Thali for Rs 10 at Atal canteen from today

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 28

Farmers and labourers going to grain markets with their crops will now be able to get ‘thali’ of healthy and nutritious meals for Rs 10 apiece as the Haryana Government is going to set up subsidised canteens in 25 grain markets of the state.

Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar will inaugurate the first such canteen in Karnal on Sunday while the ones in Panchkula, Nuh, Bhiwani and Fatehabad are ready to be started soon.

Named by the government as ‘Atal Kisan Mazdoor Canteens’, these outlets will provide ‘thalis’ containing four chapatis, rice, dal and seasonal vegetable, prepared by self-help groups (SHGs), for Rs 10.

J Ganesan, Chief Administrator, Haryana State Agriculture Marketing Board (HSAMB), said in all, 25 such canteens would be set up in the coming year, but the ones in Panchkula, Nuh, Bhiwani and Fatehabad would be started soon after the launch of the one in Karnal on Sunday.

“We have roped in SHGs of the Haryana Rural Livelihood Mission for the purpose. The food will be cooked by members of the SHGs. The HSAMB will provide a subsidy of Rs 15 per ‘thali’ to the SHGs for providing cheap food to the farmers and labourers,” Ganesan said.

The canteens would remain open from 11 am to 3 pm and anyone could go and eat there. To ensure that SHGs did not suffer losses due to less customers, the HSAMB had given them a minimum guarantee of 300 ‘thalis’ initially.

“Even if they get less customers, the HSAMB will pay them for a minimum of 300 ‘thalis’ so that the SHGs can meet their breakeven point easily and do not have to suffer losses,” said Ganesan.