HPCL to open 60,000 community kitchens

VIJAYAWADA: The public sector Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) has plans to open at least 60,000 community kitchens across the state, particularly in the rural areas.
The concept is aimed at encouraging use of liquefied petroleum gas for cooking and cutting down on the use of firewood.
HPCL regional manager P Vijay Sagar told The Times of India here on Thursday that the company would open about 150 kitchens in Vijayawada city in the next few days.
"We will provide the LPG connection with a stove and cylinders and take care of the maintenance. The community kitchen concept is popular in north and west India," he said. HPCL would charge the users on an hourly basis based on the gas consumption.
The price would work out to Rs 6 per hour.
HPCL is helping the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation in running the community kitchens for the mid-day meal scheme launched in primary schools.
The VMC would save 30 per cent costs on the mid-day meal scheme because of this offer, according to commissioner Praveen Prakash.
Vijay Sagar said that the self-help groups could make best use of the community kitchen concept by which they could cut costs when catering to large gatherings.
"This concept will be very helpful to the poor who can get food cooked at the community kitchen. It will be very economical too.We hope the concept catches up with the people here as well," he said.