Hyderabad serves about 30,000 meals a day under the scheme
Published Date – Friday, 5/26/23 at 11:30pm
Hyderabad serves about 30,000 meals a day under the scheme
Hyderabad: Since the launch of the subsidized meal scheme in 2014, the Telangana Government’s flagship Annapurna Food Scheme has so far provided up to 10.45 million meals within the Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC).
Following Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao’s directive to ensure that no one goes hungry, the Annapurna Food Program offers affordable and hygienic food items including rice (400 grams), sambar (120 grams), curry (100 grams) and kimchi ( 15 grams) for a nominal fee of Rs 5 to people from all walks of life.
Currently, the program serves about 30,000 meals a day in the city, according to GHMC data. Not only are daily wage workers taking advantage of one of the largest public feeding programs in the country, many students, taxi/car drivers, private employees, security guards, etc. also rely on it.
Recently, the authorities have been working on improving the facilities at the centers where Rs 5 meals are served and for this purpose have created comfortable seating in some places.
The Annapurna canteen in Madhapur, equipped with seating arrangements, is one such example where several employees eat lunch regularly. Likewise, at the Annapurna Center in Anjaiah Nagar, Gachibowli, many construction workers, security guards and students staying in hotels were enjoying their meals.
The Annapurna food program has been hugely popular among the urban poor, a lifesaver for the impoverished during the lockdown imposed to curb the spread of Covid-19. During that trying time, the Telangana state government provided meals in Annapurna free of charge and multiplied the meals by providing dinner in addition to lunch.
Currently, GHMC has restricted a total of 150 centers to offer Rs 5 meals and the authority has proposed seating arrangements at 32 locations, of which 15 are ready.
