Taking inspiration from Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah plans to start canteens to provide subsidized meals for the poor, reported The Times of India.
This comes a day after Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu inaugurated the first “Anna canteen” in Guntur.
According to the report, “‘Anna (Siddaramanna) mobile canteen’ plans to offer meals at night to the poor including autorickshaw drivers, students, slum dwellers, the homeless and migrants.”
However, this is not the first time the Karnataka government has announced plans to start off Anna Canteens. The last time these plans were announced, in February 2015, they did not take off because of financial constraints. This time the government plans on collaborating with NGOs that run midday meals schemes and philanthropists.
According to the TOI report, Food and Civil Supplies Minister UT Khader said that the CM’s approval is being awaited, following which the scheme will be designed.
A senior official told the newspaper that the pilot project, in which hot meals will be served between 8pm and 9pm, will be launched in Bengaluru, Mysuru, Hubballi and Kalaburagi.
“In Bengaluru alone, we expect about 40,000-50,000 people to avail of these benefits as we plan to introduce 30-40 mobile canteens,“ he told TOI.
State Planning Commission Deputy Chairperson CM Ibrahim, however, felt that scheme should operate during the day rather than at night.
“It should be either in the morning or evening. Night canteens are bound to create a law-and-order problem,” he told TOI.