Indira Rasoi
TypeGovernment-owned- Restaurant
IndustryRestaurant services
GenreIndian Vegetarian Cuisine
FoundedAugust 20, 2020 (2020-08-20)
FounderAshok Gehlot
Headquarters
JaipurJodhpurBikaner
,
India
Number of locations
1038[1]
Area served
Rajasthan
ProductsFood
ServicesSubsidised low cost food
RevenueNon-profit organisation
OwnerMinistry of Food and Civil Supplies, Government of Rajasthan
Number of employees
Not known.[2]

The state government of Rajasthan initiated the Indira Rasoi scheme [3] in August 2020 during the Covid-19 lockdowns[4] Initially the scheme began in 213 Urban Local Bodies and has since been expanded.[5] Rasoi means kitchen in Hindi. The scheme provides subisidized food to anyone who wants it at Rs. 8 per meal. The rest of the cost is borne by the state government. The canteens get Rs. 17 from the state government per token that they issue.

The number of canteens ("Indira Rasois") has increased from around 200 in 2020 to over 1000 in 2023. In the budget of 2023-23, the state government announced that the scheme would be expanded to rural areas of the state.[6] Between 2020-2023, the canteens were in the various Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) of the state.

The canteens are located at places that see a major footfall of people who might be in need of assistance. This includes bus stands, railway stations, night shelters, hospitals, university and college premises, krishi Mandis, fruit Mandis, vegetable Mandis, labour chocks (i.e., where daily wage labourers stand to wait for employers for the day) and so on.

Like its predecessors such as Amma Unavagam in Tamil Nadu, Indira canteens in Karnataka, dal-bhaat kendras in Jharkhand, the scheme in Rajasthan is also very popular. These community kitchens or canteens played a crucial role during the Covid lockdowns in 2020.[7] World over, food banks, canteens, community kitchens have been critical in dealing with food insecurity.[8]

In the past, other states have also experimented with state subsidized canteens. NTR Anna Canteens in Andhra Pradesh,[9] Jhunka Bhakar Kendras in Maharashtra,[10] Aahar kendras in Odisha and Annapurna canteens in Chhattisgarh [11] are some such initiatives in India [12]

Areas of Improvement

While the Indira rasois provide hot cooked meals at very affordable prices, there are many areas where things could be improved. The meals are vegetarian, and as there are few mechanisms for quality control, at some canteens the quality of the food can be very average. Some Indira rasois in the state receive food from a centralized kitchen. In these cases, the food gets cold. People are especially likely to complain about cold rotis.

List of Indira Rasois

  • The full list of canteens in the state can be found through the Jan Soochna portal of the state government[1]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Jan Soochna Portal". jansoochna.rajasthan.gov.in.
  2. ↑ "Rajasthan's Indira Rasoi is a success story". The Print. 2022-12-10. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 2023-03-15.
  3. ↑ "Jan Soochna Portal". jansoochna.rajasthan.gov.in.
  4. ↑ Correspondent, Special (June 23, 2020). "Rajasthan to launch Indira Rasoi Yojana for the poor" – via www.thehindu.com.
  5. ↑ "Indira Rasoi scheme launched in Rajasthan for affordable food to needy: All you need to know". Hindustan Times. August 20, 2020.
  6. ↑ https://www.business-standard.com/elections/rajasthan-elections/rajasthan-elections-2023-villages-to-receive-meals-at-rs-8-under-the-indira-rasoi-scheme-123091000323_1.html
  7. ↑ "Dal Bhaat centres, Didi kitchens: How Jharkhand feeds 8 lakh people daily". April 19, 2020.
  8. ↑ Khera, Reetika (January 22, 2016). "Community kitchens: An idea whose time has come". Scroll.in.
  9. ↑ Abraham, Dr Mutluri (September 1, 2019). "NTR Anna Canteens: A Boon to Urban Poor of Andhra Pradesh, India". International Journal of English Literature and Social Sciences (IJELS). 4 (4) – via journal-repository.theshillonga.com.
  10. ↑ https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/pune/jhunka-bhakar-kendra-makes-way-for-metro-stn/articleshow/71872285.cms
  11. ↑ "Jharkhand's community kitchens: Making a mockery of food security?". www.downtoearth.org.in.
  12. ↑ "Soup kitchens are a silver lining for urban poor". April 28, 2016.
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