The Hindu 24.05.2013
At sunrise today, pongal in Amma canteens
Trial run for new menu to begin; early visitors to get limited portion free of cost.
Early visitors to the Amma canteens on Friday will get to taste a limited quantity of delicious pongal, free of cost.
Those
who taste the dish may also be asked to register their feedback with
the canteen employees. Based on the feedback received, suitable changes
will me made before Monday. On the day, Chennai Corporation will make
the announcement regarding the date of launch of a new menu, which will
include pongal.
According to Corporation sources,
there is a need for additional workers to serve pongal and curry leaf
rice. But the civic body is planning to make optimum use of existing
employees to reduce the expenditure. However, the number of additional
employees required might be finalised based on the trial run on Friday.
The
six women employees in the mornign shift in each of the Amma canteens
will have to start work before 4 a.m. on Friday, as they have the
additional task of preparing the pongal. On normal days, only the women
employees belonging to self help groups start work at 4 a.m.
The
trial run will also help the employees assess the changes in the
day-to-day expenses wrought by the new menu. Each canteen spends over
Rs. 5,000 per day on vegetables and other items, purchased in addition
to the provisions from the State government.
“The
mayor announced in the council that Amma canteens will serve healthy
food. So preparation of pongal may require superior quality ghee or
vanaspathi. This may call for additional funds. The trial run will also
help the employees make key decisions on reducing expenditure,” said an
employee of an Amma canteen.
The much-anticipated
move to supply pongal in the 200 Amma canteens in the city is expected
to increase the responsibilities of the civic body.
The
civic body’s decision to create a separate department for managing the
Amma canteens will be crucial in sustaining the innovative welfare
measure. So far, officials of the Corporation’s revenue and health
department have been running the canteens.
Chief
Minister Jayalalithaa had recently announced the expansion of the menu
in the canteens with pongal, rice preparations and chapathi. Currently,
idli is sold for Re. 1, sambar rice for Rs. 5 and curd rice for Rs. 3.
Breakfast is supplied from 7 a.m. to noon. Lunch is served till 3 p.m.
