Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu inaugurated an Anna Canteen in Gudivada, Krishna district, on Thursday, marking the revival of a popular subsidized meal program aimed at ensuring that no person in the state goes hungry. The canteen, which offers meals at a highly subsidized rate, is part of a broader initiative to provide affordable food to the economically disadvantaged.
During the inauguration, Naidu emphasized the significance of the Anna Canteens, stating as per PTI, "The idea behind these canteens is to ensure that no poor person goes hungry. We will work out a plan to ensure that they operate without any disruption."
He expressed his satisfaction with the initiative, adding, "After becoming the CM for the fourth time, I have started several initiatives and starting a programme like Anna Canteen gives me immense pleasure."
Naidu was joined by his wife, N. Bhuvaneshwari, as they served meals to the public at the canteen and also took the opportunity to enjoy a meal themselves. The Chief Minister expressed happiness after listening to the feedback from people who had come to eat at the canteen, underscoring the importance of such welfare programs.
The Anna Canteens, initially launched in 2018 during Naidu's previous tenure, provide three meals a day for just Rs 15. However, the program had been discontinued during the YS Jagan Mohan Reddy-led YSRCP government from 2019 to 2024. With the recent inauguration, Naidu has reintroduced the initiative, starting 100 canteens across the state, with plans to expand the network to 203 canteens by the end of September, including in tribal areas, as per the report.
Naidu also outlined the financial commitment required to sustain the program, revealing that the state government would allocate Rs 200 crore annually to operate the Anna Canteens, with a daily expenditure of Rs 53 lakh. Additionally, two donors, Bhuvaneshwari and P. Srinivasa Raju, have contributed Rs 1 crore each to support the scheme.