On February 10, 2017, The Akshaya Patra Foundation launches its first centralised tribal kitchen in Telangana at the agriculture market yard in Lakshmidevipally, at Kothagudem mandal of Bhadradri Kothagudem district, to serve meals to 30,000 children.
The kitchen, established at a cost of Rs. 1.60 crore with the support of Nava Bharat Ventures Limited and film producer-philanthropist Shobhu Yarlagadda, will serve to children across five mandals – Kothagudem, Lakshmidevipalli, Sujathanagar, Chunchupalli and Ramavaram. Kothagudem MLA Jalagam Venkat Rao, executive director of Nava Bharat Ventures G.R.K. Prasad, Mr. Yarlagadda, Collector Rajeev Gandhi Hanumanth, SP Amber Kishore Jha and others were present on the occasion.
Akshaya Patra President (Telangana and Andhra Pradesh) Satya Gaura Chandra Dasa acknowledged donors for supporting the project and highlighted the endeavour aimed at erasing classroom hunger.