Now, get free food at Amma canteens in city till May 3

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:24.04.2020

Greater Chennai Corporation will provide free food at all the 407 Amma canteens in the city till May 3, the day lockdown 2.0 is scheduled to end.

An official spokesperson of the civic body said this has been made possible due to donations made by people. The civic body had announced that it was open to taking donations from people or companies under corporate social responsibility.

“The cost of running Amma canteens is ₹17 lakh a day. We have enough donations to give free food till May 3,” the spokesperson said.

The canteens provide idlis at ₹1, variety rice at ₹3, Pongal with sambar at ₹5 and chapati dal at ₹3.

Early this week, film actor and director Raghava Lawrence donated ₹50 lakh towards running of the canteens in Kodambakkam and Valasaravakkam zones. Local bodies minister SP Velumani tweeted stating that more than double the number of people than usual were thronging to the canteens during the current situation.

Everyday, around 4.5 lakh people throng the canteens in the city.

Till April first week, there had been a 25%-30% increase in sales at the canteens across the city. With each day, the sales kept increasing and finally doubled around 10 days ago, said officials. Before the lockdown, average sales would be around Rs 6 lakh a day, which has now also doubled.

The corporation has got ₹19.54 crore for the canteens while 247 canteens in other local bodies received ₹11.85 crore, Velumani said. So far, across the state, 1.4 crore idlis, 53.24 lakh plates of rice and 37.85 lakh chapathis have been sold, Velumani said during last week’s review meeting. The corporation has enough supplies, an official confirmed.