Namma Appaji canteen up and running before Indira canteens
- JD(S) backed Namma Appaji canteen to be inaugurated on August 2 in Hanumanthanagar
- The canteen, set up by JD(S) MLA T A Sharavana, has been named after party supremo H D Deve Gowda
- Breakfast will be available at Rs 5; tea/coffee at Rs 3; lunch at Rs 10 per plate
- JD(S) was keen to set up the canteen before the government launched its Indira canteens on August 15
- As part of launch, Namma Appaji canteen to serve ‘ragi’ balls meals free of cost on Wednesday
FollowDetermined to be the first in the race to set up canteens serving food at heavily subsidised rates, the JD(S) is all set to roll out its first ‘Namma Appaji’ canteen in Hanumanthanagar on Wednesday.
JD(S) MLC T A Sharavana, whose brainchild the project is, is thrilled to have beaten the State government in setting up the eatery, which is inspired by the Tamil Nadu government’s ‘Amma’ canteens.
The inauguration of Namma Appaji canteen comes at a time when the Congress government is caught in a series of controversies over the launch of its ‘Indira’ canteens.The government, which has announced the setting up of its canteens in all 198 wards in the BBMP limits, will be launching around 125 canteens on August 15.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had announced the launch of the canteens in the 2017-18 budget. A whopping budget of Rs 100 crore has been set aside for the State’s ambitious project.
Maintaining that he had not “stolen” the idea from the government, Sharavana said that he had struck upon the idea way back in January itself. The MLC hopes to open canteens in all the 28 Assembly constituencies.
Asianet Newsable, which was the first to highlight (http://newsable.asianetnews.tv/karnataka/jaya-canteen-style-jd-s-congress-race-who-puts-its-first) the emergence of ‘canteen politics’ in the State, had detailed how political parties were making a desperate bid at replicating the Tamil Nadu model this election season, given its success rate.
As Bengaluru assumes primacy, given its various socio-economic-political factors, garnering maximum number of seats in this Parliamentary constituency is important for all three political parties.
Presently, the Congress and the BJP are neck-in-neck in seat sharing here, while the JD(S) had managed to bag only three seats in the 2013 Assembly elections. Realising that it has become inevitable for it to better its performance in Bengaluru, the regional party is making all out efforts at changing its strategies.
Opening Namma Appaji canteens is one such attempts in this direction. The canteen that has been set up in Basavangudi constituency will be inaugurated by Gowda at 11 am. Sharavana said that the canteen will be serving Gowda’s “favourite” ‘ragi’ ball meals free of cost to all its customers, to mark the inauguration on Wednesday.
“The government is setting up the Indira canteens in a hurried manner, without proper planning. Not only is it opening the canteens using the tax payer’s money, it has raked up controversies by setting up the canteens in parks and footpaths. Tens of trees have been uprooted, while the government has recklessly damaged heritage structures,” said Sharavana. Stating that he had set up the canteen using his own financial resources, Sharavana said that the first eatery was set up in a rented building.
“It has cost me Rs 10 lakh to put together the infrastructure. The objective is to sell nutritious and hygienic food to the poor at affordable rates. A technical team will oversee the functioning and maintenance of the canteen. I have given myself one month’s time to rectify mistakes, if any. Canteens will be set up in the remaining constituencies in a phased manner. I haven’t opened this canteen with any political agenda,” he added.
To mark the occasion, Sharavana will also be distributing uniforms to auto drivers, and blankets and sarees to pourakarmikas. Breakfast comprising ‘kara bath’, ‘kesari bath’, ‘tatte idli’, and ‘vada’ will be served between 7.30 am and 10 am at Rs 5 per plate; while lunch comprising ‘ragi mudde/bassaru’, and rice meals will be served between 12.30 pm and 2.30 pm at Rs 10 per plate.
The canteen will also sell coffee and tea at Rs 3. “A poor person can consume two wholesome meals at a mere Rs 20. There will be no compromise on either quality or quantity,” he added.
