Anna Canteens set for Aug-15 relaunch

The State government will restart Anna Canteens from August 15, announced Minister for Municipal Administration and Urban Development, Ponguru Narayana.
Speaking to media personnel at the Secretariat in Velagapudi on Thursday, Narayana confirmed that the government has allocated Rs 50 crore for desilting drains in 106 municipalities across the state. He instructed Municipal Commissioners to complete the desilting within the next ten days.
Minister Narayana conducted a virtual conference with commissioners of 106 municipalities and 17 municipal corporations, urging them to take strong measures to prevent the spread of communicable diseases. He highlighted that more cases of diarrhoea have been recorded in Lenin Nagar and Maruti Nagar in Piduguralla Municipality due to residents consuming contaminated water from RO plants and bore wells. He noted that addressing these issues by stopping the use of contaminated sources has reduced the incidence of diarrhoea. The problem stemmed from leakages in the underground pipes of seven motor wells supplying drinking water in the municipality, necessitating temporary cessation of the water supply for repairs. Residents have been advised to drink only boiled water during this period.
The minister announced that Anna Canteens will provide quality food to the poor at very low rates in a pleasant environment starting August 15. During the previous TDP government, 203 Anna Canteens were planned, with 183 operational, serving about 2.25 lakh people daily. Of the remaining 20 canteens, 18 buildings are completed, and 2 are still in the preliminary stage. Minister Narayana criticized the previous YSR Congress government for closing all Anna Canteens, repurposing some as ward secretariat offices and others as storage rooms.
Narayana also mentioned that Akshaya Patra Sansthan, known for supplying high-quality food, will once again be providing food, with tenders accepted at the same rates as before, and operations set to begin on July 22.
Regarding the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) project, Minister Narayana noted that the deadline expired at the end of June, but at the state government’s request, it has been extended by another month, with a further extension of two years. The AIIB had allocated Rs 5,350 crores for this project, but the previous government utilized only Rs 240 crores, leaving the rest of the funds unused without allocating the state’s share. Narayana opined that completing this project would have alleviated drinking water problems for at least 50 percent of municipalities.
Minister Narayana also addressed the incomplete works under the AMRUT-I & II schemes, requesting the central government to reconcile these schemes and allow their re-implementation in the state.