AP Government closes Anna Canteens

Amaravati: Anna Canteens, which provide meals at Rs 5 to the poor and the middle class, were shut down across the state from Thursday. Daily wage labourers, beggars, other poor folks who thronged the canteens every day found the canteens locked.

With the outsourcing agency stopping supplying of food following the state government's orders, all 204 canteens downed their shutters.

YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) government, however, has assured that this shutdown is temporary and that it would re-launch the scheme with certain modifications.

Working since July-August last year, the canteens were proving a boon to the poor as they were getting breakfast, lunch and dinner at Rs 5 each. Alleging corruption in the scheme launched by the previous TDP government, the new dispensation has decided to streamline the canteens.

Akshaya Patra, which cooks and supply food for the canteens, supplied the last meal on Wednesday night.

As the government has not announced alternate arrangements, the canteens were shut. TDP general secretary Nara Lokesh took to Twitter to slam the Jagan Mohan Reddy government for shutting down the canteens. Lokesh tweeted that the government shut down the canteens due to political vendetta.

"Mr Chief Minister hunger doesn't know politics. Should the poor go hungry for your political vendetta," he asked.