Lok Sabha Question No. 197 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-02-04
Subject: Seva Bhoj Yojana
Ministry: CULTURE
Asked by: KIRRON KHER

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CULTURE LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.197 TO BE ANSWERED ON 04.02.2019

## SEVA BHOJ YOJNA

## 197: SHRIMATI KIRRON KHER:

Will the MINISTER OF CULTURE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has launched a scheme of financial assistance under 'SevaBhojYojna';
- (b) if so, the details thereof along with the objectives of the scheme;
- (c) the details of the activities proposed to be supported under the scheme; and
- (d) the details of the criteria for financial assistance as well as the quantum of assistance to be provided under the scheme?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE (IC) FOR CULTURE AND MINISTER OF STATE FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE (DR. MAHESH SHARMA)

- (a)Yes Madam.
- (b)&(c) SevaBhojYojna 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 SevaBhojYojna, 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.

## (d)      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 SevaBhojYojna.

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 atleast 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
2. ii) Edible oil
3. iii) Sugar / Burra / Jaggery
4. iv) Rice
- v) Atta / Maida / Rava /Flour
6. vi) Pulses

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