NEW DELHI: Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Saturday said the government is planning to open 100 Atal Canteens near slum clusters and construction sites.
Paying obeisance to Lord Hanuman at a temple in her Shalimar Bagh constituency on the occasion of Hanuman Jayanti, she inaugurated an automatic chapati maker that can roll out 1,200 “rotis” (bread) per hour.
“We have to open 100 Atal Canteens so that no one remains hungry in Delhi. We are planning to start these canteens near slums and construction sites where such automatic machines are installed to provide food,” she said.
The CM had earlier in March presented Delhi’s budget for 2025-26, setting aside Rs 100 crore for opening Atal Canteens in the city to provide food to the poor and needy at nominal charges. Atal Canteens, named after former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, are also operational in various other BJP-ruled states.
Gupta said the automatic chapati maker at Siddh Katyayani Devi Temple in Shalimar Bagh will help run a daily ‘Anna Sewa’ for feeding the poor and needy by providing them with food packets.
“This is a move according to the vision of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, and Sabka Prayas’—to involve the entire society in feeding the poor and needy. Prime Minister Modi has said that if society rises up, the country will move several steps forward every day,” she asserted.
The CM said that she prayed to Lord Hanuman to bless her government’s efforts toward a ‘Viksit Delhi’ and added that things will start moving in the right direction when all sections of society come forward and do their part.
Gupta also visited the Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple in Karol Bagh. “I prayed that the demonic forces return to wherever they belong and that positive energy to work for Delhi energizes all,” said Gupta.
“We have to work together for a better Delhi—a healthy, educated, and prosperous Delhi. Our government will continue to work in that direction with the blessings of Lord Hanuman,” she added.
The CM said that she also sought blessings of the deity to be able to fulfill aspirations of people and work for Delhi’s progress.
Meanwhile, Rekha Gupta on Saturday posted a video on X where she stopped a man who was seen feeding a cow with roti. Through her video, she urged Delhi residents to stop throwing rotis on the roadside for animals to eat, as stray cows and other animals are drawn to roads in search of food, which can cause traffic disruption and increase the risk of accidents.