Paneer thali to chicken biryani likely to be on menu this monsoon session

Parliament staff and media will have to place orders and pay a day in advance, officials familiar with the matter said.

A paneer thali with chapati, sweets, dal, pickles and jeera rice for Rs 105, a south Indian thali of idli, vada, mini dosa and utthapam with sambhar and chutney for Rs 110, both prepared by a Bengali Market-based private restaurant are among the food boxes lawmakers and others in Parliament can choose from during the upcoming monsoon session that starts Monday with stringent health protocols.

With the northern railway-run parliament canteen closed due to the coronavirus disease and no cooking allowed in the Parliament complex for this session, the food served will be sourced from outside. (HT Photo)

Parliament staff and media will have to place orders and pay a day in advance, officials familiar with the matter said. The officials added that they really don’t know how many people will avail the food box option, given that most people are wary of eating out during the pandemic.

Non-veg food boxes will also be available -- Rs 150 for a chicken cutlet, croissant, boiled vegetables and a dab of butter, or Rs 100 for chicken biriyani and raita will be available.

With the northern railway-run parliament canteen closed due to the coronavirus disease and no cooking allowed in the Parliament complex for this session, the food served will be sourced from outside. Railways will distribute and serve the food inside the House complex, and manage the payments.

As the Bengali Market-based restaurant only specializes in vegetarian food, the non-vegetarian items will be prepared at an MPs’ canteen in North Avenue, close to the Parliament estate.

“This canteen was closed for the past few months. But it will be opened if the non-vegetarian menu is approved. Meanwhile, two cooks from parliament canteen have been deployed there to help the staff,” one of the officials said.

The breakfast menu— cheese rolls, sandwiches, veg patties, samosas, and kachories —will be brought to the parliament complex before 7.30 AM. Sweets will also be served. The early morning deadline will be strictly followed as visitors’ movement will be restricted once the House will start functioning at 9 am for the morning shift. Barring the inaugural day, Rajya Sabha will sit from 9 AM and the Lok Sabha will start its session from 3 PM. There will be no weekend breaks during the 18-day long session that ends on October 1.

The lunch will be brought in hot cases by 1 PM, said officials.

The Rajya Sabha secretariat has already issued a circular to its officials saying those “desirous of availing the food items may place the order and make payment to northern railway one day in advance.”