Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Tuesday inaugurated 127 Amma Unavagams – the subsidised tiffin centres – through video conferencing from the State Secretariat. The tiffin centres will be a boon, especially to the poor. With these, all the 200 wards of Chennai Corporation now have a subsidised tiffin centre run by the city’s civic body through Women Self Help groups.
In an effort to provide hygienic food at low prices, Jayalalithaa announced subsidised tiffin centres in all the 200 wards of Chennai Corporation and the first 15 tiffin centres were inaugurated by the Chief Minister on February 19. As part of the first phase of operations, these centres covered all the 15 zones of the civic body.
Later on February 24, on the occasion of Jayalalithaa’s birthday celebrations, 24 tiffin centres were opened. After that, 34 centres were inaugurated on March 6, taking the total number of subsidised eateries run by the Corporation to 73. Now, with the inauguration of 127 centres on Tuesday, all the 200 wards of Chennai Corporation have a centre each. The tiffin centres are run by Women Self Help Groups. Idli is available for just a rupee from 7 to 10 in the morning. Lunch is available between noon and 3 pm. Sambar rice is sold for `5 and curd rice for `3.
Coupled with the low price and the availability of hygienic food, the tiffin centres began receiving great patronage from the people. The ones especially benefitted from this scheme are the daily wage earners, labourers, loaders and the indigent who have now became regulars at Amma Unavagams.
On February 22, the Corporation Council approved the christening of the subsidised tiffin centres as Amma Unavagam.