The officials of the Viziangaram district have gone out of their way to make meal available at just ₹10 per plate to petitioners who attend the Spandana programme on every Monday at the Collector’s office. The subsidised meal is served at the canteen on the premises. The actual cost is ₹34 per plate.,
Many petitioners, who come from faraway places such as Parvatipuram, Bobbili, Gummalakshmipuram and Saluru, used to spend huge amounts at private hotels, and some of them who could not afford, even used to skip meal.
District Collector M. Hari Jawaharlal and other officials, who noticed their plight, decided to pool their personal resources to support the initiative. Around 300 persons get benefited every Monday and 15,000 people have utilised the facility since its launch on October 6, 2018.
The officials pay around ₹28 per plate to canteen owner Ch. Ramana who in turn bears around ₹6 as subsidy.
Dr. Hari Jawaharlal and District Revenue Officer J. Venkata Rao, who monitor the scheme, said tokens are issued to the petitioners. They said that the credit should go to all officials.
“We have kept a separate account for the scheme and accept donations only through cheques from officials and others. It gives us a lot of satisfaction,” they added.
J. Kurmi Naidu, a petitioner, was all praise for the officials. “The petitioners already spend a lot for transport. They can’t afford lunch. It is really a good programme,” he added.
