The Chief Minister said that the Delhi government is resolved to ensure that no citizen in Delhi goes to bed hungry, and with this aim, 100 canteens will be opened in Delhi where the needy will be provided with nutritious meals at Rs 5.
Photo: SNS
Laying the foundation stone of the first ‘Atal Canteen’ at Sanjay Basti JJ cluster in North Delhi’s Timarpur on Friday, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said that this move is an important step towards fulfilling her party’s manifesto.
The Chief Minister said that the Delhi government is resolved to ensure that no citizen in Delhi goes to bed hungry, and with this aim, 100 canteens will be opened in Delhi where the needy will be provided with nutritious meals at Rs 5.
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“It is the Delhi government’s firm resolve that no citizen should go to bed hungry,” the CM said.
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Gupta said that on the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on December 25, the Delhi government decided to work in mission mode to realise the goal of starting 100 Atal Canteens.
The CM said that every Atal Canteen will have a clean serving area, a digital token system, real-time CCTV monitoring, and a drinking water facility so that everyone can eat with dignity in a safe and organised manner.
Referring to the decades-long neglect of the capital’s slum clusters, Gupta alleged that previous governments had failed to address their basic needs, and in contrast, her government has, for the first time, made a special provision of Rs 700 crore for the development of the slum areas.
She claimed that roads, drains, toilets, parks, community health centres, and community facilities in these settlements are being rapidly upgraded.
The CM made it clear that the government is not here to demolish slums, but is committed to ensuring dignity and access to essential amenities for every family living in such areas.
She added that, in line with the central government’s vision, Delhi is working to provide every poor family with a house equipped with a toilet, kitchen, bathroom, and gas connection.
Speaking on the occasion, Delhi’s Urban Development Minister Ashish Sood said that the foundation stone of the Atal Canteen is dedicated to the principle of ‘Antyodaya,’ which seeks to uplift the last person in society and was propounded by Bharatiya Jana Sangh founder Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya.
Sood further said that the objective is to ensure that the benefits of development reach the most deprived sections, emphasising that the Atal Canteen initiative is an important step towards advancing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of an ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ and ‘Viksit Delhi.’
He further stated that, in honour of former PM Vajpayee’s 100th birth anniversary, 100 Atal Canteens will be operationalised with a budgetary allocation of Rs 100 crore.
He added that the labourers, mothers, sisters, and senior citizens who built this city with their hard work deserve a dignified life, and it is the government’s responsibility to ensure this.
According to Sood, the scheme will employ women from self-help groups, local women, and gig workers, while also ensuring clean and nutritious food for delivery personnel.
He recalled PM Modi’s message that the country must move from “food security to nutritional security”.
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