Chennai: Surveillance cameras and alert guards are being added to the Amma canteens to prevent theft of plates and tumblers by customers. The employees have complained to the Chennai corporation that the utensils were going missing.

 

“More than 25 plates and 26 tumblers have gone missing in the last one month alone. It is hard to keep an eye on every customer in the crowd,” admits a worker attached to the self- help group manning the Jafferkhan­pet Amma canteen.

 

Initially, customers were given spoons to eat their food with, but on seeing children take them away, many Amma eateries stopped providing them. The problem gets worse in canteens in congested areas like Saidapet, Triplicane and Royap­uram, say the staff.

 

Besides thefts, these budget canteens are seeing another nuisance with men arriving to eat under the influence of alcohol. “Each outlet has 12 women employees and so it gets difficult to handle such  customers,” said a worker from Triplicane, explaining that the employees had demanded more security in response to such harassment.