CM Gupta lays stone for Atal canteen at Timarpur

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Friday laid the foundation stone for an upcoming Atal Canteen at Sanjay Basti in Timarpur, reaffirming the government’s commitment to ensuring that no citizen in the national capital slept hungry. The initiative forms part of a larger rollout under which 100 Atal Canteens would begin operations across Delhi on December 25, marking the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Addressing residents and dignitaries, the CM said, “It is the government’s firm resolve that no citizen should go to bed hungry,” adding, “The canteens will offer freshly prepared, nutritious meals to the needy for just Rs 5.” She noted that the project aligned with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘Garib Kalyan’ and emphasised her administration’s commitment to “serving the people with sincerity and dedication.”

Highlighting decades of neglect in slum clusters, Gupta criticised earlier governments for failing to meet the people’s basic needs. She said her government had made “a special provision of Rs 700 crore for the development of slum areas” and reaffirmed that the government was “not here to demolish slums but is committed to ensuring dignity and access to essential amenities for every family living in these areas.”

Urban Development Minister Ashish Sood said the foundation stone was dedicated to “the principle of antyodaya upliftment in society propounded by Bharatiya Jana Sangh founder Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay.” He added that the initiative aimed at advancing the PM’s vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat and Viksit Delhi, under CM Gupta’s leadership.

Sood said that in honour of Vajpayee’s 100th birth anniversary, 100 Atal Canteens would be made operational with a budgetary allocation of Rs 100 crore. He emphasised the role of labourers, women and senior citizens in building the city. He said the canteens would employ women from self-help groups and gig workers, adding that they aligned with PM Modi’s message of leading the from “food security to nutritional security.”

Each canteen would include safe drinking water, stainless steel seating, digital token systems, CCTV monitoring and hygienic food preparation. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) shall monitor food quality and enforce safety standards.