JOIN USTamil Nadu firm to build Indira Canteens with pre-cast structures
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday finalised modalities to launch the ambitious Indira Canteen project offering subsidised breakfast and meals to the urban poor in Bengaluru.
At a meeting at his official residence, Siddaramaiah directed starting the project from August 15.
The state government is pumping in Rs 100 crore for the project while the BBMP will be the nodal agency for its implementation.
Mayor G Padmavathi told reporters after the meeting that canteens will be made up of pre-cast structures manufactured by KEF Infra at their Tamil Nadu facility.
The firm has quoted Rs 32 lakh for constructing each canteen with a carpet area of 860 sq ft. She said Siddaramaiah has directed officials to negotiate with KEF Infra to reduce the construction cost.
Padmavathi said, “There will be 199 canteens including the one at the BBMP head office and 28 kitchens, one each in every Assembly constituency in the city. These canteens can accommodate 70 to 80 people at a time. There will be a coupon system offering meals and tiffin to a maximum of 250 people in one slot.”
The Mayor said each canteen will have two toilets, a CCTV camera and food a distribution court. The utensils will belong to the state government so that services are not hampered in case food supply contract is terminated and transferred to another agency.
“The contracts will be finalised by May 30 and work would commence from June 1. By August 1, these canteens will be completely ready to start the programme from August 15,” said Padmavathi.
Regarding the menu, she said beaten rice bath, uppittu (upma) and idli will be offered for breakfast while the meal will consist of sambar, rasam, rice and pickle.
On Sundays, there will be one special item like tomato rice, jeera rice, puliyogare and lemon rice. BBMP commissioner N Manjunatha Prasad said locations for setting up the canteens have been identified. He said the canteens have been designed by different architects.
Stree Shakti Sanghas to cook meals
The government will rope in Stree Shakti Sanghas (SSS) for preparing meals, said Mayor Padmavathi. At least 33% of these canteens and their kitchens will be managed by the SSS, said the Mayor adding that the idea is to empower these SSS.