Delhi marks 100 Atal Canteens, aims to serve 1 lakh meals daily
The Delhi government on Sunday inaugurated 25 new Atal Canteens on the death anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, taking the total number of such canteens in the national capital to 100. Each canteen will provide meals at ₹5 per plate, twice a day — 500 meals for lunch and 500 for dinner — meaning over one lakh people can now access affordable nutritious food daily, according to the government.
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and former Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu jointly launched the new canteens at an event held at Vishwavidyalaya Metro Station. Speaking on the occasion, Ms. Gupta said the achievement of the 100-canteen target was a significant milestone for the Delhi government. She described the initiative as a tribute to Vajpayee's commitment to 'Antyodaya' — the upliftment of the last person in society.
"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. She also noted that a canteen has been opened near Delhi University metro station to help outstation students access affordable meals.
Mr. Naidu praised the initiative as being highly commendable, saying it provides affordable and nutritious food to the poor, slum dwellers, labourers, and those arriving in Delhi in search of employment. "This is a true example of sensitivity and service toward the most vulnerable sections of society," he added. The event was also attended by BJP MP Manoj Tiwari and Education Minister Ashish Sood.
The Atal Canteen scheme was a key promise made by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) during the 2025 Delhi Assembly election campaign. The party had pledged to set up such canteens in slum clusters across the city. The Delhi government says that so far, about 95 lakh subsidised meals have been served through these canteens without any holiday.
In a separate development, the Delhi government is planning to implement a modern e-Cabinet system to digitise the entire process of Cabinet meetings. Chief Minister Rekha Gupta recently held discussions with experts from the National Informatics Centre (NIC) on the matter. An official statement said the system would make meetings paperless, more secure, faster and more transparent, thereby speeding up decision-making and strengthening the security of confidential documents.
