Just 101 Indira Canteens will open on August 16 against the earlier target of 125. Besides, just 13 Indira kitchens will open against the target of 28.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had promised to open canteens in all the 198 wards on August 16. The target was revised to 125 as the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) struggled to find suitable places in many wards. The civic body aimed to open the remaining 73 subsidised eateries on October 2 — Gandhi Jayanti.
Just 87 canteens have been built so far and 11 more will be ready in the next few days. The BBMP hopes to increase the figure to 101 by August 16. Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi will inaugurate the canteens.
Mayor G Padmavathi has blamed the opposition BJP and restaurant owners for the delay in the ambitious project. “They (the Opposition and restaurant owners) have been obstructing the project. I have seen employees of some restaurants protesting against the canteens at several places,” she told journalists on Saturday.
Two firms — Rewards, and Cheftalks Food and Hospitality Services — have been contracted to cater at the canteens. While Rewards will run canteens in 12 Assembly constituencies, Cheftalks will cater in the remaining 15 constituencies, the mayor said. The firms will earn Rs 25 on each plate of meal besides a subsidy of Rs 32 and Rs 34 per plate, respectively.
Each kitchen will be manned by 15-18 workers who prepare the food while each canteen will have seven staffers. Each canteen will serve 5,000-6,000 people, she added.