Delhi’s Atal Canteen scheme has reached 100 operational centres, with ₹5 subsidised meals aimed at improving food access for vulnerable residents. The government targets around 1 lakh meals daily.
The Atal Canteen project in Delhi has achieved a significant milestone with the government stating that 100 canteens have become operational in the city. According to the chief minister of Delhi, Rekha Gupta, the purpose of establishing this network is to ensure that economically disadvantaged people get access to healthy and hygienic food, with all the canteens working to cater to one lakh people per day.
This welfare-oriented initiative of the Delhi government involves ensuring food security in terms of making basic food support available to people from economically backward sections through the provision of food at convenient places.
₹5 Meals for Economically Weaker Sections
As per the Atal Canteen scheme, food is provided at the rate of ₹5 per person. It has been pointed out in the Delhi Economic Survey 2025-26 that the government provides a subsidy of ₹25 per meal in this scheme. The initiative was launched in the Budget for 2025-26 with an investment of ₹100 crore for the establishment of 100 canteens in Delhi.
Related Articles
The project was primarily developed to help vulnerable groups, especially people staying in JJ clusters.
Implementation of Scheme Marks Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s Birth Centenary
The first Atal Canteen was launched at Nehru Nagar in Lajpat Nagar on December 25, 2025, which marks the birth centenary of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, India’s former Prime Minister. According to the report of the Delhi Economic Survey, the first Atal Canteen scheme was set up with a capacity of one lakh meals per day.
The government further extended the scheme to achieve the target of 100 canteens set out in the Budget.
Focus on Providing Cheap Food
It is expected that the scheme would prove beneficial for those people whose daily expenditure on food is a matter of concern. Some of the target groups for the scheme have been identified as poor people, people living in JJ clusters, while wider coverage is also attracting the attention of working class, students and other poor people.
The government has emphasized the use of some modern facilities such as digital token, computerized billing, CCTV monitoring etc. in the delivery of services.
What 100 Canteens Means for Delhi
With 100 canteens currently coming up, the network of Atal Canteens is definitely a huge leap from its first launch back in December 2025. According to the government, the entire network has a capability to serve approximately 3.65 crore meals per year.
According to the chief minister, Rekha Gupta, the entire plan can be best described within the context of Antyodaya, which means supporting the poor at the bottom of the economic pyramid. This programme will ensure that the basic need of having a meal at an affordable rate is satisfied for the poor citizens of Delhi.
