In the quiet French quarters of Puducherry, a small part of the altered heritage building on Dumas Street is buzzing with activity. The spacious room with high ceiling of the Police Canteen has crowd flowing in and out from 8 a.m. till late evening every day.
Here, you will see police donning a different role to serve people. The men in khaki so used to holding rifles and lathis have taken up the hospitality sector with a motto of welfare. They serve you sumptuous food for just Rs. 10.
The Police Canteen, established in 1989, will complete 28 years on January 26, 2017. The canteen that was started in order to serve food for the police personnel at an affordable price has slowly stretched its wings to accommodate general public. N. Hemachandran, Inspector of Police, said that the idea behind starting this canteen in the police headquarters was to provide healthy food at an affordable rate for the police. “This canteen serves even the public at the same rate,” he added.
In plainclothes, an assistant sub-inspector police, a police constable and two home guards are busy giving away bills, serving food and cleaning the tables. Hot idly, pongal, puri is served for the breakfast. This is followed with soup and vada as snacks while vegetable biryani and curd rice is served for lunch.
“People can buy four idlis, pongal and three puris for Rs 10 each; vada is sold at Rs. 2 in this canteen. Even a plate full of vegetable biryani and curd rice is provided for Rs 10. People can have sumptuous food just for Rs 20,” says G. Danasegaran, an unassuming Assistant Sub Inspector of Police.
The canteen which served food to a maximum 100 people in the 1990s, now caters to a minimum of at least 500 people. “There are several government offices and a hospital close to the canteen. Hence, the staff and public looking for affordable and clean food come here,” he said.
However, the number of staff in the canteen has come down. “There were six home guards, 2 cooks, one head constable and two people to clean the table. Now, there are only two home guards, three civil staff, one police constable and an assistant sub inspector of police. More staff is required to serve to the increasing demand,” said an official.
A government staff, who had come with his child, said: “I have come to pick up my son from the school. Before we go home, we decided to have mushroom soup from the canteen. It is just Rs. 5 and delicious.”
The police canteen, which was established with a loan of Rs 20,000 from the welfare board, now runs from its own sources of revenue . An official stated that the revenue earned from the canteen is used to run the next day business. “The civil staff who work on daily wages are paid from the profit earned through the business,” he said.
