New Indiramma canteens offer breakfast and lunch at Rs 5 in Motinagar, Khairatabad

Hyderabad: With an aim towards building a hunger-free Hyderabad, Indiramma canteens were launched here, where breakfast and lunch would be served at just Rs 5 each.

District In-charge Minister Ponnam Prabhakar and Mayor Gadwal Vijayalaxmi on Monday inaugurated the new canteens at Motinagar and Khairatabad Mint campuses.

The initiative ensures nutritious meals at highly subsidised rates for thousands of underprivileged citizens, the government said.

Nutritious meals at nominal cost

The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) bears a subsidy of Rs 14 per breakfast and Rs 24.83 per meal, enabling beneficiaries to save up to Rs 3,000 a month.

The scheme caters primarily to daily wage earners, auto drivers, small vendors, sanitation workers, unemployed youth and low-income families.

Scale of the programme

With operational support from the Hare Krishna Hare Rama Foundation, 150 Indiramma Canteens are currently functional across GHMC limits, serving more than 30,000 people every day.

Since its inception, the programme has supplied over 12.3 crore meals, with GHMC spending nearly Rs 254 crore to sustain the initiative.

Minister highlights welfare commitment

Addressing the gathering, Minister Ponnam Prabhakar said that the programme, guided by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy’s vision, reflects the government’s resolve to provide affordable food to the poor despite financial challenges.

He also noted that Indiramma’s legacy continues through other welfare measures such as free bus travel for women, free household electricity, and interest-free loans.

Focus on women empowerment

Mayor Gadwal Vijayalaxmi described Indiramma Canteens as a ‘lifeline for the poor’ and announced plans to expand the initiative to 150 more locations in Greater Hyderabad.

She emphasised that women’s Self Help Groups (SHGs) will be prioritised in managing the canteens, linking the scheme directly to women's empowerment.

A people-centric launch

During the inauguration, Minister Ponnam and Mayor Vijayalaxmi personally served breakfast to beneficiaries, shared meals with sanitation workers and interacted with the public.