Delhi gets 25 more Atal Canteens, CM Rekha Gupta recalls Vajpayee’s philosophy

Delhi's Chief Minister Rekha Gupta announced the addition of 25 Atal Canteens, in honor of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's philosophy of Antyodaya. The inauguration marked the eighth anniversary of Vajpayee's passing and took place at the Vishwavidyalaya Metro Station, with the CM and former Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu present.

The Atal Canteen program, initiated on December 25, 2025, aims to serve nutritious meals for Rs 5 to the poor, slum dwellers, laborers, and those arriving in Delhi for employment. So far, the scheme has served around 95 lakh subsidized meals, with 100 canteens now operational. This equates to serving approximately one lakh people daily, with a capacity to provide nearly 3.65 crore meals annually.

The inauguration of the 25 new canteens was attended by Urban Development Minister Ashish Sood, Social Welfare Minister Ravinder Indraj, Transport Minister Pankaj Kumar Singh, and BJP MP Manoj Tiwari. Additional canteens were opened near Delhi University and in various areas such as Janakpuri, Vikaspuri, and Rohini.

Each canteen serves a balanced meal comprising dal, rice, roti, and vegetables for Rs 5 daily. Digital tokens, computerized billing, and CCTV surveillance have been introduced to enhance transparency and monitoring. The government hopes that no person in the Capital will go hungry with this initiative, which reflects Vajpayee's commitment to reaching out to society's most vulnerable.