25 new Atal Canteens opened; 1 lakh people to get ₹5 meals daily

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Delhi CM Rekha Gupta along with other leaders during inauguration of Atal Canteen at Delhi University in New Delhi on Sunday. | Photo Credit: SHASHI SHEKHAR KASHYAP

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, along with former Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu, inaugurated 25 Atal Canteens on Sunday, the death anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Delhi now has 100 such canteens, where meals are served twice a day for ₹5.

Each Atal Canteen aims to provide around 1,000 meals daily, 500 each for lunch and dinner, and over one lakh people will now receive meals every day from the canteens, as per the Delhi government.

At an event at the Vishwavidyalaya Metro Station, Ms. Gupta said that achieving the target of 100 Atal Canteens was a major milestone for the Delhi government. “This initiative is a meaningful tribute dedicated to the spirit of Antyodaya and the ideals of public service upheld by revered Atal ji. Atal ji’s life was devoted to the welfare of the person standing at the last mile of society and to the service of the nation. Carrying forward those very values, the Delhi government is striving to ensure that no needy person is deprived of respectful and nutritious food,” the Chief Minister said.

Ms. Gupta said that a canteen has also been opened near the Delhi University metro station that will help outstation students access nutritious and affordable food.

Mr. Naidu said that launching 100 Atal Canteens in Delhi is a highly commendable initiative and its goal is to provide affordable and nutritious food to the poor, slum dwellers, laborers, and people arriving in Delhi in search of employment. He said that this is a true example of sensitivity and service toward the most vulnerable sections of society.

The event was attended by BJP MP Manoj Tiwari, Education Minister Ashish Sood and others.

In the run up to the 2025 Delhi Assembly election the BJP had promised to set up Atal Canteens in slum clusters to provide nutritious meals for ₹5 each. Till now, about 95 lakh subsidised meals have been served to the public through the Atal Canteen scheme without any holiday, as per the Delhi government.

The Delhi Government is planning to implement a modern e-Cabinet system that can make the entire process of Delhi Government Cabinet meetings paperless, more secure, faster and more transparent. Chief Minister Rekha Gupta recently held a discussion with experts from the National Informatics Centre (NIC) on the issue.

“With the introduction of an e-Cabinet system, the entire process related to Cabinet meetings can be conducted digitally. This will speed up decision-making, strengthen the security of confidential documents and make coordination among departments more effective,” an official statement said.

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