Congress has no guarantee on Indira canteens; 23 shut shop already in Karnataka

As many as 23 Indira canteens and 11 kitchens have already been closed due to lack of bill payment to suppliers and non-payment of bills for operation and maintenance costs, including power and water connection

Hyderabad: Just over 100 days after forming government, the Karnataka Congress is struggling to fulfill the poll promises made to the people. After the transport and energy sectors, the Congress government now is struggling to keep open its Indira canteens and kitchens.

As many as 23 Indira canteens and 11 kitchens have already been closed due to lack of bill payment to suppliers and non-payment of bills for operation and maintenance costs, including power and water connection. Under the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), there were 175 permanent Indira canteens and 24 mobile canteens. Of these, 23 canteens including six permanent canteens and 17 mobile canteens have been closed. Further, 50 canteens need repair work, according to reports.

---

Launched in 2017, these Indira canteens offer breakfast, lunch and dinner at subsidized rates. During the elections, the Congress had promised to revive the Indira canteens and after his swearing in ceremony, Chief Minister K Siddaramaiah had also reiterated the same but these initiatives have not taken off yet.

According to media reports, the Marathahalli canteen building was demolished for the Metro work and this resulted in closure of six canteens in the building. Post works, neither the BBMP nor BMRCL have evinced interest in restoring the canteens. The Padmanabhanagar canteen was closed down due to disconnection of water and power supply.

Out of the 24 mobile canteens, only seven mobile canteens are functioning. The remaining 17 mobile canteens have been shut down due to vehicle maintenance issues. In addition to these, more than 50 canteens need to be repaired. Mainly drainage system, cleaning work in canteen premises and other repair works have to be taken up. However, BBMP officials have reportedly said restoration of all these canteens requires funding and proposals were submitted to the State government.

In addition to canteens, many kitchens have also been locked. A total of 19 kitchens have been constructed to supply food to a total of 199 canteens. At present, only eight kitchens are operating while the remaining 11 are closed. Even though the Doddenekundi kitchen has been shut down since November 11, 2020, it has not been restarted.

Further, BBMP had planned to open new Indira canteens in colleges and hospitals including Vidhana Soudha and Kempegowda International Airport. It was estimated that about Rs.50 crore would be required. But the plans seem to be shelved due to non-availability of funding from the State government, reports said.