Naidu marks 76th birthday with Anna Canteen breakfast

Vijayawada: On his 76th birthday on Monday, chief minister Chandrababu Naidu began the day by sharing breakfast with beneficiaries at an Anna Canteen in Patamata, Vijayawada.Accompanied by his wife Bhuvaneswari, Naidu personally served food before joining visitors, creating a moment of direct public connect. Marking the occasion, Bhuvaneswari donated ₹76 lakh to the Anna Canteens programme, enabling free meals across the state for a day.Naidu said the objective of Anna Canteens is not charity but ensuring the underprivileged receive clean, nutritious food in a dignified setting. Inspired by Tirumala's Anna Prasadam model, the canteens are equipped with proper infrastructure and hygiene standards.Meals are served at a nominal ₹5, benefiting daily wage earners such as auto drivers, sanitation workers, and labourers. The ISKCON Foundation supports the initiative through centralised kitchens to ensure quality.Providing an update, Naidu said 269 canteens are operational statewide, with 62 new units recently added and plans to expand to 274. He urged citizens to contribute to the Annadanam initiative, stressing collective participation to reduce hunger and inequality.During the event, an SPG commando on duty suffered sunstroke and fainted while Naidu was addressing the media. He was shifted to an ambulance in the CM's convoy, where doctors provided prompt treatment.