As many as 107 Amma canteens, constructed at a cost of Rs. 18.99 crore, were inaugurated in various parts of the city on Saturday.
According to a press release, Municipal Administration Minister S.P. Velumani and Fisheries Minister D. Jayakumar inaugurated the canteens.
The Chennai Corporation is already running 300 Amma canteens.
It has sold 33.6 crore idlis, 13.9 crore plates of rice and 17.38 crore chapatis so far. More than 3,600 women work at these canteens.
On Saturday, eight canteens each in Tondiarpet, Valasaravakkam, Sholinganallur and Tiruvottiyur were opened. In Adyar, 10 canteens were opened and nine each were opened in Kodambakkam, Alandur and Thiru-Vi-Ka Nagar. Also opened were six each in Ambattur, Madhavaram and Anna Nagar, seven in Perungudi, two in Manali, seven in Royapuram and four canteens in Teynampet .
Over 1,200 women from various self-help groups in the city have been employed in the new canteens.
The women have been trained by the civic body.
What started off as a scheme to benefit the urban poor has been a tremendous success in the city and State and is being replicated in other States also, the release said. Gujarat, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Delhi, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra among others have adopted the model, the release added.
