BANGALORE: There’s no such thing as a free lunch. Policemen and Group D employees of Vidhana Soudha who had been feasting on free sambar rice and bondas that Muzrai Board chairman S N Krishnaiah Setty had been providing for 10 days, have just realised this. The “spoilsport” is Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms which asked the police to put an end to the mela."There is no provision to allow any one to distribute food within Vidhana Soudha. Setty’s followers have been doing it without permission,” says Manjunath, Deputy Secretary, DPAR.Setty’s offer had become an instant hit with around 400 people religiously lining up every afternoon for their share. But this became a headache for police, who asked Setty’s followers to supply food outside.“Security was another reason why permission to serve free food was denied. Many outsiders too used to gatecrash for food,” said Lakshman Singh, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Vidhana Soudha Security.However, sources attribute the influence of canteen management at the Secretariat behind the move. “The management is more powerful than elected representatives. They say our free food scheme is affecting their business,” said Setty.Whatever the reason, the sudden decision has left many Vidhana Soudha staffers sore. Some of them had even stopped bringing lunch boxes. “The free food was a boon for people like us who are underpaid. I want Setty Sir to continue it,” said Murugesh, a security guard working on contract basis at Vikasa Soudha.Setty has now restricted his free food scheme to his own premises.
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