LG Saxena, CM Rekha inaugurate 25 new Atal Canteens
To provide clean and nutritious food to the poor and needy at affordable prices, Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena and Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Thursday inaugurated 25 new Atal Canteens in the national Capital.
The canteens were launched digitally from Nursery Basti in Krishna Nagar. With this addition, the total number of Atal Canteens in Delhi has increased to 71.
Following the inauguration, the Lieutenant Governor, the Chief Minister and other dignitaries sat with members of the public and partook of a meal at the canteen. Addressing the gathering, Saxena said the launch of 25 new Atal Canteens marks an important milestone for Delhi.
With 71 canteens now operational across various parts of the city, people are receiving clean and nutritious meals at affordable prices. He stated that the scheme is proving highly beneficial for the poor and the needy.
He informed that the initiative was launched on 25 December last year on the 101st birth anniversary of former Prime Minister and Bharat Ratna awardee Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
The scheme has been particularly helpful for economically weaker sections, migrant workers, students who have come to Delhi for education, rickshaw pullers, sanitation workers, domestic helpers and daily wage labourers.
The Lieutenant Governor further stated that the Delhi Government is providing a subsidy of Rs 25 per meal to ensure that needy citizens receive food with dignity.
Regular monitoring mechanisms have been put in place to maintain quality, hygiene and transparency.
He congratulated the Chief Minister and her team for successfully implementing the initiative and expressed confidence that the scheme would continue to expand in the coming months.
Rekha Gupta said the Atal Canteens are dedicated to those who work hard every day to support their families. It is the Government’s responsibility to ensure that they have access to affordable, dignified and nutritious food. She emphasised that the scheme goes beyond merely serving meals; it instils a sense of dignity, security and inclusion among the poor, labourers, street vendors, construction workers and rickshaw pullers.
The Chief Minister stated that the Government is working on the principle of “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas” to ensure that no one in Delhi sleeps hungry. Clean, wholesome and balanced meals are being served at just `5, providing substantial relief to low-income groups.
She announced that the Government aims to increase the number of Atal Canteens to 100 in the near future so that a larger section of society may benefit from the scheme.
She further informed that balanced meals comprising dal, rice, roti and vegetables are being served in all canteens. To ensure transparency and efficient functioning, a digital token system and CCTV monitoring have been introduced. Meals are served on steel plates, and billing is fully computerised.
The Chief Minister also proposed the creation of an Atal Canteen corpus fund to encourage public participation, enabling individuals and organisations to sponsor meals on special occasions.
Highlighting the Government’s broader commitment, the Chief Minister noted that the Delhi Government will complete one year in office on 20 February. She stated that public trust has ushered in positive change in the Capital and that the Government is functioning with transparency and accountability.
Delhi’s Urban Development Minister Ashish Sood stated that the Government is fully committed to realising the resolve of Antyodaya reaching and uplifting the last person in society.
He informed that since the launch of the Atal Canteen scheme on 25 December, a total of 1,458,301 people have availed themselves of nutritious meals at Rs 5 within 57 days. He further stated that during the past 56 days, 46 Atal Canteens had been operational, serving an average of nearly 26,000 people daily. Each canteen has served more than 31,000 people on average.
