Fish Rice Canteen Scheme:Rs 5 at 400 dedicated canteens
The latest announcement comes after leaders of the Trinamool Congress alleged during the high-voltage Assembly election campaign earlier this year that the BJP would ban fish, meat and eggs — staples of the Bengali diet — if it came to power in the state.The CM also announced that the state government will start issuing forms from May 27 for the Annapurna Yojana, under which Rs 3,000 per month would be given to women.
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Friday announced that fish-and-rice meals would be provided for Rs 5 at state government-run canteens across the state.In addition, the state government has introduced stricter regulations on liquor outlets. According to the announcement, liquor shops will not be permitted within a one-kilometre radius of schools, colleges, and places of worship, aiming to regulate accessibility and maintain public order in sensitive zones.
Fish Rice Canteen Scheme 2026
The government also stated plans to establish a separate AYUSH department by delinking it from the existing state health department, signalling a structural reform in the healthcare administration system.Officials said these initiatives are part of a broader welfare-driven governance approach focused on nutrition support, women’s financial empowerment, and regulatory tightening in public spaces.
Adhikari said the ban on alcohol was aimed at protecting educational institutions and religious places from the social impact of liquor consumption, while also ensuring that cases of public nuisance and mischief are not reported near schools, colleges and temples
Suvendu Adhikari Fish Rice Canteen Scheme
Liquor shops will not be permitted to operate within a 1 km radius of schools, colleges and temples. This will ensure that the youngsters are not swayed by the lure of alcohol and help build a stronger civil society in the state,” he said.
Adhikari said the subsidised fish meals will be served at all 367 state-run canteens twice a week.
The state-run eateries, christened Maa canteens by former chief minister Mamata Banerjee, had been launched by the erstwhile Trinamool Congress (TMC) government in 2021 to provide meals to the poor and needy across the state. The meals were priced at Rs 5 per plate, but the menu comprised only rice, vegetable and boiled egg.
Fish had emerged as a bone of contention in the run up to the West Bengal state assembly elections in April. The Trinamool Congress had actively run a narrative that people will not be able to have fish and meat as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will place curbs on their consumption during its campaign.
