Amaravati, April 19 (IANS) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu’s wife, Nara Bhuvaneswari, has donated Rs 76 lakh for free meals at all Anna canteens across the state on Monday (April 20) to mark his birthday.

Bhuvaneswari, who is Vice-Chairperson and Managing Director of Heritage Foods and Managing Trustee of NTR Memorial Trust, along with her husband, handed over the cheque of Rs 76 lakh.

“It gave me immense satisfaction to donate Rs 76 lakhs on the occasion of Chandrababu garu’s birthday (April 20) for the maintenance of Anna Canteens, which provide meals to the poor with dignity in a clean environment for just Rs 5. On that day, free meals will be provided at all 269 Anna Canteens across the state,” she posted on X.

“There is no greater satisfaction than feeding the hungry. For Chandrababu garu, who constantly empathises with the poor, there could be no better tribute on his birthday than this,” she said.

On April 15, the Chief Minister had inaugurated the ‘Anna Canteen’ in Dharanikota of Palnadu district.

He purchased a token for Rs 5 and sat down to dine alongside the labourers. He also personally served food to the poor and labourers who had gathered at the canteen.

A total of 62 Anna Canteens were opened in rural areas across the state on that day.

With the 204 canteens in urban areas and the 65 in villages, the total count has risen to 269. Another five canteens are currently being readied and will be operational very soon, the Chief Minister said.

He recalled that immediately after assuming power in 2024, his government set about establishing ‘Anna Canteens’ across the state. It initially launched these canteens in urban areas.

He commended the Akshaya Patra Foundation for continuously supplying food to the Anna Canteens. He noted that over the past 25 years, this foundation has supplied 500 crore meals. The meals provided at Anna Canteens for just Rs 5 serve as a lifeline for the poor, auto-rickshaw drivers, manual labourers, and daily wage earners.

“We have provided the opportunity for people to satisfy their hunger three times a day. On average, 1,013 people partake in meals daily at each individual Anna Canteen. The operational cost for this amounts to Rs 26,250 per day. Currently, 2.10 lakh people across the state are having their meals through the Anna Canteens every day. This entails a daily expenditure of over Rs 54 lakh. Now, for the 62 newly established rural Anna Canteens, the food subsidy alone will cost an additional Rs 18 lakh per day, amounting to Rs 58 crore annually,” CM Naidu said.

–IANS

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