Anna Canteens a lifeline for Vizag low-income workers
About 24,950 people dine at these canteens daily.
Located near high-traffic areas and hospitals, the canteens have become a key support system for daily wage workers, low-income employees, and unemployed youth preparing for competitive exams in the city. They are also a boon for the floating population, especially those visiting Vizag for medical or other short-term purposes, who would otherwise spend about Rs 100 per meal even at modest restaurants.
Launched by the previous TDP govt in 2018 as part of a state-wide welf
are effort, the scheme was discontinued in 2019 by the YSRCP govt after it came to power in the state. As promised in its 2024 election manifesto, the TDP-led NDA govt revived the scheme soon after returning to power. In Visakhapatnam, 25 canteens reopened under the program, with Rs 3.3 crore allocated for their renovation.
Before their initial rollout in 2018, the govt had sent a delegation of civic officials to study the operations of Amma Canteens in Chennai and Annapurna Canteens in Hyderabad.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
Seniors are going crazy for these comfy, stylish, easy-on shoes
Ultra-Comfortable Shoes
Undo
The visit helped shape the guidelines and operational framework for Andhra Pradesh's own version of subsidised canteens.
GVMC mayor P Srinivasa Rao said about 65 lakh meals have been served through these canteens in just nine months. "People have expressed satisfaction with the quality of breakfast, lunch, and dinner. GVMC officials, along with the commissioner, are regularly monitoring operations and collecting public feedback to ensure efficient service," said the mayor.
Local vendor Dukka Suribabu, who sells fruits near MVP Rythu Bazaar, said he often eats at the nearby Anna Canteen. "Offering a meal at just Rs 5 is a huge help for people like us who can't afford restaurant prices. Even roadside eateries in MVP Colony charge no less than Rs 60 for a basic meal," said Suribabu.
An electronic token system is in place to manage meal distribution. Beneficiaries must present Aadhaar credentials for token issuance.
In the absence of Aadhaar card, fingerprints or facial recognition data are collected for future records. Each canteen spans approximately 750 square feet and is designed to serve food to at least 350 people at a time.
The canteens serve three idlis, chutney, and sambar as breakfast from 7:30 am to 10 am three days a week, and puri or pongal with kurma on the remaining days. Lunch is served from 12 pm to 3 pm, and dinner from 7:30 pm to 9 pm, which include rice, curry, dal, sambar, curd, and chutney. Special rice is served once a week. The canteens remain closed on Sundays.
Stay updated with the latest local news from your
city
on
Times of India
(TOI). Check upcoming
bank holidays
,
public holidays
, and current
gold rates
and
silver prices
in your area.
Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with
Happy Krishna Janmashtami Wishes
,,
messages
, and
quotes
!
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Mint
26 minutes ago
- Mint
Microsoft launches probe into claims that Israel used its Azure cloud services to spy on Palestinians
Microsoft has launched an 'urgent' probe into allegations that the Israel military has used the company's technology to facilitate mass surveillance on Palestenians. According to a report by Guardian, the Microsoft investigation comes after the news outlet's earlier report that the Satya Nadella-led tech firm's Azure cloud platform was utlised to store a vast collection of everyday Palestinian mobile phone calls by the Israeli Unit 8200 spy agency. Microsoft in a statement said 'using Azure for the storage of data files of phone calls obtained through broad or mass surveillance of civilians in Gaza and the West Bank' would be prohibited by its terms of service. The investigation is being overseen by lawyers at the US firm Covington & Burlin. This is the second time Microsoft has launched an external probe against the Israeli military using its technology. The first enquiry was commissioned earlier this year to look into allegations that the Israeli military was using Microsoft's technology during its attacks on Gaza. In May, the company said it 'found no evidence to date' the Israeli military did not comply with its terms of service or used Azure 'to target or harm people' in Gaza. However, the recent report by Guardian apparently sent shockwaves among senior Microsoft employees about whether some of its Israel-based employees may have held back on information regarding how Unit 8200 uses Azure. According to Guardian's joint investigation with the Israeli-Palestinian publication +972 Magazine and the Hebrew-language outlet Local Call, Israel's Unit 8200 made use of a customised and segregated area within Azure and stored recordings of millions of calls made daily in Gaza and the West Bank. Since the report, Guardian said that Microsoft has been trying to assess what data Unit 8200 stores in Azure. Israel's offensive has killed more than 61,000 Palestinians, according to figures from the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza which the United Nations considers reliable. The Israeli government's plans to expand the war have sparked an international outcry as well as domestic opposition.
