PIB - Seva Bhoj Yojana

Introduction :- 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.

Seva Bhoj Yojana :-

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
(vi) Pulses.

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.

Criteria for Financial Assistance under the Scheme :-

• The applicant Public Trust or society or body corporate, or organisation or institutionmust 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.
• These Charitable Religious Institutions/organisations should have been distributing free food in the form of ‘prasad’, ‘langar’/bhandara (community kitchen) to at least 5000 persons in a calendar month.
• These institutions should have been in existence for at least five years before applying for financial assistance
• 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.
• 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.