Delhi govt installs retina scanners cameras to Atal canteens

The Delhi government installed retina-scanning cameras at all Atal Canteens to prevent multiple meal purchases by the same person.

The initiative aims to ensure that subsidised food reaches a larger number of beneficiaries.

According to an official, the technology allows canteen staff to verify whether a customer has already availed a meal from any other Atal Canteen on the same day.

An official said that the cameras scan the retina of customers at the time of purchasing meal coupons and update their identification in a centralised system linked to all Atal Canteens across the city.

“Once a person buys lunch from one Atal Canteen, the system will not allow the same individual to purchase it again from another outlet on the same day,” the official explained.

However, the person can avail dinner later in the evening and lunch again the next day, the official added.

At present, Delhi has 86 such canteens, with the government planning to open 16 more outlets this year. Unlike earlier locations near JJ clusters, the upcoming canteens are proposed near hospitals and universities to cater to patients, attendants and students, he said.

The Delhi government has allocated Rs 100 crore for the implementation of the scheme.

“These canteens are in the pipeline. Sites are being identified based on land availability, and the focus is on public institutions where daily footfall is high,” the official said.

The scheme was launched by the BJP-led Delhi government on December 25 last year, marking the birth anniversary of the former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

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The government plans to set up 100 such canteens across the city, aiming to address hunger and food insecurity among economically weaker sections by providing nutritious meals at just Rs 5 per plate.

The food served includes chapati, rice, vegetable curry and pickle. The canteens operate twice daily, offering lunch from 11 am to 4 pm and dinner from 6.30 PM to 9.30 PM.

To ensure orderly distribution, each canteen has a fixed daily limit of 500 plates each for lunch and dinner. Visitors collect QR-based tokens from the counter before receiving their meals.