The Amma canteens in the city have been attracting heavy crowds since the third week of April.
The canteens, functioning at 11 places in the city, were established primarily to offer subsidised food to the poor. Until the imposition of prohibitory orders, each canteen in the city received 300 to 400 customers a day. The numbers began to rise gradually since then as a section of old people, who were solely dependent on restaurants and eateries for food, too became regular customers. The number of customers has doubled now.
According to official sources, on an average, 1,000 customers turn up at each Amma canteen a day. In other words, 11 canteens in the city feed about 11,000 people a day. Amma canteens at Puthur, Anna Nagar, Srirangam and East Boulevard Road receive huge crowd.
During the pre-lockdown period, food items were prepared only for breakfast and lunch. Considering the difficulty faced by the people in getting food following closure of restaurants, the Tiruchi Corporation is providing dinner too for the needy.
Moreover, until the third week of April, food was offered at subsidized rates- idli at ₹1 each, sambar or curd rice for ₹5 each. They are now offered free of cost as the AIADMK functionaries have come forward to take care of expenditure being incurred on running the canteen until May 3.
While the officials attribute the offer of free food as the primary reason for the sudden spurt, it is also said that the number of daily wage labourers and unorganised workers, who have been rendered jobless due the lockdown, visiting the canteens has also gone up sharply.
“More than a month has passed since I have gone for work. I have no money to buy vegetables and groceries. Hence, I have come to Amma canteen to have food,” says R. Prabhu of Puthur, who works as a delivery boy at a courier service company in Tiruchi.
“I visit thrice a day and take home food for my children. It is serving poor people like me during the lockdown,” says R. Balaji, another daily wage labourer, who was at Amma canteen in Anna Nagar.
Corporation Commissioner S. Sivasubramanian told The Hindu that arrangements were made to serve as many people as possible in all 11 Amma canteens. There was no restriction on intake of rice, dal or buying vegetables. The staff members had been sensitised on maintaining hygiene and wearing mask. A nodal officer has been asked to make surprise visit to all canteens to ensure quality food being supplied to the customers.
