250 Indira Canteens to be opened in Bengaluru city: Karnataka CM

The state government will set up at least 250 Indira canteens in Bengaluru and with this, the city will have a subsidised eatery in each ward, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said Monday.

Indira Canteen was the flagship project of the earlier Siddaramaiah-led government started with an eye on wooing the urban poor.

The government is now set to revive these canteens by adding fresh features, with the Congress alleging that the previous BJP government had deliberately neglected the canteens, leading to infrastructure and quality issues of the food served. Reviving Indira Canteens was also part of the Congress’ manifesto.

Speaking to reporters after a meeting with the officials here, Siddaramaiah said the government would ensure that at least one canteen is set up in each ward.

The government will also set up Indira eateries across the state.“I have asked officials to begin working on this,” he said.

At present, there are 177 Indira canteens in Bengaluru. Among them, eight are mobile canteens. The government has now proposed 250 canteens in all. While there will be one canteen in each ward, the rest will come up near railway stations, bus terminals and congested points according to BBMP officials.

Change in menu

The newly spruced-up canteens will also have a change in the menu while the rates will remain the same, Siddaramaiah said.

“Importance will be given to quality, quantity and cleanliness,” he emphasised.

At present, Indira Canteens serve breakfast for Rs 5 and lunch/dinner for Rs 10.

The canteens will be relaunched after a new tender process.

While earlier the tenders were centralised, they will now be decentralised with tenders being called at the zonal level.

Changed financial model

In the Indira Canteen 2.0, the financial model will also be altered. While earlier, the BBMP had to bear 70% of the cost and the government 30%, Siddaramaiah said the funding will be done equally in a 50:50 ratio. Outside Bengaluru, the funding ratio will remain 70:30, he said.

Siddaramaiah said he asked officials to identify places outside Bengaluru where Indira Canteens can be set up.