Question mark over fate of Indira Canteens as BJP promises Atal Aahara Kendras in K'taka
Bengaluru (PTI): The BJP's promise in its manifesto that it will set up 'Atal Aahara Kendra' in each ward of every municipal corporation in Karnataka has put a question mark over the fate of the 'Indira Canteens', which the then Siddaramaiah government launched in August 2017.
The BJP national president J P Nadda released on Monday the 'Praja Pranalike' (Citizens' Manifesto) in the run-up to the May 10 Assembly elections.
"We will set up an 'Atal Aahara Kendra' in every ward of every municipal corporation in the state to provide affordable, quality and healthy food across the state with special focus for delivery boys, cab, auto drivers and unorganised workers," the party said in its manifesto.
"I don't know about the Indira Canteen 'Yojana' but I know that this (Atal Aahara Kendra) is going to take care of the common man," Nadda said in response to a question on the fate of Indira Canteens.
Senior Congress leader and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said, "It is ridiculous that the BJP government is promising to open 'Atal Aahara Kendra' after vindictively shutting down 600 Indira Canteens set up by the Congress across the state during its tenure."
In Bengaluru, the Indira Canteens were set up by the then Congress government in about 200 places with an investment of Rs 94 crore, according to Congress leaders.
The Congress had earlier repeatedly accused the current BJP government of shutting down Indira Canteens or changing the name and making it redundant.
"Is your tummy so full that you are ignorant about poor man's hunger? Or does your party cater to only elites' appetite? We shall never tolerate any attempt to axe down Indira Canteen," Siddaramaiah had tweeted on August 28, 2019.
ALSO READ: Congress launches 'CryPM' campaign showing PM Modi wiping tears
The Congress stalwart made his fear public a month after BJP's B S Yediyurappa became the Chief Minister for a fourth time.
Yediyurappa had then clarified that there were no plans to shut or rename the Indira Canteens.
The Congress government launched the Indira Canteen scheme in August 2017 on the lines of 'Amma Canteen' in Tamil Nadu.
"The government had earmarked Rs 94 crore for the Indira Canteen project. We spent Rs 30 lakh on constructing each canteen in each ward of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike and Rs 60 lakh on each kitchen," a senior government officer, who was part of the project, told PTI.
The annual recurring cost is about Rs 100 crore, which involves Rs 27 a day on each person having meals in the Indira Canteen, he explained.
He said every day about three lakh people avail the food services at these Indira Canteens across Bengaluru.
According to him, the concept of 'Atal Aahara Kendra' is same as the Indira Canteens, where people get breakfast for Rs five and meals twice a day each costing Rs 10.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Real Madrid fines Valverde and Tchouaméni half a million euros each for altercation
Barcelona (AP): Real Madrid slapped players Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni with half-a-million-euro ($588,000) fines on Friday for their altercation during practice.
The massive fines came a day after the midfielders tussled when the team trained. Valverde said in a post on social media on Thursday that no punches were thrown. But Valverde knocked his head on a table and he suffered a small cut that required a brief hospital visit.
On social media, Valverde initially called it a “meaningless fight” with a teammate and said “everything has been blown out of proportion."
His employers, however, considered it a significant enough breach of team discipline to nail both Valverde and Tchouaméni with fines that bite even the bank account of a top soccer player. The half-a-million euro penalties reflect the reputational damage the club was enduring in a chaotic end to a disappointing season.
In a statement, the 15-time European champion said its disciplinary action was concluded after both players expressed to the club “their complete remorse for what happened and apologized to one another.”
Madrid added they also apologized to their teammates, the coaching staff and club supporters, as well as showing their willingness to accept whatever disciplinary action the club deemed “opportune.”
Tchouaméni was back training with Madrid on Friday, two days before they play at Barcelona in a clasico. Madrid has to win otherwise Barcelona will be crowned La Liga champion.
After being notified of the fine, he posted a public apology to the club and its fans on social media.
“What happened this week in training is unacceptable,” Tchouaméni wrote. "I say this while thinking about the example we are expected to set for young people, whether in football or at school.
“Above all, I am sorry for the image we projected of the club.”
Valverde was not at practice due to the head knock.
Both players are set to play in the World Cup next month, with Tchouaméni playing for France and Valverde for Uruguay.
Chaotic end to a poor season
===================
The run-in between the players, who for seasons have played side by side in Madrid's midfield, came after they argued this week in previous training sessions. But tempers boiled over on Thursday. Spanish media was rife with reports that the players previously disagreed over the club's decision to let coach Xabi Alonso go after just months on the job.
It was not the only altercation involving Madrid players during training this week. Álvaro Carreras confirmed he was in a “minor” incident with a teammate. Spanish media said he and fellow defender Antonio Rüdiger got into a scuffle.
Álvaro Arbeloa, the coach who was promoted from Madrid's reserve team when Alonso was fired in January, will face tough questions on what went wrong inside the changing room when he gives a press conference on Saturday ahead of the clasico at Camp Nou.
Madrid is facing a second consecutive campaign without a major trophy amid rumors in the Spanish media that club president Florentino Pérez is considering bringing back Jose Mourinho to straighten out his underperforming team.
