Amma canteens on wheels soon

Since ward councillors have been unsuccessful in finding space for new Amma canteens, the civic body has asked them to commission mobile food outlets — Photo: R. Ragu

Mobile Amma canteens will make an appearance in the city soon and will be seen whizzing past congested stretches.

Following the inability of the Chennai Corporation to find enough plots or vacant space in buildings for commissioning additional Amma canteens, the civic body has asked councillors to use ward development funds for commissioning mobile Amma canteens.

Councillors had been asked to identify space for an additional four canteens in each ward to achieve the target of 1,000 Amma food outlets in the city by year end. However, most of the councillors said they were unable to find suitable plots for Amma canteens in their wards.

Under the circumstances, the civic body gave councillors the option to commission mobile canteens. Each ward has one Amma canteen in each of the 200 wards.

“We are unable to find space in our ward for the Amma canteens. So we have to opt for mobile outlets,” said a councillor in Madhavaram. Most wards are likely to opt for mobile canteens.

Over 10,000 additional women from self-help groups in the city will have to shoulder the responsibilities of cooking, serving food and managing the canteens. The civic body already employs 2,400 women in the 200 existing canteens.

Through the Amma canteens, the government aims to provide nutritious food at reasonable prices to slum residents, daily-wage labourers, drivers, load men and migrant workers.

The first such canteen was inaugurated by Chief Minister Jayalalithaa six months ago. The canteens offer idli for a rupee, sambar rice, curry-leaf rice, pongal and lemon rice at Rs. 5 and curd rice at Rs. 3.