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Amma Unavagam to open by end of May in city

Monday, 27 May 2013 04:21 administrator
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The Hindu              27.05.2013

Amma Unavagam to open by end of May in city

To help the needy:Work is on in full swing on Sunday, to establish kitchens at Amma Unavagam in the city. –PHOTO: S. SIVA SARAVANAN
To help the needy:Work is on in full swing on Sunday, to establish kitchens at Amma Unavagam in the city. –PHOTO: S. SIVA SARAVANAN

Women self-help groups return after training in Chennai.

Even as the Coimbatore Corporation races towards the May 30 deadline to start 10 budget restaurants in the city — Amma Unavagam — the groups it selected to take care of the cooking have returned from Chennai.

The Corporation had chosen 15 women self help groups to undergo training in Chennai, where Amma Unavagam has been functioning for quite some time.

Training

According to sources, the groups went to Chennai for two-day training and returned on Monday morning.

The civic body had sent the groups to the State capital in order to learn how the Unavagam functioned in Chennai, how the food was prepared and served to customers every day and how the premises was kept clean.

The sources said that though the Corporation had initially planned to have five Amma Unavagam it subsequently increased it to ten.

Locations

A resolution that was passed at the May 21 Urgent Meeting of the Corporation Council said that the civic body would establish the restaurants at the Singanallur Bus Stand, at the Corporation complex in Flower Market, Maniakarampalayam, Corporation office complex in Kurichi, Corporation complex on 80 Feet Road, Ramanathapuram, Thirumal Street wedding hall, at the new bus stand on Mettupalayam Road, at the school complex in Masakalipalayam, in Amman Nagar, Saravanampatty, and in Kuniamuthur.

In the resolution that was passed, the Corporation also said that it would incur a loss of Rs. 2.64 for an idli , Rs. 9.73 for a unit of sambar rice and Rs. 4.44 for a unit of curd rice.

Each of the 10 Amma Unavagam would incur a loss of Rs. 7,419 a day and all the ten centres would erode the Corporation coffers of Rs. 2.70 crore a year.

As per a Government Order, the Corporation would sell an idli for Re. 1, a unit of sambar rice for Rs. 5 and curd rice for Rs. 3.

The sources said that now that the groups had returned from the training, they would be graded and the best 10 of the 15 would be allotted the centres. The remaining five would be in reserve mode.

As and when there was want of help or human resource, the five groups would chip in.

Kitchens

The sources also said that though the Corporation was trying to commission kitchens in all the centres, it might not be possible to get them ready on day one.

Until kitchens were complete, the Corporation would transport food from nearby centres to those where kitchens were in the process of completion.

 

At sunrise today, pongal in Amma canteens

Friday, 24 May 2013 04:45 administrator
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The Hindu                 24.05.2013

At sunrise today, pongal in Amma canteens

Dishing up something newBased on feedback from customers on Friday, the civic body will come out with an expanded menu —Photo: R. Ravindran
Dishing up something newBased on feedback from customers on Friday, the civic body will come out with an expanded menu —Photo: R. Ravindran

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.

 

Only healthy food at canteens

Thursday, 23 May 2013 08:54 administrator
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Deccan Chronicle               23.05.2013

Only healthy food at canteens

Chennai: Chennai Corporation councillors on Wednesday urged mayor Saidai S Duraisamy to consider revision of the menu served in Amma canteen. They opined that the public wanted side-dish along with pickle and papad at now popular Amma canteens.

A few AIADMK councillors also went ahead with the combinations like pickle for curd rice, appalam or papad for lemon rice and takkali chutney for chappathi. In a related discussion on drinking water shortage in city, DMK floor leader Subash Chandra Bose and few other councillors wanted the civic body to consider manufacturing of safe drinking water bottles, so that it can be served at a subsidised rate in Amma canteens.

Intervening a woman councillor in her shrill voice said that cost of tea is Rs 8 and coffee is Rs 10 and it would be better if herbal tea (mooligai tea) is also introduced by the corporation. However mayor refuted the recommendations by the councillor and said that the chief minister was keen on providing quality - healthy food to the public thronging Amma canteen and introduction of oil items and pickle will dent the initiative.

Mr. Duraisamy also informed the council that no outside food or junk food will be entertained in the premises of Amma canteen and this would prevent any food allergy complaints.

“Stern action would be taken against corporation staff if these directions are violated”, he announced in the council. Earlier in the day Mayor also spoke about socialism and explained the concept of socialism in a civilized society.

Reiterating the successful initiatives taken up by the chief minister he christened Ms Jayalalalithaa as modern architect of equality and socialism (Samadharma Socialisa Naveena Sirpi) and passed a resolution thanking the AIADMK supremo for providing adequate funds to the city corporation.

 
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