Under the scheme, the plan envisaged by the civic body is to offer breakfast and lunch at subsidised rate of Rs 10 and Rs 15 respectively at around 40 places in Delhi. With the civic body polls around the corner, the South Delhi Municipal Corporation’s flagship Atal Aahar Yojna has remained on the backburner despite several claims by civic body leaders that it would be launched soon. The scheme was among the BJP’s most touted programmes in its manifesto before the 2017 MCD polls.
Standing committee head of South MCD, BK Oberoi, said bureaucratic delays have led to it being late but the corporation is planning to launch it before polls. He said that a tender would be done soon. “The modalities were being worked out and it has been decided that people who would be given permission to run the kitchen would also be allowed to sell other products so that the business model is sustainable,” he said.
Under the scheme, the plan envisaged by the civic body is to offer breakfast and lunch at subsidised rate of Rs 10 and Rs 15 respectively at around 40 places in Delhi. For vendors to cut losses they would face on account of providing subsidised food, it was proposed that they could sell confectionary or other items.
The scheme was launched by the South MCD earlier as well with much fanfare on December 25, 2017, after winning the civic polls. It was meant to provide meals to the poor for Rs 10. Launched at four places then, the scheme was stopped in six months due to a dispute with vendors at some places over location preference or not drawing large crowds to sustain the project.
The corporation tried again to launch it by working out the modalities and it took them over three years to form guidelines and get these passed by the standing committee and house.
Hitting out the BJP, Leader of the Congress in the South MCD, Abhishek Dutt, said shops that opened in the first leg have closed: “So you make a promise that you don’t fulfil for four-and-a- half years, so even if they do something in three months, the promises have not been kept.”
A senior BJP leader said that the scheme had fizzled out in the first leg because it was not an organised set up. He said that corporation wants to restart the scheme with modifications such as applicants no longer having to get consent from a local councillor to get a licence.
“Breakfast and lunch will be served at prices decided by the municipality. Tentative rates for breakfast and lunch are likely to be Rs 10 and Rs 15,” Oberoi said.
The MCD polls are slated for April.
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