Delhi will open Atal Canteens on Dec 25, meals at ₹5

Delhi's Atal Canteens, serving ₹5 meals, will open on December 25, aiming to provide nutritious food to the needy amid rising living costs.

The Atal Canteens serving meals at ₹5 across 100 locations in the city will be opened on December 25 on the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the government announced on Friday.

Delhi will open Atal Canteens on Dec 25, meals at ₹5

Chief minister Rekha Gupta said this is the first phase of the initiative, which is designed to provide nutritious food to every citizen, particularly those struggling with rising living costs. Each canteen will serve 1,000 full course meals a day, 500 each in the morning and evening.

“The government will subsidise the meals to maintain both quality and affordability. This initiative is a tribute to Atal Ji’s compassion for the poor and it represents our government’s commitment to dignity through nutrition. Atal Canteen will be the soul of Delhi, a place where no one sleeps hungry,” said Gupta.

Officials explained that the scheme will operate through a digital token system and each canteen will have CCTV surveillance, linked to a real-time monitoring system under the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB).

Further, kitchens will have LPG-based cooking setups, RO water facilities and cold storage units. The food quality will be tested by FSSAI and NABL-accredited labs, while operating agencies must submit monthly reports on food standards, safety and staff health certifications, officials said.

During her Budget speech earlier this year, CM Gupta had announced the plan to open highly subsidised canteens in slums and near major construction sites. The Atal Canteens were a key election promise of the BJP during the February 2025 Assembly polls, aimed at reaching economically weaker sections. In the 2025–26 Budget, the CM, who also holds the finance portfolio, had earmarked ₹100 crore for the project.