Food and Welfare:

A Case Study of Annapurna

Canteens in Hyderabad

SCHOOL OF PUBLIC POLICY AND

GOVERNANCE
TATA INSTITUTE OF SOCIAL SCIENCES
 CONTENTS

I. URBAN FOOD INSECURITY: AN INTRODUCTION…….1

II. CONFRONTING THE WIDESPREAD HUNGER: A
REVIEW OF DIFFERENT STATE INITIATIVES…………….3
III. ABOUT THE STUDY……………………………………………..5
IV. METHODOLOGY…………………………………………………6
V. ANNAPURNA SCHEME: AN OVERVIEW………………….7
VI. INSTITUTIONAL DESIGN……………………………………..8
VII. GAUGING THE SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE
ANNAPURNA CANTEENS: AN ANALYSIS………………12
VIII. GAPS AND RECOMMENDATIONS………………………..21
BIBLIOGRAPHY…………………………………………………………27
ANNEXURE A……………………………………………………………28
ANNEXURE B……………………………………………………………29
ANNEXURE C……………………………………………………………30
 I. URBAN FOOD INSECURITY: AN INTRODUCTION 1
Rising urban inequality, an increasingly insecure

Urbanization is a complex phenomenon that leads to workforce with contract employment, growth of slums and slum

numerous transitions, from demographic alterations and structural population lacking elementary health and hygiene facilities, make

shifts in the nature of employment to something as basic as urban food for a situation of food and nutrition emergency in urban India. This is

crises. It also impacts the ways in which society, market forces, and aggravated by the fact that a cross section of domestic workers,

state actors respond and adapt to these socio-economic and cultural street vendors, and unskilled workers constitute a sizeable

changes. population in the urban centres of India and the highly informal
nature of employment generally fetches irregular and low income,
India, one of the most prominent developing countries,
thereby providing relatively poorer access to safe and nutritious
termed as Asia's third largest economy and second most populous
food.
nation, is not excluded from the ongoing scenario of urban food crises.
India has been witnessing the triple dynamics of growth, rapid
The mere availability of food in the urban markets
urbanization and growing poverty. According to 2014 Global Hunger
cannot guarantee food security in an environment where access and
Index, India ranks 55 out of the world's 120 hungriest countries, much
affordability has been severely compromised by patterns of
behind other South Asian countries such as Nepal and Sri Lanka. In
employment and by increasing prices of essential goods. This is
contrast to the current hype about India's high growth rate, it is
because urban poverty is multidimensional, comprising of aspects
astonishing that about 25 per cent of Indians go to sleep without food
such as livelihood, access to shelter, health, sanitation, and
(Lal, 2016). Therefore, it is evident that the current Indian model of
education services, etc. The lower levels of support structures and
urbanization is exclusionary in nature, having less space and resources
excessive monetization in urban locations have serious implications
for the urban poor with a considerable section of the urban population
for poor households. Several studies have highlighted that poverty
facing serious food insecurity as the urban economy grows rapidly.
declines at a much lower rate in urban areas as compared to rural
areas (UN’s World Food Programme 2010 & M.S. Swaminathan
Research Foundation, 2011).
 For such reasons, Governments at the Centre and States
have worked on two fronts to tackle the challenge of food insecurity in
India. One is through poverty alleviation programs and second is
through the Public Distribution System, which offers subsidised grains
and essential items. In addition to these, in the last few years, some
states have introduced subsidised food canteen programs – a social
welfare initiative dating back to 2013 to tackle the food insecurity of the
urban populace. (While Jharkhand introduced subsidised food canteens
first in 2011, Tamil Nadu which introduced it in 2013 has been cited as the
most successful case).
These canteens arrive at a particular point of time where
there is high informalization of employment and rising food prices,
posing governments with a new challenge. Governments are responding
by entering into new associations (subsidized canteens) with the market
to address this food insecurity.
The concept of subsidised food canteens was popularised
after the success of “Amma” canteens in Tamil Nadu. Meant to provide
wholesome food at heavily subsidized rates, the canteens which are run
by the government but staffed by women from self-help groups have
been a runaway success (Doval, 2017).
Following the path set by Tamil Nadu1, several states
have been rolling out “soup kitchens” for the poor in a bid to tackle
the food insecurity in Indian cities. Usually functional under a
government agency, soup kitchens are meal centres where safe
and nutritious food is offered to the masses at a reasonably low
price. The programs entail a chain of low cost canteens serving
cooked food across the city. According to media reports, the
subsidised food canteens in most states have been very popular.
Intended to serve the urban poor – especially the working poor,
elderly, unemployed, destitute, and migrants – these canteens
usually serve food for 10 rupees or much less.
One other important addition to the trend of
subsidised food canteens has been the introduction of “Annapurna”
canteens in Hyderabad by The Greater Hyderabad Municipal
Corporation (GHMC) in 2014, to provide safe and hygienic food at
affordable rates for the urban poor. This report is a study to
understand the functioning of Annapurna scheme in Hyderabad.
 II. CONFRONTING THE WIDESPREAD HUNGER: A REVIEW OF DIFFERENT STATE INITIATIVES 3
Table 2.1 Comparative Table of Institutions employed by States to
Food subsidy canteens have been introduced in operate Food Subsidy Canteens in India
different states before and after the launch of Annapurna canteens in
Hyderabad. The primary objective of such schemes in all states has
been to provide safe, hygienic and affordable meals to the poor
sections of the population. When situated in urban areas, these
schemes are meant to specifically cater to the food needs of urban
poor. Table 2.1 provides a comparitive representation of the schemes
launched by various states in India according to;
i. Price of the food
ii. Mode of operation of the scheme
iii. Number of meals provided as a part of the scheme.

