Delhi govt to start Atal Canteens from Dec 25, provide 1 lakh meals daily at ₹5 each

The meals will be served in two shifts through 100 canteens located across the city, with each canteen catering to around 1,000 people daily.

Published on: Dec 16, 2025, 04:06:14 IST

By Paras Singh

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The Delhi government’s target to serve over 100,000 meals daily at a subsidized rate of ₹5 under the Atal canteen scheme is set to begin on December 25, officials said on Monday.

Delhi govt to start Atal Canteens from Dec 25, provide 1 lakh meals daily at ₹5 each

According to officials, a budget of ₹118.8 crore has been sanctioned for the project. The meals will be served in two shifts through 100 canteens located across the city, with each canteen catering to around 1,000 people daily. A biometric and token-based system will be implemented to ensure transparency.

“Lunch will be served from 11.30am to 2pm, and dinner between 6.30pm and 9pm. The canteen will provide the meal at ₹5 per thali, and the government will reimburse them ₹25 for each meal. Around 22 bids were received for the project and the government roped in 11 agencies and NGOs,” an official said.

Another official said that around 600 gm of food will be provided in each meal. “There will be consistency in the menu. For example, the Monday lunch will consist of seasonal vegetables, lentils, rice, roti/paratha/chapati, and pickles. The same items may be served for dinner. People will also get rajma or chickpeas with rice,” official explained.

Officials said the budget for the construction of Atal canteens was increased by ₹14.8 crore — from ₹104.2 crore to ₹118.8 crore — due to changes in their designs. The Delhi cabinet had on September 18 approved the proposal to build a total of 100 Atal canteens across more than 500 slum areas of Delhi.”

These Atal canteens have been set up in Shahbad Daulatpur JJ Cluster, Sanjay Camp in Badli, Khadda Basti in Samaypur Badli, H-2 Jahangirpuri slum, near Max Hospital in Shalimar Bagh, Indira Basti in Timarpur, Bhimnagar JJ Cluster, Udyog Nagar JJ Cluster, Arjun Camp slum in Mahipalpur, East Sagarpur slum, Vikaspuri Indira Camp and Bhanwar Singh Camp in Vasant Vihar.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Paras Singh
Paras Singh is a New Delhi-based journalist with Hindustan Times, where he serves as Deputy Metro Editor. He reports on urban governance, the Delhi government, the Delhi BJP, water management, the environment, communities and city life. He joined Hindustan Times in 2021 after beginning his journalism career at The Times of India in 2016, where he covered civic bodies, the water and power sectors, and urban infrastructure. Over the last decade, some of his reporting has led to significant public impact, with investigations into environmental violations, corruption and illegal industrial activity contributing to multiple judicial interventions by the National Green Tribunal and the Delhi High Court. A graduate of St. Stephen's College, University of Delhi, Paras studied journalism from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), New Delhi. Having extensively covered the capital's evolving civic and governance landscape, his recent work increasingly explores Delhi's history, built heritage, urban evolution and the relationship between people and place, alongside continuing to report on governance and public policy.Read More

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