Some Indira Canteens in the state have ceased serving food since the employees’ salaries have not been paid for six months in Congress ruled Karnataka. Some of the Indira canteens that cater to the poor have even closed.
The supply of breakfast, lunch and dinner in several Indira Canteens has been suspended since 20th November. The canteens that feed the hungry are unable to provide meals. As a result, many are returning without food. Due to six months of unpaid salaries, the canteen employees are not on duty which has resulted in this development.
Indira Canteens at Malleshwaram, Nandinilayout in the West Zone are not giving out food. Hundreds of staff employed there have not received their salaries. Chef Talk Food and Hospitality Services is the company that supplies food to Indira Canteens in Bengaluru. Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) did not make payment to the company which resulted in the present situation. The staff are also distressed as they are not getting their salaries.
The canteens at Mantri Mall Road, Subhash Nagar, Near Majestic Metro Station, Gandhinagar, Palace Nagar, Circle Maramma Temple Yeshwanthpur Road, and Malleshwaram have been shut.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Shanthi Kumar also slammed the ruling Congress government and wrote, “Indira Canteens are shutting down, with 11 closed in July over Rs 47 crore unpaid bills and many shut for 6 months due to unpaid salaries. This is the result of Congress’ obsession with freebie politics while essential services are left to rot.”
#Karnataka’s Congress govt is failing its people!
— BJPShanthikumar (@BJPShanthikumar) November 21, 2024
Indira Canteens are shutting down, with 11 closed in July over ₹47 cr unpaid bills & many shut for 6 months due to unpaid salaries.
This is the result of Congress' obsession with freebie politics—essential services left to… pic.twitter.com/KXeQpKd2vx
Due to the local civic body’s failure to pay contractor fees in July, at least 11 Indira Canteens in Bengaluru discontinued. The company Chef Talk, which had a one-year contract to provide meals to the canteens, charged that the BBMP had not paid bills totaling around Rs 65 crore. According to Chef Talk, lunch services were suspended since the BBMP failed to fulfill the invoices in spite of repeated demands. The affected canteens were located in Basavanagudi, Padmanabhanagar, Bhairasandra, VV Puram, Siddapura, Hombegowda Nagar, Jayanagar, Vidyapeetha, Ejipura and Adugodi wards.
Indira Canteen is a food subsidisation programme run by the Ministry of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer affairs, Government of Karnataka. The program is inspired from the Amma Unavagam of Tamil Nadu. It is named after former Prime Minister late Indira Gandhi.