Table 2.1 reveals that not all the states have opted to
provide meals throughout the day but indicating that attempt is to
provide at least one meal in a day, which is usually the lunch. Cost of all
meals however range between Rs. 5 to Rs. 10 with an exception to
Amma Canteens in Tamil Nadu which provide food for as low as Rs. 1.

Urban Development Ministries, Nodal agencies for

canteen in all States are actively collaborating with a plurality of
institutions such as Self-Help Groups (SHGs) or voluntary
organizations to provide services to the Urban poor.
 III. ABOUT THE STUDY 5
Data Points for the Study
The present study is significant for a variety of reasons.
Subsidised food canteens are a relatively new form of welfare practice 58 Canteen
in India. Given the tremendous challenge posed by food insecurity in Supervisors
urban areas, the overall impact of subsidised food canteens is yet to
be gauged. Several states have adopted the idea and introduced
203 Annapura 1 GHMC
subsidised food canteens in their major cities. Each one of these states Canteen Data Official
has a different approach towards the canteens. For instance, in the Customers
case of Tamil Nadu, the canteens are run by the municipal corporation
Akshaya
and staffed by the women from self-help groups, and in the case of Patra
Telangana, the canteens are run by the municipal corporation in Members
collaboration with the Hare Krishna Movement (HKM). While several
The study is a significant intervention as it adopts two different
studies have been conducted to study the Amma canteens in Tamil
approaches. First, the bottom-up approach concerns itself with the
Nadu, there is a dearth of literature with respect to the Annapurna
“micro-implementation level” of any social phenomenon, process,
canteens in Hyderabad.
or programme (Berman, 1978, 156). In contrast, the top-down
approach concerns itself with the “macro-implementation level”;
The primary significance of the study lies in its attempt
the starting point to understanding any social programme is the
to gain a grassroots-level perspective into the functioning of the
centrally located actor or agency (Matland, 1995, p. 147). To
Annapurna canteens. The socio-demographic composition of the
understand the operationalisation of canteens, the study
canteen supervisors and customers has been gauged alongside the
incorporates: a) bottom-up approach – through the standpoint of
nature of their engagement with the canteens.
canteen supervisors and customers and b) top-down approach – by

interacting with officials from GHMC and HKM.

 IV. METHODOLOGY
The present study offers a micro level perspective on the
KEY STAKEHOLDERS functioning of Annapurna canteens in Hyderabad. The study engages
itself with important stakeholders of Annapurna canteens – i) the
consumers ii) the supervisors iii) Hare Krishna Mission and iv) GHMC
officials.

GHMC The study is based on a mix of quantitative and qualitative

research design in order to conduct an objective as well as subjective
exploration of Annapurna canteens. Primary information was gathered
through non-participant observation and through in-depth structured
Hare Krishna
Mission questionnaires. Secondary information was gathered from research
articles and reports from governmental and non-governmental
agencies. The sampling methodology followed in the study was both
purposive and random. In the case of canteen supervisors and the GHMC
Supervisors official, the sampling methodology used can be categorised as purposive
and, in the case of customers, the methodology can be categorised as
random. The people chosen for the study were “representative” of the
population of interest. Privacy, anonymity, and confidentiality of the
Customers participant and the information provided were maintained thoroughly.
Additionally, non-participant observation was carried out by researchers
at each Annapurna canteen, whilst conducting the survey.
 V. ANNAPURNA SCHEME: AN OVERVIEW 7

