Rs5 for a thali promises dignity on a plate in India

In a city where a basic meal at a roadside dhaba can easily set you back hundreds of rupees, Delhi residents struggling to make ends meet were greeted on Thursday with an offer that sounds almost unreal: a wholesome thali for just Rs 5.

On the 101st birth anniversary of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta inaugurated 100 Atal Canteens across the capital, launching one of the most aggressive subsidised-meal pushes in urban India.

The initiative, aimed at daily wage workers, labourers and low-income families, promises nutritious, sit-down meals at a fraction of the usual cost, with each canteen serving two meals a day — lunch between 11am and 4pm and dinner from 6.30pm to 9.30pm.

Complete meal

At each outlet, diners can expect a complete feast of dal (legume), rice, chapati, seasonal vegetable and pickle for just five rupees — a price nearly unthinkable in today’s inflation-hit food market.

What the Rs 5 thali includes

• Dal (lentils)

• Rice

• Chapati

• Seasonal vegetable

• Pickle

Delhi officials say the menu was designed not merely as cheap sustenance but to ensure basic nutrition and dignity for those who might otherwise skip meals. The scheme replaces manual coupons with digital token distribution and installs CCTV monitoring at canteens to enhance transparency.

The first batch of 45 Atal Canteens is already operational in neighbourhoods such as RK Puram, Jangpura, Shalimar Bagh, Greater Kailash, Rajouri Garden, Narela and Bawana, with the remaining sites opening in the coming days.

A subsidised meal with a social mission

The government says it hopes the thali initiative will not only tackle hunger but restore food security and social inclusion for Delhi’s most vulnerable populations. CM Gupta described the canteens as potential “souls of the city” where “no one should have to sleep hungry.”

Analysts note that the scheme aligns with similar subsidised food efforts elsewhere in India and could reshape how urban welfare programmes address nutrition gaps.

The Rs 5 thali rollout comes at a time when food prices nationwide have surged — making this scheme one of the boldest state-led interventions in recent years.