NEW DELHI: Cricketer-turned-politician and Bharatiya Janata Party MP Gautam Gambhir on Thursday launched ‘Jan Rasoi’, a private canteen, to feed the poor and needy in the city. Food will be available at subsidised rate with a basic meal at the cost of `1, he said.
The fully-developed private canteen is situated in Gandhi Nagar, East Delhi. “I have always felt that everybody has the right to healthy and hygienic food irrespective of caste, creed, religion or financial condition. It is saddening to see the homeless not being able to get even two square meals a day. It is my vision for Delhi that each and every person gets healthy food and clean water.
I will keep working till this dream becomes the reality in Delhi” said Gambhir at the launch. Keeping mind all the social distancing measures, not more of than 50 people will be allowed together for now. Although the full capacity of the canteen is almost 100 people.
“This is something that the Delhi government should have taken care of. They have been making tall claims about being pro-poor but they have not been able to meet this basic demand.” There are several other state governments which provide subsidised food for the poor and it is shameful that the national capital does not have such facilities,” Gambhir said.. Delhi government during the lockdown said it provided cooked meals twice a day to lakhs of poor people on daily basis. The food will comprise rice, daal, vegetable curries on special occasions, said an aide of the MP.