One of the most important additions to the trend of
subsidised food canteens has been the introduction of “Annapurna”
canteens in Hyderabad. “Annapurna” canteens (anna meaning food,
purna meaning complete), thereby loosely translates into “provider of
complete meal”, are run by The Greater Hyderabad Municipal
Corporation (GHMC) to provide safe and hygienic food minimal prices
through the Hare Krishna Movement Charitable Foundation
(“Addressing the Urban Hunger”, n.d.)
The Hare Krishna Movement Charitable Foundation is a
branch of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON).
Hare Krishna Movement is based on the philosophy of “righteousness
and moral duty towards the world”, and all the activities of the
foundation emerge from this mission. It has undertaken several projects
to tackle the challenge of food insecurity such as “Bhojanamitra” – to
feed attendants in government hospitals and Akshaya Patra – to serve
mid-day meals to school children in different parts of the country, with
specific focus to end classroom hunger. The HKM partnered with GHMC
in March 2014 and has been successfully providing hot and clean food to
numerous beneficiaries such as “labour, autowalas, labour from various
industries, students, and many more” (“Annapurna”, n.d.).
The state of Telangana has a spatial spread of a large
number of small, medium, and large towns. Therefore, experiences
heavy migration in all sectors including construction and service
sectors. Migration due to intensification of agrarian crisis is
concentrated largely to bigger cities and Hyderabad is one such
city.
A majority of the migrant workers in the urban
municipalities who are also unskilled, lack basic amenities including
safe drinking water, sanitation, housing, and food at affordable
prices. The increasing cost of agricultural produce (grains,
vegetables) and street food affects this section of the population,
particularly the urban poor, quite severely. In the backdrop of these
challenges, the Annapurna canteens provide subsidised food as
succour to the urban poor of Hyderabad.
Started
with 8 Serving
Presently
centres in 25,000
132
2014 customers
Centres
per day
 VI. INSTITUTIONAL DESIGN
The erstwhile Planning Commission of India advocated
that the government can collaborate with private organizations to
provide services as funding agency to support the private provider, as a
buyer of long term services or as a coordinator of the service provided
(Planning Commission, 2004). Of the various forms of collaboration in
the PPP model specified in the same report, Annapurna scheme
employs a joint sharing of funding and joint management model.
Though there is an absence of an official document that spells out the
specifics of the scheme, an interview with the GHMC official revealed
that the Annapurna scheme essentially operates as a PPP model.
Genesis of this project, according to the GHMC official, can be traced to
HKM seeking support from GHMC in catering to large scale food needs,
of vulnerable populations, across the city at subsidized rates.
Post this proposal, the state body assumed an active
role in the program after analysing the possible importance of
subsidised food canteens at the present time.
Annapurna Model
Annapurna Scheme is a collaboration between the Greater
Hyderabad Municipal corporation and the Hare Krishna Movement.
GHMC, representative of the State, is responsible for partial
funding, facilitating delivery of the entire scheme, monitoring and
partial staffing and the Hare Krishna Movement is responsible for
partial staffing, partial funding and management of meals.
Customers also have a financial contribution in this scheme wherein
they pay Rs. 5 as the cost per meal.
PPP Model employed in the
Annapurna Scheme

