Repair CCTV cameras; provide hot water to wash utensils

Mysuru: Hundreds of plates of food, which was being consumed by the public at the Indira Canteens in city earlier has now been reduced to just 300 plates daily in some canteens, while it is not even crossing 100 plates in other Indira Canteens.

At the Indira Canteen on Dr. Rajkumar Road near Triveni Circle in Kalyanagiri here, about 300 people consume breakfast and lunch daily. Idli, puliyogare and other dishes, supplied for breakfast to this canteen gets over in a few minutes. On some days, when breakfast and lunch are left over, the catering company takes back the food, said the canteen supervisor.

This canteen is frequented by daily wagers, auto drivers, students and poor people from neighbouring localities.

Though there is no complaint on the quality of food, the quantity of food is not sufficient and here too there is complaint of sub-standard curd rice. A few customers said that quality of rice and sambar is good, but curd rice is hopeless.

Though there is a heater facility to warm the water for washing utensils, the heater is under repair since a long time and the company has not bothered to repair it.

The situation was same even during the pandemic, where plates and glasses were washed unhygienically using cold water in the absence of hot water. One of the customers said, “During COVID pandemic, I used to come to this canteen and consume food by risking my life.”

Though there are two CCTV cameras installed in the canteen, the display monitor is missing. Just because of high power bill, the company is not getting the electrical and electronic gadgets repaired, is the complaint heard in many Indira Canteens, including the one in Kalyanagiri.

As dinner is served free of cost, about 200 plates of food is supplied at this canteen.