The Andhra Pradesh government will open 100 ‘Anna’ canteens on August 15, announced Municipal Administration Minister, P Narayana on Tuesday.
He said these 100 canteens would be set up in 33 municipalities across the state and provide meals for Rs 5.
He asked the municipal commissioner to focus on the canteens for the next one week.
The minister directed officials to coordinate the team setting up kitchens in the canteen buildings.
Narayana held a video-conference with municipal commissioners across the state.
Special Chief Secretary, Municipal Administration, Anil Kumar Singhal, Director Hari Narayana and other senior officials attended the video conference.
The minister reviewed the construction of canteen buildings at various places. He had a detailed discussion on their opening.
After assuming office as the Chief Minister in June, Chandrababu Naidu had signed five files and this included a file to re-open Anna canteens, which were shut by the previous government of YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) led by Jagan Mohan Reddy.
The earlier government of Telugu Desam Party (TDP) had established Anna canteens between 2014 and 2019 to provide meals at Rs 5 to the poor and the middle class.
As TDP founder and former Chief Minister, NT Rama Rao (NTR) was affectionately called ‘Anna’ (elder brother), the government had given the name Anna canteens.
NTR was the father-in-law of Chief Minister and TDP President Chandrababu Naidu.
After coming to power in 2019, YSRCP shut down all 204 canteens and alleged corruption in the scheme.
The TDP, however, alleged that the Jagan government shut down the canteens due to political vendetta.
At a few places, the YSRCP re-opened the canteens after renaming them as ‘Rajanna’, as the late chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy (YSR) was fondly called. YSR was the father of Jagan Mohan Reddy.
After the TDP-Jana Sena-BJP alliance stormed to power in June, Chandrababu Naidu decided to re-open Anna canteens.
Narayana had said after taking charge as the minister in June that the government would examine the proposal of awarding food supply work to the Akshaya Patra Foundation.
He had said the government was studying the agreement signed and the orders issued in the past. The Foundation had conveyed that it is ready to start the food supply to canteens in three weeks.