Funding
A major portion of funding responsibilities lie with the
GHMC which provides 60-70% of the total cost of the scheme. Largely
responsible for the preparing meals and distributing, the Hare Krishna
Movement contributes around 7.6 % of the cost and the customers
bear around 19.2% of the cost which comes upto Rs. 5 per plate being
borne by the customers. There is a provision of corporate donations
towards GHMC to support the program; the government has also
given a 100% income tax exemption for donations made to the
Akshaya Patra Foundation, established under the Hare Krishna
Movement, under section 35 AC/80GGA (b) of the Income Tax Act.
Since there is no policy document, the information
provided here has been drawn from various interviews with GHMC
officials and Hare Krishna Movements members.
Total
Cost
Rs.26
Rs.19 Rs.5 Rs.2
GHMC Customers Hare Krishna
Movement
Staffing 9
While GHMC and Hare Krishna Movement jointly
share the responsibility of hiring staff, there is negligible
information on the nature of sharing of responsibilities in this
regard. There are no specific procedures for the selection of
candidates as canteen supervisors.
Different numbers of supervisors are placed in
different canteens depending on the needs of the area. If a canteen
has a large customer base, there will be more than one supervisor, if
the number of customers are moderate then the shop will have only
one supervisor. All canteen supervisors are informal workers; they
are not permanently employed by the state government or the
municipal corporation.
Supervisors are paid by the agency hired by them
(GHMC or Hare Krishna Movement) according to the number of
meals the center manages to sell. While the supervisors of a shop
are allowed to keep as many helpers as they wish, the GHMC only
pays the supervisor a stipulated amount per plate.
Meal Management
Complete meal preparation process ranging from
procuring raw materials and machinery to preparation and delivery
of food is taken care of by the Hare Krishna Movement. Meals
delivered for this scheme are prepared in Akshaya Patra Kitchens
under the Akshaya Patra Foundation. In addition, transporting of
meals including management of vehicles and equipment required for
transportation, supplying the meals and also collection and
management of leftover food is also managed by the Hare Krishna
Movement.
The foundation has been given considerable liberty on
how to deliver the meals and on the basic menu and to make
necessary changes indicating that the role of the state is limited in
this realm. This makes it easier and avoids many levels of approvals
for small changes in the menu and the ways to deliver it, thereby
fulfilling the aspect of accelerated delivery which is a key benefit of
delivery services through a PPP model.
With the available decision making at hand, the
Foundation delivers variety of sambar, sweet, fried rice and curries,
each one meant for a different day. The sweet itself is not supplied
daily but only twice a week to reduce the monotony attached to
having the same variety on a regular basis
Cost-effectiveness and higher
productivity are two other benefits of a PPP service delivery
mechanism. Optimization of activities plays a major role in
reducing unnecessary expense for the foundation. This involves
establishing the kitchens within the target areas and using custom
made cans, conveyor belts and cages in the vans to streamline
transportation and save time and wastage. The feedback
mechanism to ascertain how many plates of food should be
cooked for the next day helps optimize the distribution, reducing
wastage substantially. The next section shows a daily report of the
feedback based on which food is prepared.
Any surplus food is collected back from the kiosks
and is fed into a dedicated bio gas plant along with other
degradable waste generated within the facility. The bio-gas
prepared as a result is used to run the boilers in the premises. The
steam from the boilers acts as fuel for the cooking process. This
system of cooking helps in cutting down on costs significantly vis-
à-vis LPG cylinders. At present their 33rd kitchen situated at the
outskirts of Hyderabad called the Narsingi Kitchen can produce
food for 40000 customers. Akshaya Patra Foundation churns out
wholesome affordable nutritious meals for more than 25,000
beneficiaries spread across the city of Hyderabad to be distributed
through the 150 Annapurna kiosks
 The waste material from the vegetable cutting process
as well as the waste food from the kiosks is fed into the bio-digesters.
The bio-gas prepared as a result is used to run the boilers in the
premises, which is used as fuel for cooking.
The entire facility that caters to the Annapurna scheme
employs over 500 people directly and indirectly. It also requires about
150 trucks with specially designed cages to not just distribute the food
to the kiosks but also to collect the cans at the end process to be
taken back to the facility for the next day’s supply. The recruitment
process is done through the Hare Krishna Movement mechanism and
the employees who run the Annapurna kiosks are recruited through a
third party which manages the labor supply. The foundation provides
the employees with housing facilities near the kitchens along with
food and transport
Monitoring
While monitoring at the meal preparation level is taken
care by supervisors employed by the Akshaya Patra Foundation, the
GHMC conducts regular food checks at the kiosks. This provides the
state to retain clear customer focus as the GHMC is not required to scheme, a critical examination is needed for further clarity in PPP
concern itself with the everyday meal preparation and delivery arrangements. The exact gaps in the design and delivery of the
activities
11
A day in the production of food in Akshaya Patra
Kitchen
•Raw materials such as vegetables, pulses and spices
are procured by the Hare Krishna Movement
By10:00 Charitable Foundation (HKMCF)
(Previous
day)
•Materials procured are prepared for next meal.
Cleaning, washing and cutting of vegetables is
undertaken with the help of few staff and heavy
10:00-19:00 mechanisation
•Cooking for the current day begins based on the
target meals and menu to be prepared in the
presense of a supervisor
•Secong supervision commenses necessary checks
01:00-08:00
-
•cooking is completed and packing of containers to be
(Current day) dispatched is on
•Food packed in containers is out for delivery to the
canteens
By 10:00 •Next bathc of preperations begins for the next day
While an initial look speaks of clarity in delivery of the
scheme will be discussed in detailed in the following chapter.
VII. GAUGING THE SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE ANNAPURNA CANTEENS: AN ANALYSIS
A. MAPPING BENEFICIARIES
 13
A broad profile of the 203 beneficiaries and 58 The graph below indicates that majority of customers

supervisors followed by the inferences drawn from the customer eat at the canteen almost regularly, either on a daily or weekly

interviews are analysed in the following sections.
The proportion of customers goes down with the
increasing level of income, indicating that individuals with relatively
higher incomes are less likely to avail the facilities of Annapurna
canteens. Therefore, the given sample points out that the potential
basis. This indicates that there are a good number of beneficiaries
are consistent in their visits to the canteens and therefore can be
labelled as “regular” customer. At the same, the regularity indicates
a critical fact of satisfaction with respect to the food being served .
There is a need to understand reasons for regularity

customers for the canteens are individuals with low to medium range to recognize the importance of the Annapurna scheme. A careful
income. examination into the clientele experience provides explanations to
Income Distribution (monthly) this regularity of returning to Annapurna Canteens for consumption,
70 which will be discussed in subsequent sections.
60 Frequency of consumption based on monthly
50 income
40 100%
90%
30 80%
20 70%
60%
10 50%
40%
0 30%
20%
10%
0%

Daily 4-5 times a week 1-3 times a week First time

 Data collected has indicated a specific kind of clientele to
Frequency of consumption based on Migration
the canteens which can be categorized as migrant employees of Status
informal sectors belonging to a particular socio-economic background. 100%
90%
Following graphs will detail this finding.
80%

Frequency of Consumption according to nature of 70%

employment 60%
50%
11 1 5 2 40%
30%
20%
26
89 42 14 10%
0%
Daily 4-5 times a week 1-3 times a week First time
5 3
4 1 Local Migrated

Daily 4-5 times a 1-3 times a First time

week week
Formal Infromal NA More than half i.e., 53 % of beneficiaries were
migrants hailing from different parts of India including Uttar
Most beneficiaries were employed and a large number
Pradesh, Bihar, Odisha, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh as well as
of them engaged in the informal sector as auto drivers, vegetable
other regions from Telangana. Migrants consume more on a daily
vendors, carpenters, plumbers, etc. As per the given data, extremely
basis than locals, demonstrating high levels of food vulnerability
low numbers of unemployed individuals depend on the canteen for
given insufficient housing conditions for migrants, sometimes
food, indicating that the canteens are primarily catering to the
without existence of kitchens.
working population of the city.

