Greater Chennai Corporation owes Rs 27L to contractor, wheat flour supply to Amma Canteens stopped

 According to GCC sources, the civic body has delayed the payment of around Rs 27 lakh to the contractors. “Due to this, chapatti sale has affected at the canteens located in zones such as Manali, Royapuram, Tondiarpet, Thiru Vi Ka Nagar, Anna Nagar, Kodambakkam, Valasaravakkam, Adyar and Perungudi. Contractors refused to grind wheat without payment,” a source said.

Meanwhile, the GCC headquarters has instructed the zonal officers of the concerned zones to look into the issue and settle the balance amount and sought reports from zones in this regard.

However, the Corporation claimed that the wheat grinding was affected only due to some mechanical glitches at the grinding mill. “Rice and wheat for Amma Canteens are being procured from Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation and the wheat is ground at a private mill. In the last 10 days, flour could not be obtained due to mechanical glitch,” a Corporation press release said.

Amma Canteens sell chapatti in the evenings and in an alternative arrangement, the civic body has been selling tomato rice for the past 10 days.

The release claimed that selling tomato rice in place of chapatti is usual whenever wheat flour could not be obtained. In 2020, a similar practice was followed.

Meanwhile, the Corporation recently closed four Amma Canteens. Presently, the civic body runs 403 canteens. The civic body also moved workers from the canteens with an excess workforce to other canteens to maintain 12 workers at each canteen.

The official added that the canteens are being run by the civic body despite a severe fund crunch.