A rickshaw puller eats lunch by the roadside. Picture by Ashok Sinha

At Rs 12, one would get only a plate of sattu in the city during lunch or dinner.

Raj Babbar, the actor-turned-Congress spokesperson, said on Wednesday while explaining the Planning Commission estimates on the urban poor that a full meal is available at Rs 12 in cities. However, the ground reality is different.

The Telegraph on Thursday visited some of the roadside eateries, which cater to the needs of daily wage earners — the principal constituent of the urban poor. A minimum of Rs 20 is required for one meal if one wants to eat at these spots. Those willing to enjoy their meal at a dhaba or some other eateries need to shell out more.

“Input costs have gone up manifold in the past several months. We sell food at a minimum margin because we cater to the lower segment of the society,” said Meera Devi, who runs a footpath eatery near Gandhi Maidan.

One plate of food at Meera’s place consists of rice, cereal, one vegetables dish and a quarter of roasted papad. A piece of green chilli and salt are given free to those having food at her eatery. Meera also offers a non-vegetarian delicacy of rice and fish curry that comes at Rs 25 per plate. But there are very few takers for it. “I sell around 20 plates of non-vegetarian food in a day while daily consumption of vegetarian plate is around 60,” Meera said.

Madan Mahto, who has a similar kind of joint on the pavement of Beer Chand Patel Marg, has something more interesting to offer. “Even Rs 20 is too little to sell a plate of rice and vegetables. I am thinking to increase the price as the cost of vegetables has gone up. Even potato is coming for Rs 16 a kg. I hope my customers would understand the problem,” he said.

A small survey of such joints revealed that the only option available for the below poverty line (BPL) urban poor is having roasted gram flour (sattu) with water, onion, chilli and salt. “It comes for Rs 12 per plate which consists of 250gm of sattu. A good number of rickshaw-pullers eat it regularly,” said Ram Prasad who runs one footpath eatery along Mangles Road.

Asked whether he can spend the whole day spending just Rs 33 — a figure deciphered by Babbar — for two square meals, rickshaw-puller Rajesh Thakur said: “It is mockery of people like us,” he said with a smile.

Even the state Congress leaders are not happy with the Planning Commission report. State Congress chief Ashok Choudhary said: “I cannot go with the Planning Commission figures.”

The state government is also annoyed with the Planning Commission report. Food and consumer protection minister Shyam Rajak said the figures have been released without taking into account of the socio-economic ground realities of the state.

In Bihar, if a person residing in the rural area earns Rs 778 per month or less would fall in the category of poor. The corresponding figure for urban poor is Rs 923 a month.