“Earlier, I had no option but to wait until night so that I can cook and have dinner. Annapurna canteens
have addressed my concerns in way I never imagined.”
-Trinath, a former manual scavenger from Odisha, currently employed as a cleaner
 Survey also reveals limited religious heterogeneity 15
Alternative sources of food
among the consumers.
120

A significant number of customers denied sharing their

100
caste, limiting the scope of our analysis with respect to social location
80
of beneficiaries. Nonetheless, correlating caste status with the
frequency of consumption revealed that people belonging to OBC, SC 60

& ST categories formed a majority of customers on a daily basis, 40

indicating intersectional social and economic status pointing in the
20
direction of a particular kind of vulnerability. A significant proportion
of beneficiaries belong to the OC (Other Castes) category providing a 0
Home Hotel Mess Street hawker Others
fresh entry point to look at urban poor (to include upper caste (begging,
temple, etc)
individuals).
No. of customers
Caste wise Frequency of consumption

NA
This graph here illustrates that most preferred
alternative to Annapurna canteens is home-cooked food. Given
ST
the low cost of food at Annapurna, along with nutrition and

SC hygiene, and the lack of it in budget hotels and street hawkers,

makes Annapurna a better alternative. So much so that 24 such
OBC
chronically poor customers also revealed that they skip lunch
OC when canteens were closed as it is difficult for them to afford a

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

decent meal with their meagre income. These testimonies

Daily 4-5 times a week 1-3 times a week First time demonstrate a serious challenge of food insecurity in urban
centres which could be a plausible explanation for regularity.
Overlapping vulnerabilities Third, the proportion of regular customers who are
informal workers as well as migrants stands at 40.89 percent. This
The below graph highlights the proportion of regular
informs us about the overlapping nature of vulnerabilities that often
customers who are vulnerable because of either being a migrant or
defines the urban poor. The Annapurna canteens serve as a positive
working in the informal sector. First proportion of regular customers
step towards catering to needs of the urban poor.The graph here
who are employed in the informal sector stands high at 73.4 percent.
depicts the overlapping vulnerabilities of 117 regular customers out of
Also indicates that informal sector workers are disproportionally
the 203 customers interviewed.
disadvantaged in terms of food security.
36.45%
Second, the proportion of regular customers who are
36.50%
migrants stands at 47.78 percent, indicating a substantial presence of 36.00%

migrants as regular customers of Annapurna canteens. This partly 35.50%

34.48%
35.00%
explains why initiatives like Annapurna canteens serve as an 34.50%
accessible option for migrants in order to ensure one healthy meal 34.00%
33.50%
during work-hours.
33.00%
Regular Customers (low Regular Customers (low
73.40% income, ≤ 10,000) income, 10,000< x ≤
80.00% 20,000)
70.00%
60.00% 47.78% Among these, 36.45 percent earn less than Rs. 10,000
40.89%
50.00% and 34.48 percent of regular customers earn between Rs. 10,000-
40.00%
20,000. As a result, approximately 71 percent of total customers are
30.00%
20.00% regular customers earn less than Rs. 20,000 on a month. Therefore, a
10.00% significant majority of Annapurna customers belong to low income
0.00%
Regular customers Regular customers Regular customers categories, who are inevitably employed in the informal sector with
and informal sector and migrants (inofrmal workers,
workers migrants) little or no access to affordable nutritious food during their work-
hours.
 With respect to gender, only 12 percent customers were 17

women. While these numbers in themselves do not give insights into

the reasons, certain observations provide us with possible
explanations. Several women customers were seen feeding their
children from their plates. While this is parental responsibility, it is
important to note that these meals are designed to meet the
nutritional requirements of one person alone. Fulfilling the nutritional
requirement of a growing child is a matter of serious consideration,
especially when children are living with families involved in long hour
informal works. Upon repeated interaction with several women, we
realized that there is a lack of provisions in the canteens for extra food,
particularly rice, to customers with children. This is an important issue
to be looked into from a gender perspective, as women are usually the
care givers for young ones.

