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

Former Vice-President Venkaih Naidu, Delhi CM Rekha Gupta and other leaders at one of the Atal Canteens. (Express Photo by Abhinav Saha)

The Delhi government has fulfilled the promise of setting up 100 Atal Canteens — aimed at providing nutritious meals to needy citizens for Rs 5 — across the Capital within eight months, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said on Sunday as former vice-president M Venkaiah Naidu inaugurated 25 new canteens across the city. The inauguration marked the eighth death anniversary of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

The Atal Canteen scheme was launched on December 25, 2025, on Vajpayee’s birth anniversary. According to the Delhi government, around 95 lakh subsidised meals have been served through the scheme so far. With 100 canteens now operational, the network is expected to serve around one lakh people every day and has the capacity to provide nearly 3.65 crore meals annually.

“The goal is to provide affordable and nutritious food to the poor, slum dwellers, laborers, and people arriving in Delhi from various parts of the country in search of employment,” Naidu said, speaking at the inauguration, adding, “This is no ordinary scheme, but a true example of sensitivity and service toward the most vulnerable sections of society.”

Naidu inaugurated the 25 new canteens from the Vishwavidyalaya Metro Station in the presence of Gupta, Urban Development Minister Ashish Sood and BJP MP Manoj Tiwari. Transport Minister Pankaj Kumar Singh and Social Welfare Minister Ravinder Indraj inaugurated canteens in other parts of the Capital.

The canteens, CM Gupta said, were inspired by Vajpayee’s philosophy of Antyodaya, which referred to his philosophy of “reaching the last person in society”. She said the government wanted to ensure that no person in the Capital went hungry.

“A canteen has also been opened today near the Delhi University Metro Station. In this university area, students live away from their families in hostels and PG accommodations; now, needy students can access nutritious and affordable food at this canteen,” Gupta said.

The 25 canteens inaugurated on Sunday are spread across areas including Janakpuri, Vikaspuri, Mundka, Mangolpuri, Rohini, R K Puram, New Delhi, Matia Mahal, Model Town, Karawal Nagar, Seemapuri, Vivek Vihar, Timarpur, Mukherjee Nagar, Rithala, Adarsh Nagar, Narela, Shalimar Bagh and Rohini Sector 26. The CM along with Naidu and her Cabinet ministers also sat down for a meal at one of the canteens.

Story continues below this ad

“The government said the canteens serve meals for Rs 5 every day without a holiday. A balanced meal comprising dal, rice, roti and vegetables is being provided, while digital tokens, computerised billing and CCTV surveillance have been introduced to improve transparency and monitoring,” Social Welfare Minister Ravinder Indraj Singh said while inaugurating a canteen in Rohini’s Sector 26.

Ashish Sood said the scheme was intended not merely to provide low-cost meals but also to recognise the contribution of workers who help run Delhi’s roads, markets, metro, commercial establishments and households.

Devansh Mittal is a Correspondent at The Indian Express, based in the New Delhi City bureau. He reports on urban policy, civic governance, and infrastructure in the National Capital Region, with a growing focus on housing, land policy, transport, and the disruption economy and its social implications. Professional Background Education: He studied Political Science at Ashoka University. Core Beats: His reporting focuses on policy and governance in the National Capital Region, one of the largest urban agglomerations in the world. He covers housing and land policy, municipal governance, urban transport, and the interface between infrastructure, regulation, and everyday life in the city. Recent Notable Work His recent reporting includes in-depth examinations of urban policy and its on-ground consequences: An investigation into subvention-linked home loans that documented how homebuyers were drawn into under-construction projects through a “builder–bank” nexus, often leaving them financially exposed when delivery stalled. A detailed report on why Delhi’s land-pooling policy has remained stalled since 2007, tracing how fragmented land ownership, policy design flaws, and mistrust among stakeholders have kept one of the capital’s flagship urban reforms in limbo. A reported piece examining the collapse of an electric mobility startup and what it meant for women drivers dependent on the platform for livelihoods. Reporting Approach Devansh’s work combines on-ground reporting with analysis of government data, court records, and academic research. He regularly reports from neighbourhoods, government offices, and courtrooms to explain how decisions on housing, transport, and the disruption economy shape everyday life in the city. Contact X (Twitter): @devanshmittal_ Email: devansh.mittal@expressindia.com ... Read More

Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram