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After making absurd claims on the cheapest meal our
politicians get a thumbs down as they appear disconnected with everyday
realities
MUMBAI eatery owner Mohammad Hussain responds with an
incredulous smirk when told about Lok Sabha MP Raj Babbar’s claim that a
meal in Mumbai costs ` 12. “ How can one expect a full meal to cost ` 12
when a bottle of packaged drinking water costs ` 20?” At Anees Bhai’s
eatery in Bhopal, regular patron Meena Maran responds with a wager.
“ Whoever says you can get a meal for ` 12 or ` 5, bring him
to Bhopal and show me where I can get such a meal. If he does so, I am
prepared to do anything he wants me to.” Figures given out by the
Planning Commission indicating a sharp fall in poverty levels since the
UPA first came to power in 2004 based on a ` 33 per day cutoff for the
urban poor — and ` 28 per day cutoff to judge the rural poor — are seen
as a crude effort to bolster the UPA’s claim for a third term in office.
As he was subjected to ridicule, Babbar backtracked.
But, both Babbar and Congress MP Rasheed Masood — who said
that for ` 5 one can get a meal in the Jama Masjid area — in their
anxiety to endorse the plan panel’s report have sparked a debate on how
much it costs to have a full stomach in India.
MAIL TODAY reporters scoured the streets of Delhi, Mumbai,
Kolkata, Bangalore and Bhopal for the cheapest meal in these cities and
to see whether the two politicians had made absurd claims.
The result: The Congress leaders were given a thumbs down
and told to get their facts right.
‘ How can one expect a full meal to cost ` 12 when a bottle
of packaged drinking water costs ` 20?’
DELHI
THE PRICE idea about the ground realities or food prices
have come down drastically for a privileged few.
MAIL TODAY visited Delhi’s predominantly working class areas
in east Delhi, north- east Delhi and outer Delhi, asking roadside vendors
what would the cheapest meal cost.
These are the food outlets frequented by only those who
cannot afford to spend on basic necessities.
The minimum money required to buy a plate of watery dal and
a modest amount of chawal is not less than ` 20 in Khureji or Kalyanpuri.
While the food sellers at these places could not help
laughing on hearing the unrealistic price quoted by the politicians,
people eating here spoke of how the politicians must be talking about a
bygone time.“ Money does not hold any value for them. That is why they
are making fun of people like us. Do they know about the price of rice
and flour? Do they have any idea how much it takes to run a food stall on
the road side?” said Ramnath, a food vendor in the Ashok Nagar area of
east Delhi. Ramnath sells a plate of rice and dal for ` 20.
Shyam, who eats there regularly, said, “ We can't expect
tasty, fresh food items in such places. What we get for ` 20 is barely
enough to satisfy our hunger.” Babu Lal, who hails from the Kalyanpuri
area, sells a plate of chhole bhature and chole chawal at ` 15. His menu
mentions a plate comprises three bhatures and chole. “ We had to reduce
the price on public demand. Earlier, I used to sell two bhature and chole
for ` 20, but many people opposed it. Now, I am selling it at ` 15. We
just reduced the size of bhatura,” said Babu Lal.
— By Kumar Vikram
MUMBAI
WHEN Congress MP Raj Babbar said that a wholesome meal in
Mumbai could be available for ` 12, he was perhaps thinking about the
city more than a decade ago. He probably does not know that even the
canteen at the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress office at Tilak Bhavan in
Parel serves a lunch thali for ` 75 and the Congress office in Gandhi
Bhavan serves a thali for ` 40.
“ Getting a meal for ` 12 is not possible any more. You
don’t even get a vada pav for ` 12,” said Mohammad Hussain, who runs the
Asra restaurant in Kural West which is known for its cheap but good food.
This is believed to be where Mumbai gets its cheapest meal. For ` 20, you
can have a vegetable and three rotis. Chicken and three rotis or beef
masala and roti costs ` 25 while a mutton masala , rice and two rotis
cost ` 30. Rafiq Shah, a patron from Chembur, was clearly enjoying his
chicken meal. “ This is the cheapest food you can get in this city. I
don’t think you buy a meal for ` 12. May be the person who told you so
should let us know and we will go there,” he said. Hussain said it was
difficult for him to continue the present rate. He claims he is running
the business for sentimental reasons — his father had started the
restaurant over 50 years back.