Given trend confirms that the Annapurna canteens are

operationally serving the urban poor, composed primarily of low
income groups engaged in the unorganised sector in the city of
Hyderabad. The study reveals that majority of people eat at
Annapurna canteens out of their necessity for affordable and
nutritious food. Several customers belonging to the category of
informal laborers unequivocally expressed their happiness with the
highly subsidised price of the meal, which does not hurt their pocket
and ensures them a wholesome meal.
 B. MAPPING SERVICE PROVIDERS (SUPERVISORS)

Gender Distribution Religion Distribution Nativity Status

NA NA
2% 2%
Muslim
Female Migrated
3%
5% 21%

Christian
2%

Local
Male 77%
95% Hindu
93%

A total of 58 supervisors were interviewed from 58
Annapurna canteens. The inferences drawn from the customer
interviews are thematically analysed in the following section.
The study revealed that there is a strong gender
imbalance among supervisors very much similar to the gender
imbalance in consumption patterns. Out of the 58 supervisors, only 5
percent were women. The graph below points out the skewness
towards male ownership. This scenario is not starkly different from the
overall business ownership by women in the country. Even in the
present day very less women are seen owning or managing
businesses.
The findings from the survey reveal that most of
the supervisors were Hindus, 3% of the supervisors were Muslims,
2% were Christians and 2% belonged to other religions like
Buddhism While reasons of this concentration of ownership in the
hands of one religion are unknown, indicates easy access for
individuals belonging to a particular religion to become
supervisors.
Around 80% of the supervisors were observed to
be locals and merely 21% were migrants. This reiterates the fact
that local individuals have more access to information and options
to participate in such programs as compared to migrants.
 Wage Distribution No. of supervisors wearing
headcover 19
NA
14000-15999
Yes
12000-13999 17%
10000-11999
8000-9999
6000-7999
4000-5999
2000- 3999
0- 1999
No
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 83% No. of supervisors wearing gloves
2000- 4000- 6000- 8000- 10000- 12000- 14000-
0- 1999 NA
3999 5999 7999 9999 11999 13999 15999
Series1 0 12 13 10 6 7 5 2 3
No
41%
During the study, it was understood that supervisors get
paid depending on the number of meals sold per day earning about
Yes
earning Rs. 1 per plate sold. Most of the supervisors have been 59%
observed to be earning between Rs.4000- Rs. 6000 by spending two to
three hours a day with an average of 150-200 plates sold each
afternoon. The study also revealed that most of the supervisors were Study reveals that in most areas there were proper dustbins,
also involved in other jobs in the remaining time of the day to earn however, in some canteens the dustbins were full and the garbage
extra income. This scheme does seem to have generated meaningful was littered around the canteen. Here, the garbage was collected
employment for the supervisors working in the kiosks. in big black bags which were later disposed in the nearby public
dustbins. However, not all shops had a proper waste disposal

Elements of hygiene were studied by collecting data on system. Most of the shops were witness to over-flowing make
usage of equipment such as gloves and headgear. The graphs on the shift garbage bins on the street. Waste disposal mechanisms are
right indicate a lack of awareness among the supervisors about the yet to be ensured along with appropriate trainings for staff to use
importance of the materials provided. the hygiene material provided to them.
 C. SHARED EXPERIENCES OF ANNAPURNA CANTEEN CUSTOMERS
Convenience of time (as perceived by The graph indicates that majority of customers rated
customers)
the quality of food as good. A few customers, however, expressed that
2 5
improvements such as: i) serving of extra rice ii) more variety in the
36
Yes curries served iii) curries served be better cooked & iv) curd served in
all seasons.
No Quality (as perceived by the customers)
200 186
Neutal
150
NA (first time
customers) 100
160
50
5 7 5
0
Good Average Bad Can't say
Stipulated timing for Annapurna canteens from 12 to 1
According to several customers, this amount of rice is
pm was considered by customers as appropriate with a small number
not enough for daily wage labourers who work for more than eight
finding it unsuitable given the nature of their work. Several daily
hours a day. Customers from northern and western parts of India
wage labourers expressed that the canteen timings were
expressed that roti/ chapati should also be available as it forms an
inappropriate because they usually get off their work at 1 pm and it
important part of their regular meal. Increasing the quantity of rice
takes some time to reach the canteen, especially when the canteen is
provided per meal can be re-considered alongside incorporating
not nearby. Even when they manage to reach the canteen before it
chapati in the menu. Level of satisfaction
closes, they are not able to eat properly and take second helpings 200
165
because the food is nearly over. The concerns expressed by wage 150

