5-rupee meal now available across 100 centres in city

Hyderabad: From daily wagers, students to marketing professionals many have started patronising the 5-rupee meal of rice with dal, pickle and curry available at GHMC kiosks in the city. Long queues at all the meal centres have become a common sight for the meals prepared and distributed by Hare Krishna movement.

At Secunderabad, at one of the kiosks, the food server Ramesh Raj says meals are prepared at their huge kitchen at Kokapet. The scheme is implemented by the GHMC community since 2014. ‘Initially where there were only 27 branches which are now increased to more than 100 places in Hyderabad’ he adds.

‘I feel it is a genuine way to help the needy people. Now I see lots of difference back then when it started only poor people used to come but now almost everyone wants to at least taste the food. It is a social service and we are not paid for it. Everything is done free and lunch is served between 12 pm to 1 pm’ he informed.

A snack vendor, Shiva, said: ‘I have been eating this meal since two years and not one day I have had any problems.

 And there are many changes which I have seen be it from the people who queue up to increasing variety and taste’, he added. GHMC worker Lalitha says ‘no doubt the food is really tasty and it fills our stomach. It was my first time to taste it and I am happy with the service which is very friendly. I will try coming here again’ added the employee.

By Vandana Sharma