Closure of Indira Canteens appears imminent as BBMP fails to pay bills to contractors

Bengaluru: Hundreds of workers are in fear of losing their jobs, as the contractors who are managing Indira Canteen in the Bruhath Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) limits, have not been paid their bills for the last 10 months. The contractors are finding it difficult to operate the canteens owing to the failure of the government to pay their bills amounting to Rs 22 crore.

Hundreds of workers and kitchen staff fear losing their jobs because the contractors are seriously contemplating closing the canteens.

The Indira Canteens launched by the Congress' Siddaramaiah government in 2017 has come as a boon for the poor such as daily-wage workers, auto and cab drivers, roadside vendors, etc., in the city as they get breakfast, lunch and dinner at a minimal cost.

The worst to be affected would be the poor people and about 800 kitchen and other staff if the contractors go ahead and close the canteens.

Acording to One of the contractors, besides Rs 22 crore pending bill, another Rs 4 crore for serving food to pourakarmikas (civic workers) is yet to be paid by the government by the BBMP.

"If the bill is not cleared, the doors of Indira Canteens will be closed," he said firmly.

The number of people turning up to have food at Indira canteens is also decreasing.

At some canteens, hardly 200 are coming to have breakfast, 100 for lunch and not more than 50 for dinner, due to the Covid pandemic.

Non-payment of bills has a chain reaction on the contractors; they are forced to stop payments to shops towards purchase of groceries and vegetables; they have lost water and sewerage connections for non-payment of monthly bills to BWSSB.

The contractors are scraping through by buying water from private firms.