workers highlight important issue that ought to be considered as 100

32
they form one of the most vulnerable sections of the urban poor 50
6
population. 0
Satisfied Not Statisfied NA
 VIII. GAPS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Through the Annapurna Scheme, the GHMC aims to
“provide hygienic and safe Food to under privileged, poor and down
trodden, at just Rs.5/- per meal”, as stated in the official website. A
careful examination of the data indicates the presence of some
design gap and delivery-related issues that obstruct the optimal
functioning of canteens. This section will attempt to highlight
possible avenues that can be explored to enhance the impact of
Annapurna canteens.
To understand the gaps, the scheme has been
analysed in the following ways:
1. by juxtaposing the objectives of the scheme with that of
institutions created to fulfil those objectives. We will refer this as
identification of gaps in design – design problem
2. by examining any discrepancies in specific canteens – delivery
problem
A. Design Problem
Analysis of the institutional design clearly indicates
that specific devolution of power, roles, and responsibilities between
GHMC and Hare Krishna Foundation have not been laid in concrete.
21
While GHMC and HKF are seen to share responsibilities of staffing
and funding, there is no clear division of roles and responsibilities
between them.
In the duration of the study conducted, barring one
GHMC official, no information pertaining to monitoring
mechanisms of the State and ways of accountability by Hare
Krishna Foundation was detailed by HKM members or canteen
supervisors. The findings of the study reveal that the provision of
regular food inspection is not being followed strictly. Most of
supervisors reported that the food inspections were not carried out
frequently at regular intervals. A few canteen supervisors were not
aware of the procedure of food inspections. This also indicates that
while the mandate of monitoring lies with the GHMC, no specific
responsibilities and procedures seem to have been in place to
ensure effective monitoring and accountability
In the same light, issues related to the aspect of
hygiene have not been touched upon wherein the kiosks were
sometimes also located beside large dustbins and small dumps or
open canals. In addition, disposal of waste in terms of plates in
which meals are consumed and water packets in which water in
provided has not been taken care of.
No provisions of dustbins were found in most cases which reflected
on unhygienic surroundings near canteens.
Both the customer data and supervisor data are
pointing towards sharp gender imbalances. Very few women have
been seen to be consuming the meals in the canteens. There is a gap
in the objectives to provide for urban poor and when women at large
do not seem to be consuming at the canteens, a significant section of
urban poor has been left out.
In a similar vein, Hyderabad city has a considerable
proportion of Muslim population (around 45 percent); however,
analysis has reflected very low percentages of Muslim populations
availing benefits of this scheme. One possible explanation for low
Muslim representation can be understood in the light of Islamic
traditions where several mosques provide free lunches and a system
of zakat, wherein people pay for donations for certain number of
meals to be provided for the needy. Another possible explanation for
low Muslim representation can be linked to the mismatch in their
dietary preferences (protein rich non-vegetarian food) and the choice
of food available at Annapurna Canteens. However, neither of these
explanations serve as conclusive and a deeper understanding needs
to be developed to understand the low proportions of Muslim
customers at the canteens.
Similarly, women and religious minority supervisors
are considerably low in number throwing light on disproportionate
representation which may affect consumption of various groups
likewise.
The analysis also reveals that majority of the
consumers are male migrant populations working in the informal
sector. This fact when connected with the fact that canteen
functions only on working/weekdays during working hours (lunch
time) showcases a particularly interesting intersectionality among
consumers. This reveals that, with the current mode of operation,
the Annapurna canteens are majorly able to provide only one meal
for urban working section only during working days. This is very
distant from the objective of the GHMC to be able to provide for
the urban poor and downtrodden indicating a major disjuncture
between the vision and design of the policy.
Another key gap identified was with regards to
availability of seating for customers for consumption. In all the 58
centres where the study was conducted, it was identified that there
was hardly any space for customers to sit and consume the meal.
Customers in all the canteens stood and ate while holding the
plates with one hand. Customers also reported huge discomfort in
doing so, however, not discounting the benefits of low-cost meals.

The study finds that Annapurna canteens have no
facility for washing hands. Only one packet of water is provided per
meal to each customer. Throughout the survey, the customers were
seen washing hands and drinking from the same packet, which
contains 200-250 ml of water. Provision of one water packet poses
challenges of insufficiency of resources to clean their hands and also
consume water for quenching thirst. Furthermore, water packet
systems do not ensure reuse, meaning that once a packet is opened it
should be consumed completely or thrown away.
23
The study also observed that hygiene materials
provided i.e. gloves and hear cover were not being used by all the
supervisors and helpers working in the centers. While this trend
has not been observed in all centers, most centers use either the
gloves or head covers or none. The irregular use of head cover and
gloves compromises the purpose of providing hygiene material to
the supervisors.

