: The State government is planning to launch NTR canteens on pilot basis at Velagapudi where the interim Secretariat complex is coming up, by month-end. The government has also chalked out plans to open the NTR canteens at two more places next month.
The government has decided to supply idli-sambar and pongal as tiffins in the morning. Lemon rice, sambar rice, and curd rice would be supplied as lunch in afternoon. The cost of tiffin and lunch is, however, it to be announced.
Incidentally, the government has decided to shift the AP Secretariat by June 27. The government even issued a circular that the employees should shift to the interim ecretariat at Velagapudi by June 20 itself so that the full-fledged work can begin by the deadline. The employees have been arguing that there are no necessary facilities at Velagapudi.
A poll promise
Setting up NTR canteens to serve food at affordable rates for the people was an electoral promise of Telugu Desam Party (TDP). The State Cabinet had announced that it would set up these Anna canteens after NTR, popular as Anna among TDP cadre in September 2014. As per initial plans, the government decided that 35 canteens would be opened at various places that include Visakhapatnam, Guntur, Tirupati and Anantapur.
A cabinet sub-committee comprising Municipal Administration Minister P. Narayana, Civil Supplies Minister Paritala Sunitha and Agriculture Minister Prathipati Pulla Rao as members was constituted to examine the programme in the neighbouring state, Tamil Nadu.
The sub committee visited the Amma Canteen in Tamil Nadu. Similar canteens are being run in neighbouring Telangana State also. The issue of NTR canteens figured at Mahanadu, a TDP conclave, was organised in Tirupati recently.
At a meeting here on Tuesday, Ms. Sunitha said that the Akshayapatra Foundation would be entrusted the responsibility of canteens. The government also zeroed in on a land for setting up kitchen for the canteens which would function at different locations.
