Millers Association agrees to cut down price by 1 per kg: TTD SOAV Dharma Reddy

Tirumala: TTD Special Officer (SO) AV Dharma Reddy said the rice millers have agreed to reduce price of rice supplied to TTD by one rupee for next three months as their contribution towards the Nitya Annaprasadam programme.

Speaking to the media after a meeting with Rice Millers Association including those of AP and Telangana at the Annamayya Bhavan in Tirumala on Saturday, the SO said the millers had agreed to provide rice at Rs 37 per kg instead of existing price Rs 38.

Saying that rice and vegetables are the main ingredients required for free food supply by TTD to pilgrims in which TTD is getting daily 4 tonnes of vegetables free of cost, Reddy said informing that vegetable suppliers in Koyambedu (Chennai), Vijayawada, Bengaluru, Mandanapalle and many other places formed into Sri Venkateswara Vegetable Merchants Association ensuring daily supply of 22 varieties of four tonnes of vegetables to TTD to add up taste and quality of the free food being provided to the devotees.

"Our aim is to gradually increase donation of rice to see get the entire quantity of about 25 tonnes of rice required daily for providing free food supply to pilgrims," he said adding that the Millers Association also agreed to send donation of rice along with the rice supply on payment basis every month.

The SO thanked the millers for slashing the rice price despite the actual cost of a Kg of rice is about Rs 45 and added that TTD could save Rs 60 lakh annually with the reduction of rice price.

Because of the generosity of vegetable suppliers and rice millers, the TTD is providing quality food to pilgrims, he said adding that TTD's Nitya Annadanam reaching number one position at world level as such massive scale of free food supply is not taken up anywhere. The SO stated the rice millers had positively responded to his appeal for providing free rice to TTD which is currently providing free Annaprasadam to 1.6 lakh pilgrims daily.

The millers have agreed to provide 375 quintals of rice in the form of donation and assured to scale of the free supply of rice to TTD for providing free food to pilgrims, gradually in the coming days. Gummadi Venkateswara Rao and Mohan Rao Chairman and General secretary of All India Rice Millers Association said that they would discuss with other district associations and strive to provide more free rice for the Annaprasadam programme.

AP Rice Millers Association General Secretary Hanumanta Rao, Telangana Rice Millers Association Vice-President Rajeshwar Rao, TTD GM (Marketing) Jagadishwara Reddy, Annaprasadam OSD S Venugopal and Catering Officer GLN Shastri participated.