Nara Bhuvaneswari, spouse of Telugu Desam Party (TDP) national president N. Chandrababu Naidu, on Tuesday inaugurated the Anna Canteen at Gudupalle mandal headquarters of Kuppam Assembly constituency. She was in Kuppam as part of her ‘Nijam Gelavali’ program to meet the family members of those who died in the aftermath of Naidu’s arrest last year.
Speaking on this occasion, Ms. Bhuvaneshwari said that there was a ‘noble intention’ behind the establishment of Anna Canteens by Mr. Naidu in 2018, which aimed to eradicate hunger in the State.
“The Anna Canteen will tackle the hunger problem in Kuppam as three subsidised meals will be provided to the underprivileged. Previously, approximately 2.25 lakh individuals were served in these canteens daily and over 7.50 crore people were being fed in Anna Canteens in a year. No other government has executed such an initiative,” she said.
Ms. Bhuvaneshwari deplored that after the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) formed a government, the Anna Canteens were forcibly closed, denying the poor the privilege of having three meals a day. “Despite the challenges posed by the Jagan Government, the TDP cadre remained at the forefront to operate as many as 150 canteens in the State,” she said, adding that three more Anna Canteens would be opened in the Kuppam region in the upcoming days.
Appreciating the people of Kuppam, she said that they stood by Mr. Naidu during his difficult time and had been continuously supporting him for three and half decades.
