Harbingers of hope: women-run mobile canteens to hit Karnataka's streets

Women-run mobile canteens, ‘Indira Saviruchi Kaituthu’, will hit the roads in all of Karnataka's district headquarters on November 1.

To implement this, women's federations consisting of 20 presidents of self-help groups have been formed in each district. Each federation will be given a sum of Rs 10 lakh which can be used to buy vehicles specially designed for the purpose as well as utensils. According to The Hindu, Bharathi Shankar, Chairperson of the Karnataka State Women’s Development Corporation, said,

“This is an ambitious project of the Congress government in empowering women in a systematic way. To begin, the canteens will function in all district headquarters. Based on the success, it will be introduced in taluks too.”

Central Food Technological Research Institute has started training the women on cooking, maintaining hygiene, and managing the whole operation. This is just primary training as there is no specific menu for all and the women can cook whatever they choose. The amount given to them will have to be repaid in monthly instalments with no interest. The canteens will have movable chairs and tables and function like mini hotels that are constantly on the move.

Apart from that, self-help groups run by women wanting to extend their business will be given loans by the Karnataka State Finance Corporation at a subsidised interest rate.

Though there will be a minimum of 10 canteens in Bengaluru, other cities like Mysore and Mangalore will initially have a maximum of five, which may be increased based on the response they receive. Indira Saviruchi Kaituthu canteens will mostly be near educational institutions, hospitals, and government institutions, and there will be an effort to ensure that they are not too close to the Indira Canteens.

According to Deccan Herald, Rs 30 crore from the Budget has been set aside for this project.

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