Soon, chapatis to be on menu of Amma canteens in Chennai

The chapatis, along with dal or kurma, will be served from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. in each of the canteens. A plate of two chapatis will cost Rs. 3.

The chapathis, along with dal or kurma, will be served from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. in each of the 200 canteens. Photo: K. Pichumani

Chapathis are likely to be a welcome addition to the menus in the city’s Amma canteens later this month with the commissioning of the first machine for their preparation under way in a Corporation community kitchen in Gopalapuram.

The trial run of the machine will commence this week and the inauguration of the facility is expected to be held on September 15.

The chapathis, along with dal or kurma, will be served from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. in each of the canteens. A plate of two chapathis will cost Rs. 3.

According to sources, additional units of the equipment will be installed in the community kitchens in Basin Bridge, Pulianthope and Chintadripet. The commissioning of the equipment will enable a total supply of 4 lakh chapathis a day with each of the machines churning out at least 36,000 chapathis. In comparison with the capability of the six women at work in the Amma canteens, who can make only 50 chapathis in an hour, the machines will have the capacity to manufacture more.

Every canteen will receive 2,000 chapathis in a day. The number of chapathis will vary across the zones; for instance, 14, 000 chapathis will be supplied every day to Manali that has seven wards and Teynampet, with 18 wards, is likely to get 36,000 chapathis per day.

The zones of Tondiarpet, Royapuram, Thiru-Vi-Ka Nagar, Ambattur and Anna Nagar, which have 15 wards each, are likely to receive 30,000 chapathis per day.

In May, the State government had announced the expansion of the menu of the canteens with pongal, rice preparations and chapathi being the additions planned. Currently, idlis are sold for one rupee each, sambar rice for Rs. 5, pongal for Rs. 5, rice preparations for Rs. 5 and curd rice for Rs. 3. Breakfast is supplied from 7 a.m. to noon and lunch is served till 3 p.m. The budget eateries aim at providing nutritious food at affordable prices to residents living in slums, as well as daily labourers, drivers, load-men and migrant workers.

The civic body on Tuesday will inaugurate a refurbished herbal canteen on the premises of Ripon Buildings with an expanded menu including preparations of varagu , saamai , kudiraivaali and thinai .