Guntur: Lack of Anna canteens burns a hole in pocket

GUNTUR: The absence of subsidised Anna canteens in Guntur city is forcing the public to spend huge amounts of money for food. Nearly 50,000 people visit Guntur city every day from far and near  for various works. The government started Anna canteens in Amaravati and decided to start the same in Guntur city but failed to implement it.. The public want Anna canteens in Guntur city to help restrain food expenditure. One has to pay at least '50 to get ordinary vegetable plate meals and Rs 100 to Rs 150 for a good meal.

All department headquarters, Chilli Yard, Spices Park, Cotton Corporation of India office, Autonagar, tobacco companies, educational and training institutions, APSRTC headquarters, railway divisional office, hospitals, medical distributors, cloth market and wholesale shops of all types were situated in Guntur.

Patient attendants S.K. Subhani, G. Raju and others said that Anna canteens are feeding the hungry for Rs 5 at Velagapudi to people who come on various works to Secretariat. They stated that Guntur is the biggest city but sadly there is no Anna canteen in it. They lamented that the relatives and attendants of the patients were forced to pay Rs 100 to Rs 150 per head for food and sought the starting of Anna canteens at GGH to help the public.

A  local of Tummalchervu,  P. Seetaramaiah, who came to the Collectorate for his pension work, said that a person has to spend at least Rs 200 for food at Guntur and another Rs 300 as travel expenses. Hence, these canteens should be started at the Collectorate, railway station and bus stands to help the public.