BBMP to introduce touch screen menu board with face recognition feature for ordering food at Indira Canteens in Bengaluru

The project is part of ongoing efforts by the civic body to plug leakages in Indira Canteens, which has been a big concern.

As part of revamping of Indira Canteens run by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), the civic body will be soon introducing touch screen menu boards for customers to order food.

The menu boards, which are a little bigger than the size of a tab, will have face recognition software, which will not click photos of the customers, but will help the civic body ensure that orders are placed by genuine customers. Otherwise, there is a possibility of contractors inflating orders through false clicks, official said. 

BBMP Special Commissioner (Health) Suralkar Vikas Kishor told The Hindu that the aim of introducing this system is to bring transparency and make the ordering process smooth. Currently, BBMP does not have a count on how many meals are sold every day at the canteens. With the introduction of touch screen menu boards, the civic body will have data on daily business.

The project is part of ongoing efforts by the civic body to plug leakages in Indira Canteens, which has been a big concern.

The civic body is conducting a pilot project in three canteens in Rajarajeshwari Nagar zone in Bengaluru. The BBMP is planning to install this system in 170 canteens across its eight zones in Bengaluru. 

The screen will display three options — breakfast, lunch and dinner. During breakfast time, the board will only display breakfast items, and the same pattern is followed for lunch and dinner. Customers should place their order after which a token is generated, which is announced through a speaker, said a BBMP official. After the token is generated, the customer can proceed to the service area to collect the food.