Delhi govt plans Aam Aadmi canteens
The canteens will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner for between `5 and `10
New Delhi: The Delhi government plans to start Aam Aadmi canteens that will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner for between ₹ 5 and ₹ 10, following the example of the Amma canteens started by the J. Jayalalithaa government in Tamil Nadu to serve inexpensive meals and snacks.
The scheme designed by the Delhi Dialogue Commission (DDC), an advisory body of the state government, has been approved by Delhi chief minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal and will now be taken up by the state cabinet for consent.
“The poor get bad quality food. Aam Aadmi Canteen will provide hygienic food along with RO (reverse osmosis) water. Food will be sold at a reasonable rate with the maximum amount being ₹ 10," DDC vice president Ashish Khetan said on Thursday.
In the first phase, canteens will be opened near industrial areas, hospitals, educational institutions and commercial houses. Processes and mechanisms will be put in place to ensure that the food is both prepared and served in hygienic conditions. All canteens shall be fitted with RO systems to provide safe drinking water.
Khetan added that Delhi has roughly 1 million construction workers, 500,000 street hawkers and 420,000 families living in slums who will benefit from these canteens.
The Aam Aadmi Canteen scheme will replace the Jan Ahar Yojana set up by the previous government led by the Congress that provided two meals a day at ₹ 15 each. The canteen will be run by the food and supplies department of the Delhi government.
Before announcing the scheme, the commission studied Tamil Nadu’s Amma canteen model.
“This model is running in Tamil Nadu where the cost of running 225 canteens is only ₹ 65 crore (per year). They were opened in five to six phases in Chennai," Khetan said.
Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed – it's all here, just a click away! Login Now!