Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Mar 10: Karnataka government is mulling the prospect of starting its own 'Namma Canteen' a la 'Amma Canteen' of Tamil Nadu (TN) in the city initially on experimental basis.

These canteens are aimed at providing access to food at cheap rates to people at places frequented by poor people like leading hospitals, bus stands and other places. The government has been considering the proposal to have these canteens on the model of Tamil Nadu. In all likelihood, state chief minister, Siddaramaiah, might announce this scheme in his budgetary address on March 15.

The 'Amma Canteen' scheme implemented by the then chief minister of Tamil Nadu, Jayalalithaa, has become extremely popular. This scheme has succeeded in filling the bellies of poor people at affordable prices.

The scheme of feeding the poor by charging only token amount for the food servedto them at the canteens, had been conceptualized long back. The concept, which took shape when Dinesh Gundu Rao was the food minister here, has been under active consideration as the current minister,U T Khader, too is staunchly in support of introducing this scheme.