Delhi CM lays foundation stone of Atal canteen;100 to open on birthday of ex PM Vajpayee

New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister, Rekha Gupta, on Friday laid the foundation stone of the first "Atal" canteen in the Timarpur area here, marking the fulfilment of a key promise made by the BJP.

Gupta said that her government's resolve is that no person should go to bed Hungry. A total of 100 Atal canteens will start serving nutritious meals to the needy from the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on December 25, a statement from Delhi CMO said.

It was a poll promise of the BJP during the Delhi Assembly polls held in February to provide affordable meals to the underprivileged, with two meals a day for just Rs 5 per person, through Atal canteens.

The initiative is an example of the BJP government's respect for the working-class families, Gupta said.

The chief minister was accompanied by the Urban Development Minister Ashish Sood, MP Manoj Tiwari and local MLA Surya Prakash Khatri during the laying of the foundation stone ceremony at JJ Cluster in Sanjay Basti.

Gupta, later in a post on X, said, "In just eight months, a strong step has been taken to fulfil another promise made with Delhi. An extensive network of 100 Atal canteens will be set up in the capital so that this facility easily and timely reaches every needy person."

The chief minister said that previous governments in Delhi "failed" to address the basic needs of the slum dwellers in the city. In contrast, the present government has made a special provision of Rs 700 crore for the development of slum areas.

She said that roads, drains, toilets, parks, community health centres and shared community facilities in these settlements are being rapidly upgraded across all 70 Assembly constituencies.

Urban Development Minister Sood said that the foundation stone of the Atal canteen is dedicated to the principle of 'Antyodaya', which calls for the upliftment of the most vulnerable sections of society.

He said Rs 100 crore allocation was made in the Delhi government's budget this year to open the 100 canteens.

Prime Minister Modi's message that the country must move from “food security to nutritional security” was the inspiration behind the Atal canteens that will serve clean, healthy and hygienically prepared meals.

The Atal canteens will include a clean serving area, safe drinking water, stainless steel tables and chairs, a digital token system, real-time CCTV monitoring, secure waste management and a fully hygienic environment, the statement said.

Fresh and nutritious meals will be served daily during both lunch and dinner. Food quality will be inspected by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), and staff health certification and all safety and hygiene norms will be mandatory, it added.