The city’s civic body has decided to propose to the State government to hand over 178 Indira Canteens in the city to ISKCON without calling tenders, availing 4G exemption under the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurements Act, 1999.
“This is a social welfare programme that cannot be run by companies with commercial interests. The government wants a good partner with a service motto, for which ISKCON is a good candidate. We will propose to the State government in the next two days to hand over the canteens to ISKCON,” said Tulasi Maddineni, Special Commissioner (Finance), Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP).
Claiming irregularities by commercial companies, she said the system needs to be reformed. “We will post marshals at each canteen, who will collect money and issue tokens and credit the money collected into BBMP accounts every day, which will give us a clear idea of the number of meals sold,” she said.
Presently three vendors — Chef Talk, Rewards and Adamya Chetana — are providing food at the canteens for ₹55.30 per three meals a day, of which the beneficiary will pay ₹25 and the rest is borne by the civic body.
The cost
“ISKCON has proposed ₹78 per three meals — breakfast and two meals. The ₹55.30 rates were fixed in 2017, so there will be a hike, but not ₹78 that ISKCON has proposed. Those negotiations will be held. What the beneficiary will bear will remain the same at ₹25,” Ms. Maddineni said.
The move has been questioned by a section of people. Vinay Sreenivasa, of Bahutva Karnataka, a coalition of progressive organisations, said, “Handing over the contract of supplying food to the canteens without tenders amounts to corruption.”
