Anna canteens will come up as per schedule: Minister

Chittoor: All   the proposed Anna canteens  in the state would be opened as was planned earlier  and there was no deviation or second thought in continuing the Anna canteens, reaffirmed Industries Minister N Amaranatha Reddy.  

Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu is very keen to run the Anna canteens effectively following the ideologies of the then chief minister  N T Rama Rao, he said. 

The Minister inaugurated Anna canteen in Chittoor on Sunday which is the first one in the district. It was constructed  by Nagarjuna Constructions   with an out lay of Rs.48 lakhs.

Speaking  to media persons here on Sunday,  Amaranatha  Reddy  recalled that  the then chief minister N T Rama Rao was  committed for the welfare of the poor ensuring  food, clothing and shelter.

``Fulfilling the aspirations of TDP founder N T R,  the TDP government has introduced a number of welfare schemes for the betterment  of the poor . In order to facilitate  qualitative food  items  just  for   Rs.5 to the poor, Chief Minister  N Chandrababu Naidu took up initiative for opening  Anna canteens  in the cities and towns in the  state,” he asserted.

He regretted that opposition parties have been indulging in  creating false propaganda  about the functioning  of  Anna canteens in the state for their political mileage  . He hailed that the experiment of Anna canteens  in the state  has  been proved a big hit  registering 100 percent satisfaction among the poor for availing the facility . He stated  that government would bear an expenditure for   Rs.58 per each meal in the Anna canteen remitting to   Akshaya  Trust for supplying the food .

The Minister further said that  government  was contemplating to  construct  kitchens  for all the  Anna canteens in the state to prepare the food on the same locations without depending on the Trust . It may be mentioned here that   contract for supplying the food for Anna canteens   was given to  Akshaya  Trust, Tirupati which  is supposed to prepare  the food at Tirupati and  supply  to Chittoor Anna canteen every day. To a question, he said that all the proposed canteens would certainly come up in the state in due course.  

Chittoor MP Dr N Siva Prasad,  ZP Chairperson Girvani Chandra Prakash, MLA  D A Satya Prabha,  MLC B N Rajasimhulu, Chittoor Mayor K Hemalatha,  District Collector  P S Pradyumna,  Chittoor Municipal  Commissioner C Obulesh and others were present. After inauguration of Anna canteen, all the dignitaries have taken  the   food at the canteen.