A day after hiking VAT on petroleum products thus raising prices in the national Capital, the AAP Government on Thursday made a bid to provide relief to the poor by announcing to set up highly subsidised “Aam Aadmi Canteens”. The Government said the canteens will serve quality food at Rs10. Taking a cue from Amma’s canteens in Tamil Nadu, Aam Aadmi Canteens will come up in the next two months.
“The food will cost a maximum of Rs10. We plan to set up these canteens in the next one or two months. In the first phase, we will set up the canteens at hospitals, industrial areas, colleges and commercial hubs,” said Delhi Dialogue Commission’s Vice- Chairperson Ashish Khetan.
To bolster AAP’s pro-poor image, Khetan said around 10 lakh construction workers, 5 lakh slum dwellers and street hawkers would be the immediate beneficiaries of the scheme. All canteens will have RO systems for potable water. Eventually, the canteens will serve three meals— breakfast, lunch and dinner.
“One canteen would cater to around 5,000 people, but there would be no uniformity in their sizes. The scheme would be rolled out in phases like that in Chennai where a dozen were opened in the first phase,” he said.
Khetan, however, did not divulge the approximate cost of the project. There was no official word on the amount of subsidy required for the scheme. Khetan hinted that the AAP Government’s scheme would replace the Jan Aahar eateries launched by former Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit.
These canteens will be run by the Department of Food, Supplies & Consumer Affairs. Khetan said the model was prepared after a survey was conducted in Tamil Nadu and Odisha where such canteens are operating.
He said that the management of the canteens is likely to be outsourced to NGOs or private agencies. “Today the choice is limited for the poor when it comes to having nutritious food. They have to depend on food that is often unhygienic, yet pricey,” Khetan said.
When asked about the possible expenditure, the AAP leader referred to the Tamil Nadu model which, he said, needs around Rs65 crore annually to run 225 canteens. “The detailed road map is being worked out,” he added.
“The State of Delhi has roughly 10 lakh construction workers, 5 lakh street hawkers and 4.2 lakh families living in slums. The Aam Aadmi Canteens will focus on providing quality food to the poor and needy,” said Khetan.