People line up outside an Atal Canteen to avail subsidised meals under the government-run food scheme, in New Delhi.
Credit: PTI photo
New Delhi: More than 33,000 people turned up for subsidised meals at the Atal canteens since it commenced operations a day ago, officials said on Friday.
According to official data, 17,587 people were served meals on the first day of operation on Thursday, 8,604 of them at lunch and 8,983 at dinner.
On Friday, the canteen recorded 15,805 beneficiaries till the time of reporting, comprising 10,696 at lunch and 5,109 at dinner.
Over the two days, a total of 33,392 people availed themselves of subsidised meals at the canteen named after Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the government said.
Atal canteens, inaugurated on Thursday to mark the 101st birth anniversary of the former prime minister, offer nutritious meals for Rs 5.
The scheme is aimed at workers, the urban poor and other economically vulnerable groups.
The lunch timings are from 11.30 am to 2 pm, and dinner is from 6.30 pm to 9 pm.
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta had said 100 Atal Canteens are planned across Delhi.
Of these, 45 were inaugurated on Thursday, and the remaining 55 are expected to open in the next 15 to 20 days.=