On Thursday, the Delhi government established 100 ‘Atal Canteens’ across the national capital to give meals at a reduced rate of ₹5 per plate to the poor and low-income individuals. The opening coincides with the 100th birthday of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Rekha Gupta, Delhi’s chief minister, attended the inauguration.
Around 45 Atal Canteens were opened today, in keeping with the government’s election promise, and construction on the other 55 will be completed soon, according to PTI. Although building work at some canteens has been delayed by two months due to GRAP regulations, food will continue to be provided at these locations, Delhi urban development minister Ashish Sood confirmed on Wednesday.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) promised subsidised ‘Atal Canteens’ in their Delhi election campaign, and ₹100 crore was allocated in the Delhi Budget 2025-26 for these canteens. Soon after, the government formed an inter-departmental committee to approve the canteens’ sites, menus, distribution systems, and management, as previously reported by PTI.
The newly inaugurated Atal Canteens offer a full plate lunch to low-income and impoverished people of the national capital for only ₹5, every morning and evening. The dinner will include dal-chawal (lentils and rice), veggies, and roti (bread). Every morning and evening, these canteens will provide about 500 meals that include these food products.
The centers are outfitted with modern amenities such as LPG-powered cooking equipment, industrial RO water facilities, and cold storage. Officials will also monitor the canteens in real time using CCTV cameras, as initiated by the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board’s digital platform.
At the inauguration ceremony, CM Gupta also mocked previous governments that ruled the national capital, claiming that they made promises but never delivered finances. According to her, the current BJP government has granted cash totaling ₹2,700 crore for projects from previous years. Not just the chief minister, but even the union minister for housing and urban affairs, Manohar Lal Khattar, has stated that Delhi residents have suffered over the last two decades.
Khattar claimed that Delhi has been ‘crying and seeking for facilities’ for the past two decades. He praised the BJP, saying that because the party is in power both at the center and in the national capital, work is being done for the benefit of the people.
