Andhra Pradesh governmen spends 55 a person at Anna canteens

The Andhra Pradesh government was spending ?55 a person for three meals a day at Anna canteens here, said a caterer.

Subsidised meals for the canteens in the city and Manglagiri were provided by the service, Akshya Patra, which had its kitchen in Mangalagiri.

Apart from providing rice at subsidised rates, the government had provided space for the canteens and built them with funds drawn from the Municipal Administration.

‘A boon for workers’

Inaugurating a canteen outside the chilli yard here on Wednesday, Minister for Social Welfare Nakka Ananda Babu said close to 500 people who come to the yard every day would now get affordable meals.

Seconding him, district Collector Kona Sasidhar said that the canteen was a boon for people who visited Guntur every day. Workers could have fresh food at an affordable price.

Agricultural Marketing Committee chairman Mannava Subba Rao said workers visiting the yard would now get tasty food thanks to the initiative of the A.P. government.

In other parts, two canteens were opened on the Amaravathi Road and near the RTA office at Swarnabharathi Nagar.

At the canteens, three vegetarian meals priced at ?5 each include idly/dosa /poori with sambar and chutney for breakfast, and a cup of rice, veg curry, dal, pickle, sambar and curd for lunch and dinner.The government plans to open 200 canteens across the State, with 100 already inaugurated on Wednesday.As many as 29 canteens are planned for the district and nine for the city.

MLCs Philip Tochar and A.S. Ramakrishna were present.