Kakinada SEZ Ltd gives 2 acres of land to the project
Aurobindo Pharma Foundation (APF), the philanthropic arm of Aurobindo Pharma Ltd, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Hare Krishna Movement Charitable Foundation (HKMCF) to set up a centralised kitchen at SEZ area in Perumallapuram, Kakinada in AP. The kitchen will have a capacity of producing 5,000 breakfasts per day, with capacity to expand further in future.
U Kothapalli and Thondangi mandals near Kakinada consist of 38 villages with 40 government schools. There is a need for supporting these schools by providing nutritious breakfast prepared in hygienic conditions, for the students of these schools. Recognising the need, Sri K Nithyanada Reddy, Director of Aurobindo Pharma Foundation and Managing Director & Vice Chairman, AuFrobindo Pharma Ltd, this Thursday signed and exchanged the MoU with Sri Kaunteya Dasa, CEO, HKMCF.
The project, with an outlay of INR 9.63 crores will cover the cost of construction of the kitchen, along with the required infrastructure/equipment and operational costs of the kitchen for a period of 4 years from now. The kitchen which is being constructed will have a built-up area of 5,500 sq. ft. and will be situated on 2 acres of SEZ land in Perumallapuram village. It will provide hot, nutritious breakfast in all 40 government schools within a radius of 25-30 km through dedicated and modern food transportation vehicles benefitting around 6,300 children.
Speaking on the signing of the MoU, K Nithyanada Reddy, Director, Aurobindo Pharma Foundation and Managing Director & Vice Chairman, Aurobindo Pharma Ltd, said, “We are extremely honoured to be signing this MoU with Hare Krishna Movement Charitable Foundation (HKMCF). Aurobindo Pharma Foundation had previously collaborated with HKMCF to construct 3 centralised kitchens in Narsingi, Mahabubnagar in Telangana and Srikakulam in Andhra Pradesh which are running successfully and have produced around 9.50 crore meals till date. This new kitchen project will encourage parents to send their children to school without worrying about their children being starved. We consider it a privilege to support these schools and to provide good, hygienic and nutritious food that can help improve the health of these rural children. Aurobindo Pharma Foundation will conduct baseline and impact assessment studies for this project, which will be operationalized from the next academic year.”
This kitchen will be equipped to run solely on solar energy, the first-of-its-kind out of many kitchens previously built by HKMCF in India. This further reflects the commitment of Aurobindo Pharma Foundation towards environmental sustainability. With sophisticated automated equipment such as idly batter dispenser, dough kneader, sambar cauldron – double-jacketed (1,200 ltrs) with auto dispensing set-up, vessels sterilization stand, etc., the kitchen will be maintained with the highest quality, hygiene and speed while preparing the meals to ensure their nutritional value. By maintaining a high standard of nutrition and hygiene, this kitchen will ensure the health of these students, thereby, reducing the rate of dropouts in schools.
(India CSR)
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