There is barely a profit margin.
In fact, the restaurant will soon be demolished. “ It is
becoming increasingly difficult to run a business when the prices of
vegetables are rising,” he said.
— By Krishna Kumar
KOLKATA
KOLKATA residents would not be faulted for believing that
the city’s gastronomic delights contribute to making it the City of Joy.
A vegetarian lunch of rice, dal, a mixed vegetable serving, salad and a
slice of papad at a typical footpath eatery costs all of ` 15 only.
Patrons say it is “ reasonably tasty and not- so- unhygienic”. Street
vendor Sarada Naidu’s stall in the Chowringhee area caters to over 300
people a day. “ We start making arrangements at 6 am. The stall remains
open between 9 am and 4 pm.” She said a steaming rice and dal plate is
served to all customers.
“ We try to maintain the quality though the customers have a
small budget,” she said.
Sarada claimed that she has been running her footpath stall
for over 30 years.
Her clients are mainly taxi drivers, security guards,
contract labourers, bus and car helpers, and scavengers. Footpath food
stalls are located near Rabindra Sadan, Rashbehari Avenue, Esplanade, BBD
Bag, Ultadanga and in areas adjoining Howrah and Sealdah railway
stations.
However, meals do not cost the same, varying between ` 15
and ` 25 a plate. “ I pay ` 15 for lunch. This cannot be matched by any
other city in India,” said Bikash Singh, a taxi driver in Kolkata.
— By Soudhriti Bhabani
BHOPAL
THE CHEAPEST eateries in Bhopal are known by their owners —
and among the better known is Anees Bhai’s Veg and Non- veg restaurant in
Shahjehanabad locality of the old city, about 3 km from the chief
minister’s bungalow.
“ My eating joint serves the cheapest range of vegetarian
and non- vegetarian meals. I sell a rumali or tandoori roti for ` 3 and
my half plate dal is served at ` 15.
So, a simple meal of dal and two rotis will cost about `
20,” says Mohammed Anees who runs his eatery joint which is made of tin
sheds and is supported by steady bamboo pillars.
He does not charge for the cucumber and sliced lemon, but
has stopped serving onions because they have become very expensive.
Meena Maran, a regular was incredulous when asked if he
could have a meal for ` 12 in the city. “ This is impossible. I have been
a regular here for the last two years, and I spend at least ` 25 for the
cheapest meal,” said an angry Maran.
— By Anup Dutta
BANGALORE
PUTTA is a 28- year- old daily wage worker at the multi-
storeyed building near Vidhana Soudha in central Bangalore. He needs to
set aside ` 900 every month for his meals from ` 3,600 he earns every
month because the average cost of a vegetarian plate meal sold by
roadside eateries is about ` 35. The cheapest meals in the city are sold
on the roadside by make- shift eateries, which set up mobile stalls near
real estate construction sites and government offices and public places
between noon and 3 pm every day.
Mahadev runs a roadside eatery near the Vidhana Soudha,
serving over 400 customers every day. Many of them are daily wage
workers, visitors from other cities, people in search of a livelihood and
labourers.
He sells a vegetarian meal of one ragi ball ( staple diet in
Karnataka), a plate of rice, a cup of rasam or sambar ( gravy curry) and
papad or pickle for ` 35. Some roadside eateries have a non- vegetarian
menu, but these cost twice that of vegetarian meals. Half a plate of
chicken costs ` 35 while half a plate of lamb meat costs ` 50. According
to him, the menu is priced at base value. “ The prices of commodities
have shot up. Ragi flour costs ` 18 per kg and rice is sold at ` 52 per
kg. Obviously, we cannot serve rice bought from PDS outlets because the
quality is inferior. Vegetable prices have skyrocketed. Gone are the days
of staple diet being available for ` 10 or ` 15,” he said.
“ We cannot offer a vegetarian meals for less than ` 30. We
have to take into consideration the cost of cooking and ingredients and
expenses on transport and staff,” said Mahadev.
— By Vanu Dev
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