Time of India
40 minutes ago
- Time of India
I-Day boost: Discounts drive 8-10% sales growth; executives eye stronger festive season
Independence Day discounts gave India's retail sector a much-needed boost, with footfalls and sales rising by 8-10% year-on-year across key shopping destinations. Industry executives say the revival in entry-to-mid segment demand has raised hopes of a strong festive season ahead. Electronics, particularly in affordable categories, along with groceries and apparel have seen healthy growth. Restaurants, too, are reporting higher sales as malls draw more visitors, helped by new film releases and a surge in in-home dining orders. 'After several months, there is good demand for entry to mid-segment products,' Nilesh Gupta, director at electronic retail chain Vijay Sales told ET. 'Walk-ins are good and there is over 8% jump in sales value over last year, which is better than last year,' he added. Electronics makers and grocery retailers ran promotional offers around Independence Day eve, one of the biggest consumption periods outside the festive and Republic Day seasons. At Reliance Retail, sales grew in double digits, according to an executive. Haier India president Satish NS told ET that the electronics manufacturer's Independence Day sales were up more than 20% over last year, with 'most categories driving sales.' by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Luxury 3 & 4 BHKs with 25+ World-Class Amenities Evara Thane Buy Now Undo On the ecommerce front, Tata-owned BigBasket reported a 42% on-year jump in patriotic merchandise sales on Friday, alongside strong demand for electronics, including the new iPhone 16. Malls also recorded a surge in traffic during the long weekend. Theatres are seeing back-to-back housefull shows for the first time since the pandemic, powered by Rajinikanth's Coolie and Hrithik Roshan's War 2. 'The crowd that comes for the movie adds at least 10% of the revenue for fashion brands, food and beverages,' said Harsh V Bansal, cofounder of Unity Group, which operates more than six malls in Delhi and Punjab. 'The next few days also look good in terms of footfall and sales,' he added. International labels have also drawn shoppers, with discounts prompting customers to buy at lower price points. 'International brands have contributed to the growth with consumers using the lower price point during the sale to buy products,' said Muhammad Ali, chief executive, retail, at Prestige Group, which operates five malls in South India. Those malls have reported a 15% year-on-year rise in sales. 'One segment which has not done well is Indian women's wear, which is a cause of worry,' he told ET. Revival hopes Retailers and brands have been under pressure for nine to ten quarters as low-to-middle-income households grappled with high inflation and weak earnings growth. Higher spending on travel and tourism further dented retail demand. Executives, however, are forecasting a turnaround in the second half of the fiscal, supported by low inflation, soft loan rates, reduced income-tax slabs this year and good monsoon rains. 'While middle class discretionary spending was under pressure, some consumption has started and with the festival tail wind, the outlook is much better,' Anjan Chatterjee, managing director of Speciality Restaurants told ET. He said that Independence Day demand trends have been 'reassuring, with a 15-18% year-on-year growth.' The government on Friday also said GST rates will be rationalised by Diwali to boost consumption, improve affordability and make essential as well as aspirational goods more accessible to a wider base of consumers—moves expected to spur further demand. Stay informed with the latest business news, updates on bank holidays , public holidays , current gold rate and silver price .
