Anna canteens to be set up in different municipalities

Ongole: The much awaited launch of Anna canteens is about to happen in a week in Ongole along with other municipalities in
the State. The Akshayapatra Foundation is permitted to operate six canteens in Ongole by setting up one centralised kitchen to supply food to all of the canteens.

Highlights:

• Six canteens to come up in Prakasam dist
• Akshayapatra Foundation to supply food from a centralised kitchen
• Meals to be provided at Rs 5 per plate

The TDP-led State government has announced the setting up of Anna canteens long ago but the finalisation of the menu, agencies and financial elements like subsidy were pending since then.In the mean time, the Telangana government has introduced budget canteens in Hyderabad in partnership with Akshayapatra Foundation and named them as Annapurna canteens.

After Mangalagiri MLA Ramakrishna announced a budget canteen, the government decided to push the Anna canteens file a lot further and sent a group of Municipal Commissioners to Chennai and Hyderabad to know the modalities and maintenance details of the budget canteens.

The commissioners have submitted the report to the Chief Minister with their suggestions and recommendations. The municipal commissioners suggested one Anna canteen each for every 50,000 population in the municipalities but the Chief Minister is interested in setting up one canteen for every 35,000 people.

For meals at budget canteens, the GHMC is bearing a subsidy of Rs 18 and the meals are provided to people at Rs 5.
The Chennai Municipal Corporation is spending about Rs 128 crore as a subsidy but is requesting the State government to share the burden.

Sankranti Venkata Krishna, commissioner of Ongole Municipal Corporation said, “We have finalised five places for the proposed six canteens in Ongole and looking for another location now. The canteens will be opened at Rythu Bazaar
in Kothapatnam Bus Stand area, Bapuji Market, New Vegetable Market, Kurnool road Flyover area and in Rajiv Gandhi
Institute of Medical Sciences.

The Akshayapatra will supply food to these canteens from a centralised canteen in the town. The canteens will supply 3 idli or upma or pongal for breakfast, 400 gram rice, dal, curry, rasam and buttermilk for lunch and 3 pulkas and curry
for dinner at a cost of just Rs 5.”