The Greater Chennai Corporation has stopped the supply of free food at Amma Canteens.
Starting Monday, Amma Canteens will collect money for food supplied at 407 locations in the city. Zonal assistant health officers in all the 15 zones of the city on Sunday directed self-help groups to stop supply of free food in the canteens.
The civic body started supplying free food owing to the announcement of the lockdown on April 23, after the urban poor were unable to pay for the subsidised food.
In the message sent to the self help groups of the Amma Canteens on Sunday, the zonal assistant health officials said the Corporation decided to stop free food and permitted the staff to accept help from NGOs for helping the people get free food at the canteens.
According to the sales report from March 24 to May 28 during the lockdown, Amma canteens reported sales amounting to ₹6.76 crore. As many as 1.36 crore beneficiaries visited the canteens for food during the lockdown. The Corporation started supplying free food on April 23 with support from MLAs and Ministers in Chennai.
According to the free sales report from April 23 to May 17 and May 20 to May 28, the MLAs and Ministers paid ₹3.84 crore towards free food for the city residents. As many as 84.58 lakh people visited Amma Canteens during the period.
SHG members of Amma Canteens said over 50% of the visitors to Amma Canteens were unable to pay money for the subsidised food. Idli was sold at ₹1, curd rice at ₹3, chappati at ₹3 and sambar rice at ₹5. “We find many professionals visiting Amma Canteens for free food during the lockdown. This is an unusual trend. Many people say the free food is helpful during the pandemic,” a Amma Canteen worker said.
Former Chennai Corporation floor leader V. Sukumar Babu said the Corporation should continue to offer food free of cost to the poor. “The economy during the pandemic reduced the amount of money in the hands of the poor. The welfare scheme should be free during the pandemic,” he said. A senior official of the Corporation said they have permitted NGOs to help the poor get free food at Amma canteens.
“SHGs have been allowed to get money from NGOs for supply of free food,” an official said.
