Following a review by the Chennai Corporation of the quality of services in Amma canteens on Friday, the civic body will initiate measures to cope with further challenges likely to arise in summer.
Based on feedback given by officers of the public health department on Friday, the quality of curd and vegetables is set to be improved this summer. The quality and taste of food such as curd rice in some of the canteens were not on a par with other canteens, said officials who inspected the canteens. The quantity of vegetables in food was also deemed inadequate.
However, many of the canteens reported better services than other hotels in the neighbourhoods, officials said.
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Public health officers, including assistant health officers, sanitary officers and sanitary inspectors of all 15 zones, conducted inspections of the 203 Amma canteens.
The Corporation is planning to streamline the procurement of curd from Aavin through a revamped centralised system to improve quality.
Similarly, vegetables will be procured by the Corporation from consumer cooperative societies.
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More than seven tonnes of vegetables will be procured every day for the canteens.
“Centralised procurement of vegetables will improve quality. Decision on vegetables will meet nutrition requirements of people in summer. Proper food and clean drinking water for the two lakh visitors to the canteens will control communicable diseases this summer to a certain extent,” said an official.
Efforts are also under way to prevent pilferage of materials in the canteens, he added.
A number of visitors had reported that workers at Amma canteen were not courteous. Reports on poor quality of chapathis were also collected by officials in most canteens.
Around 2,000 chapathis and dal are supplied in each of the canteens per day. At present, the canteens sell idli for one rupee, sambar rice, pongal and curry leaf rice for Rs. 5, and curd rice for Rs. 3.