Substandard and insufficient food in Indira Canteen draws flak

With hundreds of people left starving without food due to Covid-induced lockdown, the state government started providing free food to the shelterless through Indira Canteen from May 11.

The Indira Canteen near the private bus stand in Srirangapatna town has been providing free breakfast, lunch and dinner. Every day around 80 to 100 people benefit from this. According to sources, the breakfast supplied weighs 225 gm, lunch and dinner 300 gm each. There are complaints that the food supplied is of very less quantity and insufficient for a person.

Most of the beneficiaries are construction and hotel workers and the food supplied is insufficient, it is said. One of the workers complained that ‘rice bhath’ is supplied all the three times of the day and the taste is of substandard quality. There is no proper response from the authorities when questioned. Hence, a few have stopped going to Indira Canteen, he said.

The government has fixed Rs 15.30 for breakfast and Rs 20.05 for lunch and dinner. The supplier has to manage with this amount, otherwise the canteen contractor will face losses, said Town Health Supervisor Shivashankar.

Tahsildar M V Roopa said, “Food is being distributed free of cost to the homeless since May 11, through Indira canteen. But, the food supplied is insufficient. Hence, it has been brought to the notice of the higher officers and it has been requested to increase the quantity of food.”