Each Anna Canteen visitor spends ₹15 daily, with the government contributing ₹75, bringing total costs to ₹90 per person. The annual expenditure of the state government on Anna canteens is ₹200 crore.
Published Jan 20, 2025 | 5:08 PM ⚊ Updated Jan 20, 2025 | 5:08 PM
Survey reveals room for improvement in Andhra's anna canteens ( annacanteenstrust.ap.gov.in)
Notwithstanding an overall positive feedback, there appears to be scope for improvement in the functioning of “Anna” canteens, reopened by the Telugu Desam Party after its ascension to power in Andhra Pradesh in June last year.
Spread over the entire length and breadth of Andhra Pradesh, 204 Anna Canteens are providing breakfast, lunch and dinner at ₹5 each to the needy.
These canteens are being maintained by Akshaya Patra, a non-governmental organisation run by ISKCON. Food is prepared at central kitchens, from where it is distributed to the canteens under its purview. On an average, each canteen is serving food to about 300 to 500 people each day.
People’s Pulse, a socio-political research foundation based out of Hyderabad, has come out with an in depth insight into how the canteens are functioning and what could be done to make them more efficient and people-friendly.
The People’s Pulse team visited 25 Anna Canteens between 8 and 10 January, led by foundation’s senior researcher G Muralikrishna.
According to their findings, the canteens are particularly serving the food needs of unemployed youth and those engaged in unorganised sectors, like auto drivers and daily wage labourers. But all of them are well below lower middle-class, earning a monthly income of less than ₹10,000.
If a visitor to the Anna Canteen is spending ₹15 per day for breakfast, lunch and dinner, the state government is contributing ₹ 75. The total expenditure works out to ₹90. The incumbent government resumed the Anna Canteens on 16 August, 2024. The daily expenditure is ₹26,256 on each canteen and ₹53 lakh on all canteens put together. The annual expenditure of the state government on Anna canteens is ₹200 crore.
The research team, after interacting with diners at the 25 canteens it visited, found that a little more attention to improve the taste of food would immensely add to the image of the canteens. About 80 percent of the people thought the food could taste better, but for this, the government agencies need to pay attention to the quality of curries, sambar and chutney served for lunch and dinner.
While breakfast is generally good, the portion sizes are considered small. Visitors have suggested improving the quality of items like poori, idli, and pongal. This is feasible, as the food provider receives ₹22 per plate (₹17 from the government and ₹5 from the consumer).
About 65 percent of those interviewed said that the cleanliness was good at canteens, though some of them felt that it could be further improved, particularly when it comes to washing the plates.
Caste-wise, the visitors are mostly SCs or BCs. Women are hesitant to approach the canteens because there are no separate queue lines for them. Rama Devi in Vijayawada said: “The food is good. Fine rice is being used for cooking food. If there are separate queue lines for women, it would be more convenient for us.”
According to the survey team’s findings, 38 percent of those interviewed were unemployed youths. Most of them are those who came to towns to prepare for competitive examinations. Trinath and Venkatesh, who were preparing for competitive examinations in Visakhapatnam said, “Earlier we used to cook rice ourselves and take home curries from curry points. Now we are spared of the ordeal. We are saving a lot of time.”
People’s Pulse came out with multiple suggestions to ensure that the canteens are more beneficial to people. They are:
* People are not aware that the government spends ₹75 per head for breakfast, lunch and dinner. If they are made aware, they themselves will act as quality controllers by demanding greater accountability. Also, it would enhance the image of the government.
* There should be more number of kitchens so that food could be transported to the anna canteens faster, while it is still hot.
* Dress code should be introduced to the staff. They should be trained to be courteous to the visitors. They should handle the rush with patience. The canteens should be opened at the designated timings.
* Ensure that the prescribed quality of 400 grams of rice is served instead of 350 grams which is what is happening at some canteens.
* Cleanliness should be the watch word. Loopholes should be plugged. Food safety officials should inspect the canteens regularly
* Making ₹5 coins available at the canteens to prevent the problem of lack of change with the staff.
*There should be a complaint book or box at each centre.
* Open Anna canteens exclusively for women. At the other canteens, there should be separate queues for women.
* At least once in a month, people’s representatives from the level of the chief minister down to MLA, should visit the canteens to encourage to make them popular.
* Leaders of Opposition parties should also be requested to visit the canteens and make suggestions on improving them further.
(Edited by Ananya Rao)
