If a person is charged, say Rs.10 for a meal, he will be able to afford that and get to eat quality food. The project will also be more sustainable in the long run,' he added.

The Aap ki Rasoi that provides one meal a day for the city's poor is the Delhi chief minister's pet project. It is an initiative towards making Delhi a hunger-free state and was launched in April last year under the Bhagidari (partnership) programme.

The government has roped in corporates to fund the production and distribution of the food.

'I have been advising the government about my proposal. As of now Aap ki Rasoi is on a small scale but if the minimal payment system is implemented, at least 500 kitchens catering to the poor can be run in the city,' said Mander, who is also the director of Centre for Equity Studies.