Amma canteens in city a great boon to poor; DMK vouches for its popularity

COIMBATORE: A 30-year-old carpenter, A Jaffar from Gandhi Maa Nagar, used to go to work, travelling to Maniyakarampalayam and Ganapathy early morning, on an empty stomach. Now, for 13, he can eat a healthy breakfast at one of the Amma canteens in Coimbatore.
As of now, there are 12 Amma canteens in the city, one each at the Singanallur bus stand, Flower Market, Maniyakarampalayam, Kurichi, 80 Feet Road at Ramanathapuram, Thirumal street, New bus stand on Mettupalayam road, Masakkalipalayam, Saravanampatti, Kuniyamuthur, Kovaipudur and Coimbatore Medical College and Hospital (CMCH) campus.
The corporation has fixed a sales target of 1,200 idlies for breakfast, 300 plates of sambar rice and 200 plates of curd rice for lunch. A daily target of 3,300 has been fixed for each Amma canteen. The canteen sells one idly for 1, sambar rice for 5 and curd rice for 3.
As many as 12 women from self-help groups work in each Amma canteen. Each employee earns 250 per day. Every evening, the daily collections are dropped off at the zonal corporation office. The canteens are open seven days a week.
The food is provided at a subsidized rate. According to a corporation official, the civic body bears the cost of 2.64 for an idly, 9.73 for a unit of Sambar rice and 4.44 for a unit of curd rice. "This scheme will cost the corporation 2.70crore every year," said a senior official.
Self-help-group members say that because of the election season, sale has dropped and they are unable to reach their daily target of 3,300.
"If I eat out at a hotel, I will have to shell out a minimum of 50 for breakfast and 80 for lunch. But now I can finish my breakfast and lunch for just 13. This canteen has gone a long way in helping those below the poverty line," said Jaffar.
Sensing the popularity of the Amma canteens, the opposition DMK made it clear that if the party were to come to power in the state, the scheme will continue under the name of Anna canteens.