CUTTACK: Serving quality and palatable food to migrant workers ferried back home from different States continues to be a challenge for the administration. The Cuttack Municipal Corporation sprung to action only after a batch of migrants landed on its soil on Tuesday. Twenty-two migrants returned from Hyderabad to Barput panchayat in Banki block on Tuesday and have been quarantined at Temporary Medical Camps (TMC) in the locality.

Collector Bhabani Shankar Chayani said the district administration has prepared a menu with a daily budget of `120 for a day per person. “The menu can be modified in accordance with availability of raw materials, local tastes and preference of TMC residents. However, it should be seen that the quality of food is maintained at least at this level.

It should also be ensured that the number of non-vegetarian meals served in a week is not reduced below the minimum number prescribed in the menu,” said the Collector. Cuttack Municipal Corporation which has been arranging food from a hotel to serve around 65 migrants quarantined at 13 TMCs at a budget of `150 for a day per person too has prepared a menu in consultation with a dietician of Ashwini Covid Hospital.

They floated tender on Tuesday inviting quotation from reputed catering agencies/ SHGs for supply of packed cooked food/tiffin/ tea for quarantine facilities at `120 for a day per person, informed CMC Deputy Commissioner Latashree Bag. Meanwhile, Barput Sarpanch Priyanka Behera said the panchayat has been serving rice, dalma and chutney during lunch by arranging a local cook. 

“As it is difficult to arrange necessary manpower and other requirements to prepare food as per the menu within a very short time, we decided to serve same the same for dinner too. We would try to serve food as per the menu from Wednesday,” she added.