B. Delivery gaps

It has been observed that in some canteens food

reaches at a delayed time due to reason unknown (supervisors were
unable to point towards a reason for such delays). As it has been
observed that many consumers are regular consumers who are
involved in informal work, they have adjusted their work and break
timings to be in sync with the timings of the canteen which is 12-1
noon, so as to be able to avail the benefits of the canteens. Delays in
delivery in such cases have lasting effects on citizens being serviced
by the scheme such that their work is sometimes affected, or
individuals simply resort to street hawkers or restaurants for food
needs.
C. Recommendations
Based on the gaps identified above, this section provides
short-term solutions that are immediately implementable and long-
term solutions that need time to be designed and worked on for better
delivery of the scheme.
Short- term recommendations: Immediately implementable solutions
Creation of a Policy document with specific devolutions of roles and
responsibilities: Food inspections to be conducted at regular intervals
at different Annapurna centres. In the light of urban food insecurity,
the Annapurna canteens serve a crucial purpose of providing food to
the urban poor at subsidised rates. The group strongly recommends
that the food inspections at Annapurna canteens must also involve
seeking customer’s opinions and perspectives. The present study was
able to develop a holistic understanding and gain perspective into the
functioning of Annapurna canteens because of active engagement with
the customers. Therefore, the report argues that interacting with the
customers can provide useful insights for strengthening the urban food
security environment, which is the chief rationale behind subsidised
food canteens.
Creation of a policy document would allow for
clarity in the functions of the State and market and their arenas in
delivering this scheme. Further, procedures of monitoring and
accountability are key for this policy document as they influence
the efficiency of the scheme being delivered.
Disposal of waste generated at kiosks: Disposal mechanisms for
waste, generated at kiosks in the form of plates and water
packets, needs to be in place. This could drastically reduce the
unhygienic conditions created around the kiosks. One way to
achieve this could be to integrate the kiosk with the existing waste
management systems present in the concerned localities.
Provision of safe drinking water and hand-wash spaces:
Annapurna canteens should incorporate facilities for washing
hands, especially because the customers eat primarily by their
hands. Additionally, the report recommends that the quantity of
water provided should be re-considered. Most customers
expressed that one medium-sized packet of water is often not
enough for a person after a wholesome meal. This
recommendation is made keeping in mind the scope of food
insecurity in the urban areas, which also includes lack of access to
safe drinking water facilities.
 25
Incentives for gender balance: While there may be many ways to
Food provision on Sundays: This might address the food
increase participation of women in availing the benefits of the canteens,
insecurity issue of urban poor and down trodden during the one
price incentives for them might be an immediately implementable
day when finding wage work becomes difficult. This measure
solution. The price per plate for women can be made cheaper that Rs.5.
could also act as a bridge between present system and a long-
term expansion of the current scheme.
Incentives for beneficiaries with children or a ‘kid meal’: Provision of
extra rice or a ‘kid meal’ can be considered to beneficiaries with children.
Training for use of Hygiene materials: recognizing the need for
Since a plate meal is designed to feed one person, at the very least
hygiene, the study recommends induction trainings to be
provisioning extra rice for children accompanying their parents will have
conducted for supervisors on the use of hygiene materials
a positive impact.
provided.

Ensure proportionate representation is maintained among supervisors:

Long- term recommendations: Solutions necessary for
Skewed representations of various communities, religious groups and
sustainability
genders must be responded with necessary design alteration where the
State ensures proportionate representation of people belonging to the
Seating for kiosks: As identified in the previous section, though
different groups.
low cost meals are being provided, methods of consuming the
meals with satisfaction can also be explored. For kiosks with high
Timely delivery or communication: In the case of Annapurna canteens,
clientele, a seating space for food consumption might be arranged
on-time delivery of food is utmost necessary in order to increase
in the long term. The availability of chairs or benches could solved
reliability of customers on the scheme While delays in delivery are
this problem. The report recommends that the lack of this facility
related to practical transportation issues, systems to inform supervisors
should also be taken into consideration.
regarding delays, if any, can be initiated so that trust of beneficiaries is
maintained.
.
Scope for ‘all-women’ canteens: The report recommends that
avenues to open all-women staffed Annapurna canteens can be
explored. This would serve as an impactful step towards
broadening the clientele base and would also usher into
creating inclusive spaces for all.

Strategies to make these units self-sustaining

systems: Strategies for self-sustenance are important to
consider so that the scheme may continue, irrespective of the
changes in status of private donations. Given the important role
Annapurna canteens have been playing in the lives of the urban
poor, the report recommends the scheme to be budgeted
within the state, as recurring state support would significantly
strengthen its functioning.
 BIBLIOGRAPHY 27

Addressing the Urban Hunger. (n.d.). Greater Hyderabad Municipal
Corporation. Retrieved from
http://csr.ghmc.gov.in/feedingthepoor.aspx
Annapurna. (n.d.). Hare Krishna Movement Hyderabad. Retrieved
from http://www.hkm-hyderabad.org/krishna/annapurna/
Berman, P. (1978). The study of macro- and micro- implementation
of social policy. Public Policy, 26(2), 154-184. Retrieved
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Matland, R. E. (1995). Synthesizing the implementation literature:
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Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, 5(2),
145-174. Retrieved from
World Food Programme & M.S. Swaminathan Research
Foundation. (2011). Overcoming the challenges of
urban food and nutrition security. India Health Beat:
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5(6). Retrieved from www.a-id.org/pdf/overcoming-the-
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Doval, N. (2017, March 27). Tamil Nadu’s Amma canteen concept
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http://planningcommission.nic.in/reports/genrep/rep_ppp.
World Food Programme & M.S. Swaminathan Research
pdf
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urban India. Retrieved from Reddy, A. Y. V. (2017). State and Market : Altering the Boundaries
https://www.wfp.org/content/report-food-insecurity- and Emerging New Balances Published by : Economic and
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APPENDIX A: QUESTIONNAIRE FOR CANTEEN SUPERVISORS
APPENDIX B: QUESTIONNAIRE FOR CUSTOMERS 29
APPENDIX C: QUESTIONNAIRE FOR GHMC OFFICIAL
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