Indira Canteens, the Karnataka state government’s flagship project during Siddaramaiah’s first stint as Chief Minister, are making a comeback in Bengaluru after being pushed into insignificance by the previous Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government. The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has sought an allocation of Rs 300 crore to revive the hunger alleviation programme in Bengaluru, ending weeks of speculation over whether Siddaramaiah would bring the project back in his second term as CM.
Confirming this, KV Trilok Chandra, Special Commissioner (Health), BBMP, said, “Changes have been proposed with a focus on the taste and quality of the meals; there will be changes in the menu as well. We have also asked for 50 additional canteens in Bengaluru.” He told TNM that with the number of wards increased to 243, the proposal to construct 50 more canteens seems only logical. According to the Department of Food, Civil Supplies, and Consumer Affairs, there are a total of 175 operational canteens in Bengaluru and 11 in Mysuru.
Meanwhile, on May 24, Tushar Girinath, BBMP Chief Commissioner, conducted a meeting virtually with all zonal commissioners and officials to discuss the revival of this system. He directed them to provide a report on the status quo of the canteens and ensure that the ones that are closed are cleaned up. All canteens are undergoing inspection by the zonal teams, who have been asked to pay attention to minor details such as the functioning of the RO water facility, the quality of food provided, and the number of people eating at the canteens.
Started in 2017, the food subsidisation programme was aimed at providing affordable meals to every hungry person. As the initiative gained traction, the number of Indira Canteens in Bengaluru expanded from 101 to 198. From 2017 to 2019, the Congress government spent Rs 245 crore on the development and maintenance of these canteens. However, when the BJP came to power, the initiative lost its importance.
“The previous government wanted to shut all Indira Canteens; they made no budgetary arrangements for the same,” the supervisor of an Indira Canteen in East Bangalore said.
The 198 canteens that sourced 2.3 lakh meals a day, provided more than 3 lakh free meals during the Covid-19 lockdowns. However, as the number of meals increased, the problems increased too. There was no allocation of funds to keep the kitchens running, contractors and collaborators like Adamya Chetana and ISKCON were not paid their dues, and even the BBMP has some outstanding payment.
As the plans for the revival of the Indira Canteens get underway, the Siddaramaiah government is also coming under pressure to deliver on the five guarantees that were part of its election manifesto. This has led critics to raise concerns about the overall financial health of the state.