Mumbai, May 19 (IANS) In a bid to erase the stereotyped pot-belly image of the Mumbai cop, the police have introduced a 'health food canteen' that will serve low-calorie food for the law-enforcers.

Inaugurating it at the Naigaon police headquarters Tuesday evening, Home Minister R.R. Patil said the canteen would help police personnel remain healthy and fit.

"There are times when policemen do not get proper food while they are on duty ... on occasions like Ganesh Chaturthi, Durga Puja or Navratri. On such occasions, they will be delivered lunch box at their place of duty," Patil said.

Added Mumbai Police Commissioner D. Sivanandan: "Owing to odd working hours, most policemen end up having cheap and unhygienic roadside food. It is essential that policemen consume healthy food, at least once a day.

"That is the reason why we thought of setting up a canteen that serves low calorie and healthy food."

Sivanandan said the canteen will run under the guidance of food experts and diet consultants who will chart out the menu.

"This canteen is our pilot project and we plan to replicate the same model at three-four other locations in the next few months," he said.

Besides serving food on the premises, the police canteen will also facilitate delivery of lunch boxes to policemen on duty whenever the need arises.

The canteen contract has been awarded to ecotel hotelier Vitthal Kamat.

"We are all aware how policemen work under stress. My idea is to provide them a healthy breakfast that would enable them to sustain the entire day. If they can manage to have other meals also here, nothing like it," Kamat said.

But much to the surprise of the gathering, the canteen served piping hot 'jalebis' and Mumbai's all-time favourite 'vada-paavs', both of which fall in the high-calorie category.

"Don't worry. All this is only for today. We are not going to serve these on a regular basis," Sivanandan said.