Time of India
43 minutes ago
- Time of India
Final warning: Amazon app shuts down on Android in days — see if you are owed refund before it's gone
Amazon has confirmed that its Appstore for Android will permanently shut down on August 20, 2025, ending a 14-year run that never quite lived up to its early promise. While Fire TVs and Fire Tablets will continue to use the Appstore, Android users are being urged to act fast, especially if they still hold Amazon Coins, the platform's now-retired digital currency. Any unspent balance will be refunded automatically after the cutoff date, but only if payment details are up to date — a detail many inactive users could overlook. The closure underscores Amazon's shift away from competing with Google Play on open Android devices, choosing instead to concentrate on its controlled Fire ecosystem, where it can lock in customers and monetize more effectively. For users, this is the last chance to recover money tied to a marketplace that once aimed high but quietly faded into obscurity. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Undo Amazon pulls the plug on its Android Appstore Amazon has confirmed that its Appstore for Android devices will shut down for good on August 20, 2025 , marking the end of a long, quiet decline for the once-hyped alternative to Google Play. The move doesn't affect Fire TVs or Fire Tablets — where the Appstore remains the backbone of Amazon's ecosystem — but it leaves Android users with a firm deadline to wrap up their business. ALSO READ: iPhone 17 leak hints at next-level privacy features that could end hackers for good — here's what to expect Live Events For millions of Android users who may have forgotten they even had the Appstore installed, this closure isn't just symbolic. It comes with financial implications tied to Amazon Coins , the company's now-defunct digital currency. What happens to your Amazon Coins? If you've bought or earned Amazon Coins in the past, this is the critical part: any unspent balance will be automatically refunded to your original payment method after August 20, 2025. Amazon stopped allowing new Coin purchases months ago, but thousands of users still have dormant balances in their accounts. According to Amazon's 2024 annual filing, the company had been holding 'tens of millions of dollars in deferred virtual currency liabilities.' That means there's a very real pool of unclaimed money waiting to be pushed back to users. The catch? If your card details are outdated or linked accounts are closed, the refund could bounce. Amazon has said affected users will receive instructions to update their payment information, but those emails are easy to miss. Why the Appstore failed on Android The Amazon Appstore launched in 2011 with bold ambitions: to challenge Google Play and position Amazon as a heavyweight in mobile software. It offered perks like a free daily app, competitive developer royalties, and the Amazon Coins incentive program. But despite an early burst of attention — especially after Amazon bundled the store with its Kindle Fire tablets — the Appstore never cracked meaningful market share on Android. Google Play remained the default for most users, and developers largely ignored Amazon's marketplace due to limited reach. By 2022, Appfigures data showed Amazon Appstore downloads had fallen below 1% of the global app market. The shutdown, then, isn't a sudden move. It's the final chapter in a long decline that insiders have described as 'death by neglect.' What users need to do right now For most, this closure will be an afterthought. But if you've ever bought apps, games, or in-app content through the Amazon Appstore on an Android device, there are a few urgent steps: Check your Amazon Coins balance. Log into your account on desktop or mobile browser — the Appstore app may already be unreliable. Update your payment details. If your credit or debit card has expired since you purchased Coins, update your Amazon Wallet to avoid refund failures. Download or back up apps. While the store will stop functioning, some installed apps may continue running. Developers aren't guaranteed to push updates outside of Google Play. The bigger picture: Amazon doubles down on Fire ecosystem Amazon isn't retreating from apps altogether. On the contrary, the company is consolidating around its Fire TV and Fire Tablet platforms, where the Appstore remains critical. These devices sold over 40 million units globally in 2024 , according to IDC estimates, and rely heavily on Amazon's walled-garden approach. From a strategic perspective, shutting down the Android Appstore frees Amazon from the cost of maintaining a marketplace that barely moved the needle. It also signals a sharper focus on hardware ecosystems it controls outright — where Prime subscriptions, Alexa integration, and in-house advertising bring in more predictable revenue. What this means for consumers and developers For everyday users, the immediate impact is minimal — most people haven't opened the Amazon Appstore in years. The only real risk lies in unclaimed Coin refunds. For developers, though, it underlines a hard truth: if you want to reach Android users, Google Play remains the only game in town. The Appstore's demise also raises questions about the shelf life of digital ecosystems. What happens when the store where you bought your apps simply disappears? Unlike physical purchases, digital ownership often depends on ongoing corporate support. And as Amazon just proved, even the biggest players can quietly shutter entire platforms. Act before August 20, 2025 The Appstore's shutdown may not make headlines like a new iPhone launch or a TikTok ban, but it carries a simple warning for consumers: check your balance, update your details, and secure your refunds before it's too late. Amazon insists the process will be automatic, but in practice, automatic refunds only work if the financial rails are intact. For anyone with a dormant Amazon account, a lost login, or an old card, August 20 could be the last chance to reclaim money you didn't even realize was still yours. FAQs: Q1: When will the Amazon Appstore shutdown happen? The Amazon Appstore for Android will close on August 20, 2025. Q2: What happens to unused Amazon Coins after shutdown? Unused Amazon Coins will be automatically refunded to your payment method.
