Mumbai: After Amma canteen in Tamil Nadu and Indira canteen in Karnataka, it’s now Maharashtra’s turn to have one, this time not by the government but by the Opposition.
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), on the occasion of party leader Ajit Pawar’s birthday on Sunday, opened a Tai’s (sister) canteen in Badlapur, giving away subji at ₹4 and roti at ₹2.
“The inflation has skyrocketed. Auto drivers who spend hours on streets, labourers who can’t afford food in other canteens, will benefit from this initiative,” Captain Ashish Damle, NCP corporator in Badlapur-Kulgaon municipal council, said. His trust, Yuvaraaj Pratishthan, will be running the canteen.
“Giving clean, good, and nutritious food at the cheapest price is our objective, and I am sure people will appreciate it,” Mr. Damle said.
The menu of the canteen is simple. Only one subji and roti will be available, which has to be eaten on the spot. The canteen will be run in two shifts: afternoon and evening. Besides, food packets of women self-help groups will be available.
Mr. Damle did not reject the similarities in initiatives in other States. “But we are not in the government here. We are doing what the State should have done. We as the Opposition take this responsibility to help the people, and soon this movement will spread.”
The NCP plans to set up 100 such canteens across the State. The next ones are likely to come up in Pune and Aurangabad. “This may look like a small initiative, but it is extremely important for the common man. This movement should spread all over the State,” Datta Balsarf, programme coordinator, Yashvantrao Chavan Pratishthan, said.
