Anantapur Distr:
There is widespread frustration and a sense of delay among the working class regarding the establishment and reopening of Anna Canteens in Anantapur District. Laborers are urgently demanding that district public representatives take immediate, alternative measures to address their hunger.
The pleas of the poor and the working class, echoing the famous Telugu saying "Aakalo Ramachandra" (Oh Rama, I am hungry), are allegedly going unheard by the local representatives. Critics suggest that the lack of prompt action is effectively diluting the scheme's core objective. The public is calling on elected representatives to wake up immediately, adopt alternative strategies, and move decisively toward achieving the scheme's original goal.
Background and Scheme Objective:
The Anna Canteen scheme, initially launched by the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) government in 2018, aims to alleviate the hunger of the poor and laborers.
Core Objective: The primary goal is to ensure that no poor or working person goes hungry by providing quality breakfast, lunch, and dinner for a nominal price of ₹5/- per meal.
Menu: The canteens offer breakfast items like Idli, Upma, and Poori, and meals consisting of rice, dal/sambar, curry, and curd—all at a subsidized rate.
Beneficiaries: The canteens are intended for daily wage laborers, unemployed youth, hostel students, people accompanying patients at hospitals, transport workers, and individuals from poor families in urban areas.
Naming: The canteens are named after the founder of the TDP, Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao (NTR), as a tribute to his commitment to feeding the poor.
Status in Anantapur District (Pre and Post-Reorganization):
The original scheme aimed for a comprehensive rollout, but progress has been slow following the change in government and subsequent adminis| Old/United Anantapur District (2018) | Officially, 15 to 17 canteens were established. (Initial list included 4 in Anantapur city, and one each in Dharmavaram, Gooty, Guntakal, Hindupur, Kadiri, Kalyandurg, Madakasira, Pamidi, Puttaparthi, Rayadurgam, and Tadipatri). |
| Current Reopening (2024) | Following the return of the coalition government in 2024, efforts began to revive the closed canteens. |
| Current Operational Count (Approx.) | As of September 2024, approximately 7 Anna Canteens were reported to have been reopened across the region that constituted the undivided Anantapur District. |
Sri Sathya Sai District | The canteen in Hindupuram (now in Sri Sathya Sai District), reopened by MLA Nandamuri Balakrishna,
was one of the first in the state to become operational after the coalition came to
Power. |
While repairs are being carried out on the old structures in major towns like Anantapur, Dharmavaram, and Kalyandurg (as suggested by the construction image), the working class is demanding the immediate implementation of interim measures to ensure food security until the goal of establishing 203 canteens statewide is met. The pressing desire of the poor is for swift action in bringing more canteens online in Anantapur District.
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