VIJAYAWADA: The State government will set up 750 ‘Trupti Canteens’ across the State to provide affordable, nutritious food while promoting entrepreneurship among urban Development of Women and Children in Rural Areas (DWCRA) women, Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MAUD) Principal Secretary Y Suresh Kumar announced on Saturday.
He inaugurated one such canteen at Panja Centre in Vijayawada, along with Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) Commissioner HM Dhyana Chandra and Mission for Elimination of Poverty in Municipal Areas (MEPMA) Project Director N Tej Bharat.
Each Trupti canteen will be managed by members of Self-Help Groups (SHGs), with a total cost of Rs 14.5 lakh per unit. SHG women will contribute 75% of the cost, while the remaining 25% will be supported under SARAS. The initiative is aimed at generating a daily income of Rs 10,000–15,000 for the women managing these units.
Suresh said the project, which had already seen success in Nellore, is being expanded Statewide under the guidance of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu. “This initiative under MEPMA targets training 30,000 urban women to become self-reliant entrepreneurs,” he said, adding that the government plans to economically strengthen 28 lakh DWCRA women in urban areas.
MEPMA PD Tej Bharat explained the initiative is rooted in the concept of “One Family – One Entrepreneur and One Job,” and urged women to seize the opportunity in the food service sector. VMC chief Dhyana Chandra said the canteens offer a wide range of hygienic, protein-rich food to public.
