Govt looking at bulk producers for food at Namma Canteens

The Department of Food and Civil Supplies is in talks with large-scale food producers to entrust them with the responsibility of supplying food to Namma Canteens.

This differs from the Tamil Nadu model of Amma Canteens where local food producers have been asked to supply food to canteens.

Minister for Food and Civil Supplies U T Khader told DH on Friday that the state government is in talks with several non-government organisations across the city who could supply food.

Khader said that with hygiene being the priority, they would not compromise by entrusting the production to local suppliers.

According to sources in the department, the government is in talks with International Society for Krishna Consciousness (Iskcon) and Adamya Chetana (run by Tejaswini Ananth Kumar, wife of Union Minister H N Ananth Kumar).

“We want to maintain good food standards. In Tamil Nadu, we saw that the canteen was not doing well in some places as the suppliers differed. Quality and taste also differed.

We do not want such a problem in Karnataka. Hence, we are looking at large scale suppliers who can produce quality food and maintain a standard taste,” said Khader.
Khader said these canteens would start as soon as the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) identifies places for them in the 198 wards.

“Food and civil supplies department would be the nodal agency for running these canteens. We have sought BBMP’s cooperation to run them,” he added.

The department is also exploring possibilities of supplying food that is not available in other places at a cheaper price. If required, Khader said, consultations would be held with nutritionists and dieticians.

While breakfast would be supplied at Rs 5, lunch and dinner are priced at Rs 10 each. Khader said the department was estimating a footfall of over two lakh everyday in the BBMP limits. Meanwhile, in an announcement, the BBMP said space would be provided in the ward offices for establishment of Namma Canteens.