Atchanna reiterates promise of reviving Anna canteens

Amaravati: TDP state president Kinjarapu Atchannaidu said the party will reopen the closed Anna canteens in municipalities and corporations where it wins in the upcoming elections.

All the 204 Anna canteens in the state were closed by the YSRCP government soon after it came to power in May 2019.

In a statement on Wednesday, Atchannaidu criticised that by shutting down the Anna canteens, Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy took away the possibility of having food by the poor with dignity. Now, the YSRCP government is planning to sell these canteens for private persons for shopping malls, Atchannaidu alleged.

He said that the TDP was committed to feed the people with nominal price of just Rs 5 per full meal.

It may be noted that TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu started the Anna canteens across the municipalities and corporations and provided food to the people thrice in a day. At that time, the government charged only Rs 5 per meal.

It was introduced with an objective to provide subsidised hygienic and affordable food for poor people. Around 6 lakh poor people received three meals a day through the canteens until July 2019.

Atchannaidu added that the YSRCP government shutdown all the 204 canteens alleging corruption, but failed to prove even a single allegation on the TDP governemnt.

He said the closure of these canteens was a blow to lakhs of poor people during the months of lockdown, in the state adding the TDP was going to win in the urban local bodies and will implement the promise of revival of Anna canteens.