Aam Aadmi Canteen makes a beginning at LNJP Hospital

Tribune News Service

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New Delhi, January 19

After all the hype during more than a year, the Delhi Government today rolled out its first subsidised canteen called “Aam Aadmi Canteen” at Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital here.

The facility was inaugurated on a pilot basis at the hospital where attendants, staff and people visiting it can have a meal for Rs 10.

The Arvind Kejriwal government had announced such facilities in 2015 in line with Tamil Nadu’s highly-subsidised Amma canteens.

“The canteen would run on a trial basis for one month during which we would only serve lunch. Thereafter, we will try to include dinner and then breakfast also in the scheme. Trial does not mean we will shut down after one month, it means we would scale it up,” said Health Minister Satyendar Jain inaugurating the canteen.

“Aam Aadmi Canteen pilot project started at LNH hospital. Rs 10 per meal for all attendants, staff & people visiting the hospital,” he tweeted. A separate counter for buying meal tokens has been set up at the hospital premises

In pictures shared on his Twitter account, Jain can also be seen having the meal at the canteen. LNJP Director Dr J C Passey and other officials were also present.

The proposal for aam aadmi canteens was drafted by the Delhi Dialogue Commission (DDC), an advisory body to the AAP government whose Ashish Khetan, the body’s vice chairperson, had assured in July 2015 that few such canteens would start its service of offering nutritious food at subsidised costs in “two months”.

On March 28, the AAP government had allocated Rs 10 crore in its budget for setting up “aam aadmi canteens” across the national Capital to provide subsidised meals.