Delhi CM inaugurates Atal Canteens, offering Rs 5 meals
New Delhi (PTI): The Atal Canteens, inaugurated on Thursday to mark the 101st birth anniversary of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, will offer nutritious meals for just Rs 5.
The initiative aims to provide affordable and nutritious meals to workers, the poor, and other needy residents of the national capital. The government has allocated Rs 104.24 crore for the operation and management of this ambitious scheme.
Each Atal Canteen will serve approximately 1,000 meals per day, benefiting over 1,00,000 people daily across Delhi, said an official statement.
Union Minister for Power and Housing and Urban Affairs Manohar Lal Khattar, along with Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, inaugurated an Atal Canteen near 'Apna Bazaar' in Nehru Nagar, Lajpat Nagar.
Gupta, along with ministers and dignitaries, also partook of a meal at the Atal Canteen and directed officials to ensure the highest standards of food quality and hygiene.
Speaking on the occasion, Khattar said the Atal Canteens launched across Delhi on the birth anniversary of Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee represent a historic initiative inspired by the ideals of service, good governance, and human sensitivity.
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He said that the scheme is not merely a welfare programme, but a strong commitment to extending dignified support to citizens at the last mile.
By providing nutritious meals for Rs 5, the spirit of public service is being strengthened.
He added that, in line with the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi centred on service, good governance, and welfare of the poor, the initiative will ensure that no one in Delhi goes hungry.
Gupta also described the scheme as a significant step towards ensuring a life of respect and self-reliance for poor and hardworking citizens.
Recalling the legacy of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, she said his leadership and commitment to good governance continue to inspire public service initiatives across the country.
She said that 100 Atal Canteens are being established across Delhi. Of these, 45 canteens were virtually inaugurated on Thursday, while the remaining 55 will become operational within the next 15 to 20 days.
The chief minister said a symbolic contribution of Rs 5 has been fixed to preserve the self-respect of beneficiaries, encourage responsible consumption, and prevent food wastage.
Each beneficiary is provided freshly cooked meals at a nominal cost of Rs 5 per plate, while the Delhi government bears Rs 25 per meal.
Under this scheme, 100 Atal Canteens are being set up across Delhi. Each canteen will serve meals twice a day.
A standardised menu has been prepared for all canteens, including nutritious items such as dal-rice, roti, and vegetables. Facilities include modern kitchens, LPG-based cooking systems, and industrial RO water plants.
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To ensure transparency and smooth operations, digital token systems, CCTV surveillance, and regular audits have been put in place. In addition, the quality of food and raw materials will be regularly tested by FSSAI and NABL-accredited laboratories to ensure safe and high-quality meals for citizens.
Each meal weighs approximately 600 grams, providing an average of 700-800 calories and 20-25 grams of protein, in line with balanced and nutritious dietary norms.
The lunch timings are from 11:30 am to 2 pm, and dinner is from 6:30 pm to 9 pm.
Approximately 700 people will gain employment under this scheme.
For the operation of Atal Canteens, 11 experienced agencies have been selected by DUSIB through a transparent tendering process.
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Topless, brainless, shameless: BJP slams Congress over protest at AI summit, calls Rahul 'traitor'
New Delhi (PTI): The BJP slammed the Congress on Friday for a protest staged by the party's youth wing at the ongoing India AI Impact Summit here, alleging that a "ruckus" was created at the venue of the event on opposition leader Rahul Gandhi's directions to sabotage the country's image before the world.
A group of India Youth Congress (IYC) workers on Friday staged a brief protest at an exhibition hall of Bharat Mandapam, the venue of the AI summit, raising slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, before being whisked away by security personnel.
A senior police officer said around 10 people were detained when they were protesting at the venue of the summit.
Hitting out at the opposition party for the protest, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said, "For the Congress, I have just three words -- topless, brainless and shameless."
He alleged that the Youth Congress held the protest at the behest of Gandhi.
"It was pre-planned. The Congress workers did not just enter the venue randomly. They had pre-registered for the event and obtained a bar code for entry to the venue," Patra said at a press conference at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) headquarters here.
"The entire planning was done at Rahul Gandhi's residence, in the presence of Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. It was not an experiment," Patra claimed.
He alleged that the protest at the summit venue was not an "experiment" but a "deliberate attempt" by Rahul Gandhi to malign India's image.
"Rahul Gandhi and the Congress are traitors of the highest order. Whenever the country is progressing, they will definitely do something to spoil the atmosphere. They are traitors," the BJP leader said.
Reacting sharply to the development, Union minister Piyush Goyal said the protest put the Congress's "arrogance and frustration on display", and asked Gandhi if "humiliating" India to target the BJP-led Centre is his "idea of opposition".
"While you want to choke India's development by peddling lies about the recent trade deals, your foot soldiers are marching shirtless at the prestigious AI Summit, attempting to embarrass 140 crore Indians globally," the senior BJP leader said in a post on X, flaying Gandhi over the protest.
"This disruption strategy only exposes your (Gandhi) and your party's lack of vision for India," Goyal added.
Union minister Gajendra Shekhawat also hit out at Gandhi over the protest, saying it is not surprising to see the followers of the "pea-brained and immature" Congress leader take their shirts off and run around vulgarly at the summit venue.
"Remember, when their pea-brained, immature leader Rahul Gandhi laughs in front of a dead body and wipes his nose on his own party president in public, it's no surprise then that his followers strip their shirts and run around vulgarly at an AI Summit," he said in a post on X.
"Leadership sets the standard, and this is exactly what they reflect," he added.
BJP leader Amit Malviya said, "At a time when India is hosting a prestigious global AI Summit, showcasing its innovation and leadership in technology, the Congress party chose disruption over dignity."
The IT department head of the saffron party criticised the Youth Congress workers for taking their shirts off and creating a ruckus at the summit venue, saying the act was "clearly designed to embarrass India on the world stage".
When the country is striving to position itself as a global technology powerhouse, such conduct only serves the interests of those who wish to see it falter, he added.
"Political opposition is a democratic right, but sabotaging India's global image is not," Malviya said in a post on X, stressing, "India deserves better."
Reacting sharply to the protest, BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari wrote on X: "Shame on Congress Party. Congress behaves like Urban Naxals. Cong is an anti-India party."
He alleged that the Youth Congress workers stormed the summit venue and raised "objectionable slogans on the instructions of Rahul Gandhi".
"Rahul Gandhi, Congress and Gandhi-Vadra family should apologise to the country and its youth," Bhandari said.
Meanwhile, a picture has surfaced on the social media, in which Gandhi is seen walking along with Narsimha Yadav, who allegedly organised the protest at the AI summit venue.
Patra claimed that Yadav is the national coordinator of the Congress's youth wing.
