TDP's Anna Canteen draws huge response in Chittoor

Chittoor : Much to the benefit of poor, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) district unit has been running Anna Canteen since six months serving free food daily to about 300 poor in the city.

The TDP leaders from the district angered over the YSRCP government shutting down the much beneficial initiative 'Anna Canteens' introduced by TDP when it was in power, set up a canteen as a 'fitting reply' to the ruling party and also to serve the poor in a private house, just opposite to the building where the Anna canteen was setup by the previous TDP government and later closed after YSRCP came to power.

The running of Anna Canteen was not a smooth sailing as in the beginning it faced several hurdles indirectly and even was vandalised once by unidentified persons apparently a subtle threat to TDP leaders for resuming it which was one of most successful pro-poor initiative of the previous TDP regime.

However, undaunted, the TDP leaders spiritedly protected it to continue the food feeding which naturally won the appreciation of people in the city much to the discomfiture of ruling party leaders.

Speaking to The Hans India, Katari Hemalatha, former Chittoor Mayor, who is playing a key role in resuming Anna Canteen at district TDP cost for the sake of people, said the maintenance of TDP Anna Canteen is no more a burden as a group of TDP leaders joined in ensuring no dearth of resources for continuing the canteen.

"Besides, TDP, many good samaritans invisibly extending support to the noble cause making it easy for us now," she firmly declared and added the canteen would continue till our party supremo Chandrababu Naidu back to power to carry on the programme with renewed vigour.

The canteen in fact provides an opportunity to TDP leaders to serve the poor which was evident with party activists enthusiastically sharing daily works like serving food and water to the people and also

involving many kind hearted to contribute their bit for the canteen, she said beamingly revealing the success of the canteen.

Hemalatha said a host of TDP leaders including BN Rajasimhulu, V Surendra Kumar, P Nani, Rajasekhar, Priyanka, Ranamma, Durga, Yuvaraj, Madhu, Devendra, Gouse Bhasha and others have been playing very crucial role for running Anna Canteen on a success track.

In the same breath, she said that the Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy government is bound to face the wrath of the people for winding up Anna Canteens with no motive but only political.

It may be recalled here that the Anna Canteen was inaugurated by the then Industries minister N Amarnath Reddy on August 11, 2018

on Government IIT premises near Industrial Estate and soon it became a hit as the canteen provided food at a nominal price helping poor workers working in the industries in the industrial estate but was closed later.

Hemalatha said the TDP leaders buoyed by the success of Anna Canteen are eager to set up two more in the city for the sake of poor.