Panchayat president opens ₹1 idli shop for farmhands

Deepak.Karthik@timesgroup.com

Trichy:  4.5.2020

Inspired by Kamalathal, an octogenarian woman who sell idlis for ₹1 a piece in Coimbatore district, M Palanisamy, 48, of Venkatachalapuram village near Pullambadi in the district, has opened a low-cost eatery to serve the villagers.

The eatery, named after K Kamaraj, sells idlis for ₹1 per piece every morning during the lockdown. He has named it after the former chief minister of Tamil Nadu in gratitude for facilitating an irrigation canal in the village.

Palanisamy, president of Venkatachalapuram panchayat, said he was moved by reading the story of 82-yearold Kamalathal who sells idlis for Re1. Not associated with any political party, he launched the low-cost eatery at the Kamarajar mandram in his panchayat to serve farmhands. Launched on May 1, Palanisamy and two of his workers sell 650-675 idlis per day.

Since the idlis priced at Re1 come with sambhar and chutney, villagers who earlier skipped breakfast are reaping the benefits during the lockdown. All the idlis would be sold out between 7am and 9am as there are no other hotels in the village, home to 2,000 families. “Kamarajar was the reason behind the Pullambadi canal, a distributary of Cauvery passing through our village. Agriculture has sustained in our village only because of that canal, we are indebted to him,” Palanisamy told TOI.

As the preparation cost of each idli is ₹2.25, Palanisamy is incurring a loss of ₹1.25 per idli. Villagers were told to bring their own vessels and maintain social distancing when they come to buy the idlis. “We occasionally skip breakfast to save money. But the Re1 idli has helped us beat the hunger,” said P Bhakyam, a 70-year-old woman from Venkatachalapuram.

M Palanisamy, 48, of Venkatachalapuram village opened the shop after being inspired by Kamalathal, an octogenarian woman who sell idlis for ₹1 a piece in Coimbatore district