CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Wednesday inaugurated three mobile Amma Canteens which will provide food at a subsidised price in the city.
According to sources, the mobile Amma Canteens will function from 7 am to 10 am in the morning for breakfast, with idly costing Rs 1 and pongal costing Rs 5 on the menu.
Lunch time will be from 12 pm to 3 pm with sambar rice, lemon rice and karuvepillai rice for Rs 5 each while curd rice will be served for Rs 3.
Officials said the mobile Amma Canteens will not give food in parcels. “The mobile unit also has facilities to dispose of waste and has an inbuilt hand washing facility,” said an official.
Corporation officials said the mobile vehicles would take subsidised food mainly to places where construction workers and labourers are present.
“While the CM has launched three trucks in the first phase now, 50 more trucks are expected to come soon,” an official said.
To purchase these vehicles, the civic body has put to use Rs 100 crore which was allocated for the Amma Canteens this year.
Started in 2013 by late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, the scheme has provided food at affordable rates to lakhs of people in the city and districts.
During the COVID-19 lockdown, close to one crore people in the state benefited from the Amma Canteens, which continued to function even as other restaurants and food outlets were closed.