advertisement
The queue for a meal at Shantalanagar Indira Canteen starts all the way from the dining area, snakes around the courtyard and finishes at the main road. On Friday afternoon, the rush for the lunch was maddening and the meals were running out quickly.
On Thursday, the first day of service, the situation was much different. Chaos prevailed in most of the Indira canteens like Shantalanagar in central Bengaluru, where the food was served following a one-and-a-half-hour delay.
In some other locations like Pulakeshinagar or Millers Road, the Indira canteens wore a deserted look on day 1, as no food was served. Logistical issues like transportation were cited as reasons for the delay.
By Friday, however, service at the canteens were streamlined. Breakfast and lunch were served without any major breakdowns.
At several locations, people were disappointed as the meals ran out. Joseph, one of the volunteers at the Shantalanagar canteen, said that after their allotted meals ran out, they had to get additional supplies. Even that ran out in no time.
The organisers blamed the number of middle-class visitors for the shortfall. Venkatappa, an autorickshaw driver said:
Modelled on Tamil Nadu’s Amma Canteen, which was a huge hit, the Indira Canteen by the Congress government has been launched with the 2018 Assembly Elections in sight.
JD(S), with the intention of stealing Congress’ thunder, had launched Appaji canteen in mid-July. Although the Appaji canteen, named after JD(S) supremo HD Devagowda, offered food at similar rates, its impact was drowned out in the subsequent Indira wave.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)