Not all is well in Indira Canteens

The contractors complain of unpaid dues and commercial tariff for water

Two years after the earlier Congress government’s ambitious project – Indira Canteens – was inaugurated with much aplomb, it has not been smooth sailing, say the contractors.

The present contract for Indira Canteens, which provides food at subsidised rates, will end on August 16. The online portal for procurement of government of Karnataka, where fresh bids have to be made, was recently shut down owing to a technical glitch, delaying all contracts and tenders. Once fresh bids are opened, the process will be completed within 20 days.

However, the present contractors complain of several problems. One of them said the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewage Board (BWSSB) has disconnected sanitary and water lines to various canteens owing to non-payment of dues.

“Though we are serving the government and the people, we are not given any subsidies. We are made to pay water, electricity and other bills as per commercial tariffs. This is hitting us hard,” said Madhu Gowda, administrative manager of Rewards, one of the two contractors.

In Attur, Bytarayanapura, Jakkur, Domlur, Vasantha Nagar and Varthur wards, sanitary and water lines have been disconnected due to non-payment of dues. “We are somehow managing the show by hiring private water tankers and private sewage cleaning services, which are very costly,” said Mr. Gowda.

An official of the other contractor, Chef Talk, said they had repeatedly urged bureaucrats and elected representatives to provide them essential services at subsidised prices.

The contractors alleged that some of their dues are yet to be cleared by the government, some of which are pending from the past four months. “Nowadays, it is becoming increasingly difficult to run the canteens due to losses and non-payment of dues,” said an official from Chef Talk.

Location disadvantage

The contractors also said that the location of certain Indira Canteens could have been planned better to draw more customers.

“Publicity should have been better, including that of information on the location and directions, as moving crowds are a major part of the customer base,” said Mr. Gowda.

In places like Neelasandra, Indiranagar and Defence Colony, the footfalls are not as high as expected, he said.

However, senior BBMP officials said most of the dues have been cleared and the pending ones will be paid as soon as possible.

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