Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Sunday inaugurated the country’s first Healthy and Hygienic Food Street, ‘Prasadam’, at Mahakal Lok in Ujjain’s Neelkanth Van in the presence of Chief Minister Mohan Yadav.

Spread over an area of 939 square meters and housing a total of 19 shops, ‘Prasadam’ aims to provide a culturally enriching and convenient dining option to around 1 to 1.5 lakh devotees who visit the Mahakaleshwar Temple daily.

The newly launched food street is designed to provide diverse amenities, including a children’s play area, drinking water facilities, CCTV surveillance, parking, public conveniences, and abundant seating capacity.

In addition to enhancing Ujjain’s tourism appeal and preserving its culinary traditions, ‘Prasadam’ will also contribute to economic growth and community engagement.

In his address, Mandaviya said: “Prasadam will serve as a common platform for the people in every corner of the country in terms of relishing pure, safe, local and traditional food. This endeavour will encourage locals and tourists to adopt safe and healthy eating habits.”

Reaffirming the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Union Minister said, “Citizens must stay healthy to achieve the aspiration of a Viksit Bharat.”

“Apart from substantial health infrastructure, healthy and hygienic food is vital for citizens’ good health. In the coming days, every city will have its own food street to ensure that nutritious food is available to everyone across the country,” he said.

Mandaviya also launched the official website of the “Healthy and Hygienic Food Street” initiative. He also unveiled a brochure outlining the standard operating procedure for “Healthy and Hygienic Food Streets”.

Mandaviya and Yadav jointly inaugurated a total of 17 civil projects, including two Public Health Unit blocks, 54 Chief Minister Sanjeevni Health Clinics, and three Integrated Public Health Labs. They also unveiled an Emergency Covid Response unit comprising 30 beds and wards across three Community Health Centres and eight Primary Health Care Centres.

The Union Health Minister and the Chief Minister also jointly launched the ‘Mannhit’ app, an initiative to facilitate screening for mental health.

Under the National Health Mission, Digital Bhoomi Poojan was performed besides inaugurating various other projects.