As the government’s programme to set up subsidised canteens under the brand of ‘Amma Unavagam’ gains international attention, at least five such facilities are to be opened in the southern suburbs soon.
According to sources with the municipal administration department, two canteens each in Tambaram and Pallavaram, and one in Sembakkam are on the anvil. Workers at these places have geared up to meet the deadline set by their contractors.
The department has allocated Rs. 25 lakh each for the construction of these facilities. In Tambaram municipality, the canteens are nearing completion. In Sembakkam, the work is expected to be completed in the next couple of days.
Amma canteens are coming up near the Keelkattalai bus terminus and on GST Road in Pallavaram, where 80 per cent of the works have been completed.
These municipal bodies faced sharp criticism from the opposition parties and residents welfare associations for the selection of these locations. However, it subsided, and constructions started soon after.
The Chief Minister said 360 more Amma canteens would be started, and apart from raising the number from 294 to 654, the government would also take the programme from larger urban pockets to smaller towns and semi-urban areas.