Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation has provided more than 1.3 crore free meals to the poor and the destitute during the four months of lockdown period under the ‘Annapurna’ scheme, a statement from the corporation informed.
A total of 83,25,624 persons were served meals during lunch time, and 47,42,538 persons were fed during dinner time, the statement informed. Initiated in 2014 by the then GHMC Commissioner and present Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar, the ‘Annapurna’ scheme was designed to provide subsidised meals at ₹5 per plate during afternoon hours alone. Before lockdown, only about 35,000 meals were being provided per day.
However, keeping in mind the travails of stranded and destitute persons during the COVID-19 lockdown which came into force since March 23, the scheme was extended to evening hours too, and made free for all.
Apart from the poor and destitute persons, the scheme has provided lunch for even persons under home quarantine when requests for the same were received by the control room set up in GHMC headquarters. Starting from April 9 till now, over 15 lakh meals were provided through requests received by control room, the statement said. Petty vendors and their families who lost livelihoods owing to lockdown too availed themselves of the free meals, it said. During peak time of the lockdown period, the meals were served through 300 centres instead of the earlier 150, which included mobile Annapurna centres.
Under the scheme, each person is provided 450 grams of rice, 100 grams of daal, sambar, curry and pickle, which make up one full meal.
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