Food shortage took the enthusiasm out of the newly-opened Amma canteen opposite the Dharmapuri Medical College Hospital here on Tuesday, after a long-queue of disappointed public was turned back, but not before a tiresome wait. The police had to intervene and disperse the public.
On Tuesday, a day after the much-awaited Amma canteen was formally inaugurated, there was a long queue of people - largely caretakers and attendants of patients at the government hospital here – to buy idlies served for breakfast at the canteen.
However, barely half an hour into opening up for breakfast, food was served against the tokens issued and there were many more with tokens but there was no food. This irked those who were waiting in the queue for over an hour, triggering an altercation between the public and the staff at the Amma canteen.
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An irate public alleged that food was not served to all the 300 tokens issued and that the food was siphoned off.
Police that was already there to regulate the crowd pitched in to disperse the crowd.
The chaos repeated during lunch, when the food packets were sold out for 600 persons, in less than half an hour into noon.
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When contacted, Municipal Commissioner K. Saravanan said that food was served as per the target set for the Amma canteens.
Usually, the food gets over between 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. and it is served on first come first served basis.
According to Mr. Saravanan, based on the demand, the number of token may go up in the future.
While the location of Amma canteen with its promise of affordable food, opposite the government medical college hospital, is seen as a boon for thousands of hospital visitors standing to gain from an affordable meal, the stated food quota for Amma canteens seems to have come in the way of the canteen’s triumph, less than 24 hours into its opening.
Public allege that food was not served to all the 300 tokens issued