Act, 1956, as the case may be, for charitable/ religious purposes, or a Public Trust registered as such for charitable/religious purposes under any Law for the time being in force, or a society registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860, for charitable/religious purposes can apply under Seva Bhoj Yojna.
ii) The applicant Public Trust or society or body corporate, or organisation or institution, as the case may be, must be involved in charitable/religious activities by way of free and philanthropic distribution of food/prasad/langar(Community Kitchen)/ bhandara free of cost and without discrimination through the modus of public, charitable/religious trusts or endowments including maths, temples, gurdwaras, wakfs, churches, synagogues, agiaries or other places of public religious worship.
iii) The institutions/organizations should have been distributing free food, langar and prasad to at least 5000 persons in a calendar month can apply under the scheme.
iv) Financial Assistance under the scheme shall be given only to those institutions which are not in receipt of any Financial Assistance from the Central/State Government for the purpose of distributing free food.
v) The Institution/Organization blacklisted under the provisions of Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) or under the provisions of any Act/Rules of the Central/State shall not be eligible for financial assistance under the scheme.
QUANTUM OF ASSISTANCE:
Financial Assistance in the form of reimbursement shall be provided where the institution has already paid GST on all or any of the raw food items listed below:
i) Ghee
ii) Edible oil
iii) Sugar / Burra / Jaggery
iv) Rice
v) Atta / Maida / Rava /Flour
vi) Pulses
(d) No Sir.
(e) Does not arise.
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Source: Loksabha