Nagpur: Samosas along with bhajis and kachori have made the cut on the “healthy menu” of Maharashtra govt canteens, never mind past controversy over its junk food label.
Issued by the general administration department on Nov 5, the resolution approves 54 additional items for Mantralaya, Vidhan Bhavan and Konkan Bhavan canteens in its control. Clause 1 explicitly describes the items in its annexure as nutritious, healthy food — and authorises their inclusion in the regular menu. Vidarbha gets a mention through spicy Shegaon kachori, listed at ₹30 apiece for employees and ₹35 for officers. The resolution follows a Sept 2 public health department directive on incorporating balanced, healthy food into refreshments and meals served at govt and semi-govt meetings, official programmes and canteens.
A recent govt resolution (GR) approving nutritious additions to canteen menus places these familiar snacks alongside boiled pulses, moong chilla and steamed idlis, giving the state’s healthy push an unexpected assortment. Among those entries are cocktail samosa, moong dal bhaji, Punjabi samosa and bread pakoda. Cheese sandwiches, vegetable potato shots, aloo tikki, pav bhaji and potato rolls also feature in the approved assortment. The irony lies in the document’s classification — it does not merely permit these snacks to be sold alongside healthier alternatives, but includes them within the very annexure it collectively describes as nutritious and healthy. The November order translates that objective into a menu and rate card for the specified establishments. There are several options more readily associated with that objective: boiled mixed pulses, boiled peanuts, bananas, boiled eggs, vegetable poha, dalia upma and sprouted-pulse upma. The list also offers spinach, moong and mixed-vegetable idlis, besides steamed coriander vadi.
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