If all goes as planned, you could be walking into an Indira Canteen in your neighbourhood on August 15.
After a series of initial hiccups with various civic agencies and departments, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has fast-tracked the work on setting up the canteens so that they can open on Independence Day.
After the Food and Civil Supplies Department pulled out of the project citing shortage of manpower, the BBMP’s Indira Canteen Special Task Force team, headed by its Special Commissioner Manoj Rajan, has been implementing the project by roping in other agencies. The preparations regarding civil works, procurement of kitchen equipment, and finalising the catering services are in full swing in all the 198 wards in the city.
The work on seven canteens has been completed. Agencies have been given a deadline of August first week to complete civil works, Mr. Rajan told The Hindu .
Pre-cast method of construction has been chosen over the conventional method. KEF, Krishnagiri, has been selected to set up 28 kitchens at a cost of ₹28.5 lakh each (inclusive of civil works, pre-cast furnitures, electrical fixtures, plumbing provisions, underground sump, and overhead tank). One centralised kitchen per Assembly constituency would cater to the wards (seven to nine wards) in its jurisdiction. Breakfast would be served at at ₹5 and lunch and dinner at ₹10 each.
“Implementing Indira canteens will be a huge logistic challenge; the number of days are very little, but we are prepared. Coordination with multiple departments for land to provide utility services is being done,” said the Special Commissioner.
The tender document stipulates that “prohibited items and adulterated stuff shall not be used” and also that the caterer should abide by all the provisions of the Food Safety and Food Standards Act 2006 and rules 2011. Mr. Rajan said, “We may have to cater food for a minimum of 300 to 500 people per canteen each day for each session of breakfast, lunch and dinner. We may opt to increase/decrease the number of persons to be served based on the demand. Approximately, three lakh people will be served per day.”
Teams have been formed in each zone for field inspection and daily monitoring.
