Indira canteen: If PM has mann ki baat, we have vaangi baath, says Siddaramaiah

BENGALURU: Chief minister Siddaramaiah said all wards in Bengaluru will have Indira canteens by October 2, after Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi inaugurated 101 such outlets in the city on Wednesday .

The canteens, modelled on the highly popular Amma canteens in Tamil Nadu, will serve breakfast at Rs 5, lunch and dinner at Rs 10. "We will copy pro-poor programmes from anywhere. We have improved on the Amma canteens which serve only breakfast and lunch. We are serving three meals to ensure that no one in Bengaluru goes to bed hungry," Siddaramaiah said at the launch.

An app has been developed by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to identify the location of the canteens in the city, which also lists the menu and the operational timings of the outlets. Siddaramaiah declared that none of the outlets were located in parks or playgrounds, as is being alleged by the opposition BJP leaders.

"The BJP does not understand what it is to be hungry. We are the ones who understand that. If Prime Minister Narendra Modi gives you Mann ki Baat, we give you vaangi baath (a local dish)," Siddaramaiah said.

Gandhi lauded the mission and ate lunch along with Siddaramaiah, KPCC president G Parameshwara and others at the canteen. "The taste of the food is better than any top restaurant in the world. Even BJP leaders will stand in line to eat here," he said, in a lighter vein.