| Anna Canteen | |
| Type: | Government-owned- Restaurant |
| Founder: | N. Chandrababu Naidu |
| Area Served: | Andhra Pradesh |
| Industry: | Restaurant services |
| Genre: | South Indian vegetarian cuisine |
| Products: | Food |
| Services: | Subsidised low cost food |
| Revenue: | Non-profit organisation |
| Owner: | Ministry of Food and Civil Supplies, Government of Andhra Pradesh |
| Foundation: | (initially) (re-opened) |
Anna Canteen is a subsidised food service initiative launched by the Government of Andhra Pradesh on 11 September 2018, under Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu. The program was named in honor of N. T. Rama Rao, popularly known as "Anna," who introduced subsidized rice at ₹2 per kilogram in 1983. Anna Canteen was designed to offer meals at a subsidised rate of ₹5 which would be ₹15 per day including breakfast, lunch and dinner. The Akshaya Patra Foundation initially managed the canteens.
The initiative was discontinued by the YSR Congress Party government in 2019 but is set to be revived on 15 August 2024, following the National Democratic Alliance's success in the 2024 polls. The revival aims to continue providing affordable and nutritious meals to all individuals.[1] [2] [3] [4]
The canteens are open from 7am to 10am for breakfast serving south Indian varieties like Idli, Upma, puri and pongal. In the afternoon from 12:30pm to 3:00pm for lunch and in the evening from 7:30pm to 9:00pm for dinner serving white rice, veg curry, dal/sambaar, chutney and curd.[5]