KOCHI: As Kochi corporation’s initiative to provide affordable meals – Samridhi – turns four on Tuesday, the project’s growth stands as a testament to the commitment and determination of Kudumbashree women. What began with a single outlet and 14 staffers on Paramara Road, near Ernakulam Town railway station, has grown into a network of canteens and a catering service that extends to trains.
Samridhi now operates at three locations, with the latest addition being the Cochin Shipyard canteen which began serving meals to contract workers last week. “In 2021, we launched Samridhi after training 14 Kudumbashree members. Today, we have more than 160 staffers. We have hired a few male staffers, who too undergo training as we expand operations,” an official with the Kochi corporation told TNIE.
While the facility started out providing meals for Rs 10, the rate was increased to 20 last year as the state government stopped subsidies. “Samridhi is a model that Kerala can replicate,” Kochi Mayor M Anilkumar said.“The unit has become self-sufficient.
Kudumbashree members are running the facility very well and they have the support of the council. We started as a small unit. Samridhi has served millions of meals and created job opportunities for many. Samriddhi is a success story,” he said.
‘Samridhi@Kadavanthra’, at the headquarters of the Greater Cochin Development Authority, was opened on June 9 as an extension of the corporation’s successful ‘Samriddhi@Kochi’ project.
This unit too is managed entirely by Kudumbashree members. In addition to its canteens, Samriddhi now supplies food to trains. “We supply food on trains such as Jan Shatabdi and Parasuram Express, offering several options like vegetarian meals, chicken biryani, and snacks.
The contract between IRCTC and the corporation was signed earlier this year. Once the online facility is launched, passengers can order food through IRCTC too,” the corporation official added. The concept of a ‘Samridhi Janakeeya Hotel’ was proposed with the aim of offering meals at Rs 10 to the needy at a time when a large section of the population was struggling after the Covid outbreak. The corporation is planning to begin Samridhi outlets at Fort Kochi and Palluruthy, with Rs 2 crore set aside for the new initiatives in the 2025-26 budget.
