Bhubaneswar, April 1 (IANS): Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday launched a scheme here to provide subsidised food to the urban poor in five cities, an official said.

Patnaik announced that 'Aahar' will provide rice and dalma during lunch time to the poor at Rs.5 in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Rourkela, Sambalpur and Berhampur, the official said.

He will also formally launch the scheme at the government hospital in Rourkela later in the day on the ocassion of the state's foundation day 'Utkal Divas'.

The government aims to provide cheap meals to some 25,000 people per day during the lunch time.

The low cost scheme will be available at four places of each city that includes bus stands, railway stations and hospitals.

After central PSUs Nalco, MCL and Rourkela Steel Plant backed out of the scheme, the state government has engaged state PSUs for implementation of the programme.

While state-owned Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC) would sponsor the Aahar programme in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack, Odisha Power Generation Corporation would sponsor it in Rourkela.

Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (IDCO) would finance the programme in Sambalpur and Tata Steel has agreed to fund the scheme in Berhampur.