CM to decide Amma Canteens’ fate this week

According to a Chennai Corporation source, the Chief Minister would discuss the proposals put forth by the civic body for the Amma Canteen revival.

“We had conducted several rounds of meeting at our level and secretary level to fine-tune the proposals. The Chief Minister will make a final decision on the proposal,” the source said.

Chennai Corporation’s proposals, include creating a trust to run the Amma Canteens or to attract funds under corporate social responsibility from corporate firms. Other proposals are allowing individuals to adopt canteens or to set up an integrated kitchen to supply food to the canteens.

At present, the civic body runs as many as 407 Amma Canteens across the city, including in major government hospitals. The civic body is spending around Rs 140 crore per year to run the canteens, but only manages to earn Rs 30 crore in return thus accruing a loss of Rs 110 crore every year. Earlier, the civic body had constituted a committee to study the performances of all the Amma Canteens and proposed measures to be taken to balance the expenditureand revenue.

In the meantime, field-level Chennai Corporation health department officials are directed to conduct a survey among the consumers to gather theiropinion regarding the menu card and others.

Except for the rice, which is being supplied to the civil supplies department at Re. 1 per kilogram, all the cooking items are being procured at market rate and all the expenses are met from the civic body’s coffers.

Recently, the state government issued a GO ordering the state civil supplies corporation to continue supplying rice and wheat to Amma Canteens at a subsidised cost for next one year.