Six-Year Journey of Free Meal Service

Udaipur – What began as a heartfelt initiative by social worker Ashok Pokhara in 2015, using one-tenth of his personal income to feed the needy, has now evolved into a full-fledged movement — the Nishulk Bhojan Vitaran Seva Sansthan (Free Meal Distribution Service Institution), which has completed six impactful years of service.

In a press conference held at the Free Meal Service Centre located in the MB Hospital premises, Ashok Pokhara recounted his journey. Initially, he distributed dal and puris in temples, but soon realized the need for a deeper and more direct impact. In 2017, a chance visit to the cardiology department of the hospital changed his life. There, he witnessed patients and their attendants hungry and distressed, prompting him to immediately buy packets of bread, snacks, and water bottles for distribution. The heartfelt satisfaction from that act kept him awake at night, wondering how to take this forward sustainably.

In January 2018, he began distributing 50 meal packets every Sunday morning at the hospital. As demand increased, he brought more food. Despite initial lack of support and even criticism from some, his dedication never wavered. Advocate Basant Bhatt emerged as the first to believe in Pokhara’s mission, providing moral and logistical support. The first large-scale organized meal service took place on April 28, 2019, with rotis and vegetable curry, assisted by U.S. Soni, Rameshwar Lal Jingar, and Ashok’s sons Ayush and Meenal.

From feeding a handful of people, the initiative now feeds 300 people daily. The organization was formally registered in 2022, and during the COVID-19 pandemic, their services remained uninterrupted. Thanks to support from MB Hospital and Dr. Vipin Mathur, the institution was allotted a dedicated premises where meals have been cooked and served for the past 18 months — benefiting over 1.83 lakh people so far.

The meals include a variety of dishes such as two vegetables, rotis, rice, khichdi, sweets during festivals, and even nutritious porridge for patients. The institution has also installed 10 new water coolers in hospital wards and repaired 16 non-functional ones. They have organized seven blood donation camps as well.

At the event, Dr. Vipin Mathur, Principal of RNT Medical College, praised the institution’s unwavering commitment to service beyond caste and class, calling it a source of pride for the entire hospital. He commended founder Ashok Pokhara and key supporters including Ruchika Chaudhary, Ashok Parihar, Basant Bhatt, Kedar Nath Dadhich, Rajkumar Sachdev, Mahaveer Nagda, Ashok Paliwal, Rakesh Chaudhary, Shankar Tejwani, Bhagwat Mehta, and Zulfikar Ali Pipawala.

He concluded by saying, “He who finds peace in serving others is the richest of all.”

Also present at the event were dedicated team members Madanlal Chundawat, Prahlad Sen, Sunil Sen, Hariom Sen, Rajendra Narayan Ameta, and Govind, all of whom continue to uphold the values and mission of the institution.