For ₹5 meal at Delhi's Atal canteens, retina scanning, Aadhaar verification must

The scanners are linked to a centralised database covering all outlets in the city through Aadhar verification.

The Delhi government has deployed retina-scanning cameras at all operational Atal Canteens across the Capital to prevent individuals from purchasing multiple subsidised meals at once, officials announced on Friday.

Representative photo (Shutterstock)

The move, officials familiar with the government’s decision said, aims to ensure equitable access under the flagship scheme where a full meal is sold for ₹5.

According to officials of the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB), which is implementing the project, the biometric system allows canteen staff to verify whether a person has already availed a meal from any Atal Canteen on a given day. The scanners are linked to a centralised database covering all outlets in the city through Aadhar verification.

“Once a person purchases lunch from one canteen, the system will automatically block a second lunch purchase from any other outlet that day,” a senior DUSIB official explained.

To be sure, the restriction applies per meal slot, not per day. A person who buys lunch cannot purchase another lunch elsewhere but will still be allowed to buy dinner later.

The measure has drawn criticism from social workers who argue that limiting portions contradicts the welfare intent of the scheme. “The idea itself is funny that a person will be stopped from having a second portion if he is hungry… Atal canteens already serve modest portions, and some centres have been inaugurated, but are not yet functional,” said Sunil Aledia, executive director of Centre for Holistic Development that works for the welfare of the homeless.

Currently, 86 Atal Canteens are functional across Delhi, with plans to launch 16 more this year – targeting sites near hospitals, universities, and high-footfall public institutions rather than only JJ clusters. “These sites are being finalised based on land availability. The focus is on areas where patients, attendants and students require affordable meals on a daily basis,” the DUSIB official said.

The Delhi government has allocated ₹100 crore for the implementation and expansion of the Atal Canteen scheme. Each canteen serves lunch between 11am and 4pm and dinner from 6.30pm to 9.30pm, with a fixed daily cap of 500 plates per meal to manage demand. Meals are priced at ₹5 per plate and include chapati, rice, a vegetable curry and pickle. Beneficiaries are required to collect QR-based tokens from the counter before receiving their meals, officials said.

The Atal Canteen scheme was launched on December 25 last year by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Delhi government on the birth anniversary of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Officials said the programme is aimed at providing subsidised, nutritious food to economically weaker sections while maintaining transparency and preventing misuse through technology-enabled monitoring.