Lok Sabha Question No. 118 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-02-03
Subject: Seva Bhoj Yojana
Ministry: CULTURE
Asked by: Shri Rajesh Naranbhai Chudasama

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CULTURE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.118 ANSWERED ON 03.02.2025

## SEVA BHOJ YOJANA

## 118.    SHRI RAJESH NARANBHAI CHUDASAMA:

Will the MINISTER OF CULTURE be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of amount reimbursed by Government under Seva Bhoj Yojana since the inception of the scheme, year and State-wise;
- (b) the amount received by the organizations or trusts under this scheme during each of the last five years, organization and trust-wise;
- (c) the criteria for the selection of beneficiaries under this scheme; and
- (d) whether  reimbursement  to  all  the  eligible  applicants  have  been  granted  and  if  so,  the  details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF CULTURE AND TOURISM (SHRI GAJENDRA SINGH SHEKHAWAT)

- (a)  Seva Bhoj Yojna was launched by the Ministry of Culture in August, 2018. The details of amount reimbursed by the Govt. under  Seva  Bhoj  Yojna  since  its  inception,  year-wise  and  state-wise,  is given as under:

(Rs.in lakhs)

|   Sl. No. | Financial Year   | State   |   Fund Released |
|-----------|------------------|---------|-----------------|
|         1 | 2019-2020        | Punjab  |          171    |
|         2 | 2020-2021        | Punjab  |          169.45 |
|         3 | 2021-2022        | Punjab  |          154.92 |
|         4 | 2022-2023        | Punjab  |          143    |
|         5 | 2023-2024        | Punjab  |          146    |

(b)   The organization-wise, trust-wise details of amount received by the organizations/trusts under this Scheme is annexed.

- (c)    The criteria for the selection of beneficiaries under this scheme is given as under:
- (i) 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.

(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  in  existence  for  preceding  three  years before applying for assistance.

(iv) Only  those  institutions  would  be  eligible  for  financial  assistance  which  have  been distributing  free  food,  langar  and  prasad  to  public  for  at-least  past  three  years  on  the  day  of application. For this purpose, entities shall furnish a self- certificate.

(v) Financial Assistance under the scheme shall be given only to those institutions which are not  in  receipt  any  Financial  Assistance  from  the  Central/State  Government  for  the  purpose  of distributing free food: self- certificate.

(vi) The institutions shall serve free food to at least 5000 people in a calendar month.

(vii) 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 Government shall not be eligible for Financial Assistance under the Scheme.

(d)    Yes Sir. It has been the constant endeavor of the Government to ensure timely disbursement of the financial assistance to the selected beneficiaries on receipt of requisite documents and depending upon the budgetary allocation made against the scheme.

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## Annexure referred to in Reply to Part (b) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 118 due for 03-02-2025

(Rs.in lakhs)

| Sl. No.   | Financial Year   | Name of Organizations                                |   Fund Released |
|-----------|------------------|------------------------------------------------------|-----------------|
| 1.        | 2019-2020        | Sikh Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), Amritsar |          171    |
|           |                  | Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams, Tirupati             |           19.63 |
|           |                  | Sri Venkateswara Annaprasadam Trust, Tirupati        |            5.27 |
| 2.        | 2020-2021        | Sikh Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC)           |          159.39 |
|           |                  | Dreams & Beauty Charitable Trust, Ludhiana           |            1.22 |
|           |                  | Durgiana Temple, Amritsar                            |            8.84 |
| 3.        | 2021-2022        | Sikh Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC)           |          149.83 |
|           |                  | Dreams & Beauty Charitable Trust, Ludhiana           |            0.28 |
|           |                  | Durgiana Temple, Amritsar                            |            4.81 |
| 4.        | 2022-2023        | Sikh Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC)           |          140.44 |
|           |                  | Dreams & Beauty Charitable Trust, Ludhiana           |            0.8  |
|           |                  | Durgiana Temple, Amritsar                            |            1.76 |
| 5.        | 2023-2024        | Sikh Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC)           |          142.12 |
|           |                  | Durgiana Temple, Amritsar                            |            3.88 |

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