Working class seeks a Amma Unavagam in Tiruverumbur town

Financially downtrodden people in Tiruverumbur and numerous surrounding villages have been waiting for long for the government to start Amma Unavagam in the town, which has turned into an economic nerve centre witnessing large-scale footfall of workers and farmers.

Workers travel every day from various villages including those situated as far as Kallanai for earning their daily bread. The nutritional needs of the workers employed at construction sites or the industrial clusters in the surroundings of the town would be fulfilled at the subsidised costs if the Amma Unavagam is established in Tiruverumbur town. The unused buildings of the erstwhile Tiruverumbur Panchayat Union Office could be utilised for the purpose, according to P. Lenin, district unit Secretary of Democratic Youth Federation of India.

Besides workers, several students from poor families enrolled in the Government Industrial Training Institute, the government polytechnic and the government arts and science college would also benefit if the Amma Unavagam is established in Tiruverumbur town, Mr. Lenin said.

The demand has been conveyed by public welfare forums to the government ever since Tiruverumbur was subsumed by the Tiruchi Corporation in 2011.

During 2016, late Chief Minister Jayalalithaa had taken cognisance of the demand raised by the Tiruverumbur Makkal Valarchi Kuzhu and had asked the local body to extend the benefit of the scheme that requires municipal corporations into establish canteens at multiple places in cities and sell subsidised food at very low prices.

“The vacant buildings in the Tiruverumbur Union Office need to be utilised for productive purposes. Starting of a Amma Unavagam in the buildings will be ideal,” N. Anbalagan, president of Tiruverumbur Makkal Valarchi Kuzhu, said. The poor people will be spared of the need to spend considerable amounts on lunch in restaurants, he added.

The Amma Unavagams are sought after places for the working class as foot items like idlis, saambar rice, curd rice, pongal, lemon rice, curry leaf rice and also chappathi, are not only cheap but also qualitative and nutritious, he said, adding that need for Amma Unavagam in Kattur must also be given due consideration.