Meals at 5 per plate: Atal canteens in Delhi by Dec

Time of India

a day ago

New Delhi: Delhi govt is gearing up to launch 100 Atal Canteens across the city, which will offer meals at about Rs 5 per plate. The initiative aims to provide affordable and nutritious food at 100 locations, mostly near major construction sites and slum clusters, targeting daily wage workers and the urban poor.
Senior officials said that govt is planning to complete some projects by the birth date of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in Dec, in whose memory the canteens are named. In her 2025–26 Budget, chief minister Rekha Gupta, who also handles the finance portfolio, allocated Rs 100 crore to set up the canteens across the national capital.
Minister Kapil Mishra said, "By the end of the year, we will be in a position to launch some canteens.
We have started identifying places, and soon a report will be prepared and given to me on the areas where it can operate."
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The plan, he added, is to start with 100 such canteens, with at least one in each assembly constituency.
"This is a significant step toward ensuring food security for Delhi's most vulnerable populations," Mishra said, adding, "We are committed to fulfilling our manifesto promises, and under CM Rekha Gupta, we have been starting one scheme after another, and we have started the process for this too.
This is one of our promises."
A similar model was rolled out in Haryana in BJP's tenure four years ago, where the Atal Kisan Mazdoor Canteens were opened in agricultural mandis. These provide a simple meal of chapatis, rice, dal and vegetables for just Rs 10.
While Delhi's version will operate at half the price, the exact rate is yet to be finalised. The official rollout plan is expected to be announced around the birthday of PM Modi in Sept.
Earlier, during 2017-2022, the MCDs launched a similar project, Atal Aahar Yojna, but could not continue it for long. The scheme was among BJP's most touted programmes in its manifesto before the 2017 MCD polls. Under the scheme, the plan envisaged by the civic body was to offer breakfast and lunch at a subsidised rate of Rs 10 and Rs 15, respectively, at nearly 40 places in Delhi.
Officials said that this time, Delhi govt is working on different models to ensure that the scheme does not face hiccups.
"We are exploring if we can allow vendors to cut losses they would face on account of providing subsidised food by selling confectionery or other items," an official said. Govt would also have to support the scheme, he added.
Former MP Gautam Gambhir too launched a similar initiative during his tenure, where he offered food for Rs 1 at some places in his constituency. However, that scheme, too, became non-functional after he left active politics.