The Hindu 03.06.2013
Budget canteens opened
At 10 places each in Tirunelveli and Tuticorin districts.
Chief Minister Jayalalithaa inaugurated budget canteens at 10 places under the Corporation limits for the benefit of the poor through video conferencing here on Sunday.
As the canteens selling tiffin and variety rice at heavily subsidised price received wild reception in Chennai, Ms. Jayalalithaa announced that the budget canteens would be established in all Corporations.
In a simple function organised in the canteen established on the Melapalayam Zone Office, Minister for Tourism P. Senthurpandian inaugurated the sale of variety rice. While one idli costs Re 1 at this canteen, customers can have sambar rice for Rs. 5 while curd rice costs Rs. 3. All food stuffs including sweet pongal that was served to mark the inauguration of the canteen were served free of cost on Sunday.
“The personnel involved in preparing and selling the food stuffs have been told in clear terms that any compromise on quality would be viewed very seriously. Moreover, our officials would be monitoring the quality of food stuff everyday and file a daily report in this connection to their superiors,” said Mayor Vijila Sathyananth.
Though the budget canteen was formally inaugurated only at 3.30 p.m., a decent crowd was waiting patiently to enjoy the food stuff. “It tastes really good,” said S. Mohideen Basha of Melapalayam while enjoying the sambar rice.
The budget canteens have been established at Vaiyapuri Nagar (ward 40), Quaid-E-Millet Corporation Hospital premises, Pettai (ward 47), Thatchanallur Old Panchayat Office (ward 3), Thatchanallur Unit Office 9 (ward 54), near Ganesapuram School (ward 6), Manakaavalanpillai Hospital premises (ward 13), Thimmarajapuram Unit Office (ward 12), Ambedkar Nagar (ward 15), Melapalayam Zonal Office premises (ward 32) and Opposite Melapalayam Government Hospital (ward 31).
Collector C. Samayamoorthy, Tirunelveli MLA Nainar Nagentran, Sankarankovil MLA S. Muthuselvi, Deputy Mayor P. Ganesan alias Jeganathan, senior Corporation officials and elected public representatives participated.
Tuticorin
Budget canteens were also inaugurated at 10 places under Tuticorin Corporation limits by Ms. Jayalalithaa through video conferencing. Labour Minister S.T. Chellapandian formally opened it at a community hall-cum-canteen on Santhana Mariamman Kovil Street near Cruzpuram in the presence of Collector Ashish Kumar.
The canteens would be open from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. and from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m., every day, sources said.
The canteens were opened at M. Saveriyarpuram, Rajaji Park, State Bank Colony (near park), VVD water tank, Chathiram street, Lourdhammalpuram main road (near St. Mary’s Colony), George road, Threspuram fish market area, Tuticorin new bus stand area and Santhana Mariamman Kovil Street.
Twelve persons representing women self-help groups had been deputed in each of the canteens. Mayor L. Sasikala Pushpa, Deputy Mayor P. Xavier, Corporation Commissioner S. Madhumathi, Executive Engineer S.A. Rajagopalan, Junior Engineer Saravanan and others attended.
