Following the success of affordable food canteens in Bengaluru, Karnataka launched the country’s first State-run mobile food canteens on the Republic Day on Friday.
The Mobile Indira Canteen to be operated by the Bengaluru Municipal Corporation will serve breakfast for Rs 5, and Rs 10 each for lunch and dinner with a mission called “relieving hunger self esteem”. The mobile canteen will serve cheaper hygienic food with environment-friendly amenities like all solar energy driven operations, potable water and electronic machines for greater transparency since the job has been undertaken by private contractors from preparation of meals.
Congress President Rahul Gandhi had launched the Indira canteens last year in August. . The concrete image of Indira Gandhi done by a Finland company on the Canteen walls are completely tamper proof and cannot be damaged until chiseled.
Congress leaders said that the affordable food programme is a game changer in the election campaign for the forthcoming assembly polls. “Yes, this is one of the major achievement of the Government where we are running a program for hunger free city. People are having hygienic meals with dignity at the most affordable rates one can think upon,” said Harish Chand Gowda, a Congress worker, who was having his lunch at Indira Canteen near K R Market.
The Rs 100 crore Indira canteen initiative aims to serve nutritious food in at least 198 wards that come under the jurisdiction of the city's civic body- Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike. The menu includes Idli, upma, rice dishes like pongal, kesari bhath and khara bhath, flavoured-rice, sambhar and curd rice.
“The basic purpose of the State Government was that no person in Bengaluru should ever remain hungry and these canteens are now a great means towards serving the purpose of making a hunger free city. It is a boon to students, migrants and we have observed even elite class people visit these canteens to enjoy hot meals with the menu that keeps on changing every day,” said the Bengaluru Municipal Commissioner N Manjunatha Prasad.
The Municipal Commissioner, who himself was having a lunch meal worth Rs 10 at an Indira Canteen when this correspondent visited out of curiosity a canteen at Deepanjali Nagar, said that he visiting the canteens serves two purpose.
“I am able to randomly check food quality and then also interact with people and take suggestions how to keep on improving the city in the best possible means. Spend some-time here you would also notice that software professionals too visit Indira canteens for hot sambhar or curd rice,” Manjunatha, an IAS officer of 1994 batch, told The Pioneer.