Indira Canteens to provide free meals to street vendors, workers till May 24

Bengaluru: The State government on Tuesday announced that Indira Canteens will provide free food (breakfast, lunch and dinner) to the poor, street vendors and workers across the State during the lockdown till May 24.

The announcement was made by Municipal Administration Minister N. Nagaraju. "With the consent of Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa, the Municipal Administration department has taken this measure to supply free food to the poor thrice a day," Nagaraju said. More than 170 canteens across district and taluk centres will provide free food, and about 30 mobile canteens will take up the service in Bengaluru city limits. The service commenced from Tuesday in rest of the State while it will commence from Wednesday in Bengaluru.

The beneficiaries should provide identity cards such as voter identification card/Aadhaar card/DL/labour department identity card to obtain the meals. Each person or beneficiary will be given a maximum of three packets of food, depending on the total number of family members on their ration cards. The beneficiaries who come to get lunch packages at Indira Canteens in the city must comply with Covid19 norms. Everyone must wear a mask, maintain social distance and stand in queue to receive food packets.

Currently, Indira Canteen charges Rs 5 for breakfast and Rs 10 each for lunch and dinner. "This will be waived to help street vendors, workers and the poor till the lockdown is lifted," the minister added. .

Indira Canteens, started by the Congress government led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to provide food to the needy, was modelled on Amma Canteens in Tamil Nadu. While it was launched in August 2017 in Bengaluru, it was extended to district and taluk centres, bringing relief to thousands of workers, students, street vendors and poor, by offering subsidised food.