10 Indira Canteens to come up in DK: Khader

Minister for Food and Civil Supplies U T Khader said the state government has decided to open 10 Indira Canteens in Dakshina Kannada in January.

He said on Monday that in addition to five canteens in Mangaluru city, one outlet each will be opened at Ullal, Bantwal, Puttur, Sullia and Belthangady towns. Directorate of Municipal Administration is the nodal agency for implementing the project. All the five canteens to be opened in Mangaluru city will have separate kitchens, he said.

“We have directed local authorities to identify locations for the canteens in their areas. Canteens will be maintained by the department of Urban Development,” he added.

The state government has planned to open canteens in all taluk headquarters of the state. Additional canteens will be opened if the population in the town is more than one lakh. A canteen in a town, where the number of population is between 45,000 and one lakh, will serve food for three times for 500 people at a nominal rate fixed by the government. If the population is below 45,000, the canteens will serve food for 300 people daily, he said.

No ganja mafia

Khader denied the allegation that ganja mafia is thriving in Mangaluru Assembly constituency (formerly Ullal Assembly constituency). “The mafia has not come to my notice. There may be people who are smoking or selling ganja. Anti-Rowdy Squad has been constituted to curb drug mafia.”

He also accused the BJP of levelling allegations against AICC general secretary K C Venugopal.