Breakfast for Rs 5, lunch and dinner for Rs 10: Rahul Gandhi launches Indira Canteen in Bengaluru
The Congress leader said the former prime minister had dreamt of ‘eradicating poverty and filling hungry stomachs’.
Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi inaugurated the first Indira Canteen in Bengaluru on Wednesday, The Times of India reported. A total of 101 canteens out of the planned 198 are now open to the public. The canteens will serve breakfast for Rs 5 and lunch and dinner for Rs 10.
Gandhi said these canteens will ensure that no person goes hungry in Bengaluru. He also asked the Karnataka government to provide healthy and tasty food to the public to make this project a success.
“I am proud that it is a Congress government that conceptualised this canteen,” Gandhi said. “Eradicating poverty and filling hungry stomachs was also a dream of Amma Indira Gandhi.”
While the inaugural ceremony was held at 11.30 am on Wednesday, the remaining 100 canteens will be opened at 7.30 pm, reported The Hindu. A long list of dignitaries, including Gandhi, will dine at the canteen on Wednesday evening.
Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike Commissioner N Manjunath Prasad on Tuesday had said that dinner will be served free of cost at all the 101 canteens on the first day, according to The Hindu.
Initially, the canteens will serve 500 meals in each session. The numbers will be increased or decreased depending upon the public response, Prasad had told The Hindu.
Chief minister Siddaramaiah said the Indira Canteen project will be extended to other districts of Karnataka soon. The Congress had planned to launch 198 canteens on August 15 in all the wards of Bengaluru. However, the project got delayed because of poor planning, controversies surrounding the location of the canteens and shortage of land.