Delhi to add 40 Atal Canteens near hospitals with extended 12-hour service

New Delhi: In a shift aimed at better serving patients and attendants, the Delhi government is planning to set up around 40 additional Atal Canteens near government hospitals across the city, with extended operating hours from 10 am to 10 pm, according to an official.

"Unlike the existing model, where Atal Canteens function in two fixed meal slots -- lunch from 11.30 am to 2 pm and dinner from 6.30 pm to 9 pm, the proposed hospital-linked canteens will remain open for 12 hours," the official said.

He said that the move is intended to cater to the round-the-clock needs of patients' families and others who spend long hours at medical facilities.

The Delhi government, on February 19, inaugurated 25 Atal Canteens across the national capital as part of a scheme to serve affordable and nutritious meals to urban poor, labourers and other underprivileged residents.

At present, Delhi has 71 Atal Canteens, and the government aims to expand the network to 100 outlets by the end of March.

While most earlier canteens were located near JJ clusters, the upcoming ones are proposed near hospitals, where daily footfall remains high.

"These canteens are in the pipeline. Sites are being identified based on land availability, and the focus is on public institutions where daily footfall is high," he said.

The government has allocated Rs 104 crore for implementing the scheme. The Atal Canteen initiative was launched on December 25 last year by the BJP-led Delhi government to mark the birth anniversary of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Under the scheme, nutritious meals comprising chapati, rice, vegetable curry and pickle are provided at Rs 5 per plate to address hunger and food insecurity among economically weaker sections.

Each canteen follows a fixed daily limit of 500 plates for lunch and 500 for dinner, with visitors required to collect QR-based tokens before receiving their meals.