Karnataka may play big brother to its hungry and launch ‘Anna’ food outlets that serve hot idlis, upma and rice dishes for just Rs. 5. That is, if the Deputy Chairman of State Planning Board C.M. Ibrahim has his way.
The Board, inspired by Tamil Nadu’s roaring success of Amma canteens, has recommended that the Siddaramaiah government start similar low-priced food outlets. Mr. Ibrahim told presspersons here on Tuesday that the Board, in its meeting on Monday, estimated the food programme to cost the exchequer Rs. 60 crore a year.
For Rs. 5, you can buy five idlis a plate, with a menu stretching to upma, spiced rice (chitranna and puliyogare ) and curd rice. The canteens will be open from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.
“The board hopes the government will include the Anna [outlets] plan in this month’s Budget proposal,” Mr. Ibrahim said.
“The programme can be started as a pilot project with 20 outlets in Bengaluru. Bigger cities like Mangaluru, Mysuru, Hubballi-Dharwad and Kalaburagi can follow.”
The outlets could come up near hospitals, bus-stands and government schools. Apart from quelling the hunger pangs of people on the move, the canteens will create 2,000 jobs.
“We are yet to finalise the implementing agency — which could be the Food and Civil Supplies Department, the Health Department or the BBMP in Bengaluru and its counterpart in other cities,” Mr. Ibrahim said.