VIJAYAWADA: Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) will soon launch four ‘Trupti Canteens’ in the city to offer affordable, protein-rich food to the public and visitors.
As a pilot project, firstly, four canteens will be inaugurated at Pujna Centre, BRTS Road, near D-Mart (Durgapuram), and close to Siddhartha College in Moghalrajapuram. These will operate from morning to night, with proposals under consideration to run them 24/7.
The menu includes tiffin items such as idly, dosa, poori, and vegetarian and non-vegetarian biryani, priced between `20 and `70. Non-vegetarian items will be slightly costlier.
The State government, under the ‘One Family – One Entrepreneur’ initiative, aims to set up 700 Trupti Canteens across Andhra Pradesh. As part of this initiative, Municipal Administration and Urban Development Minister Ponguru Narayana inaugurated the first canteen in Nellore a few months ago. Encouraged by the positive public response, authorities plan to expand the initiative in urban areas, particularly Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam.
VMC will set up the canteens on municipal lands with support from the Mission for Elimination of Poverty in Municipal Areas (MEPMA) through the Sale of Articles of Rural Artisans Society (SARAS).
Each canteen will operate from prefabricated iron containers measuring 24×16 feet. SARAS will supply both the containers and the kitchen equipment. Self-Help Group (SHG) women will operate the canteens.
Each unit will be managed by four women from different groups. The total cost per canteen is Rs 14.50 lakh, with SHG members bearing 75% through bank loans and SARAS covering the remaining 25%. The women are expected to earn at least Rs 30,000 per month from the venture.
Speaking to TNIE, Technical Expert (UCD, VMC) Sujatha said, “Four women will work in two shifts at each canteen. If needed, they may take assistance from family members. VMC has allotted lands for these Trupti Canteens. Bank loans are available at general interest rates, with a 7% rebate on interest. Four canteens will be launched in the city soon.”
