Chennai Corporation plans to rope in private sector to support Amma Canteen
Posted on: 27/Mar/2014 12:02:10 PM
Amma Canteen is a really big boon to the middle class, poor people and migrant workers. A wide segment ranging from daily wage earners to professionals patronizes the canteens. When launched in February last year the canteens served around 6,000 idlis every day, today they serve over 10,000 idlis. The sales of other items on the menu, including sambar rice and curd rice, have increased.
The Corporation hopes the private sector will participate in funding canteens as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility. This will also reduce the subsidy burden of the State Government, said an official in the Chennai Corporation.
The canteens provide food to nearly two lakh people on a daily basis and employment to nearly 4,000 women who run them.
Every day, the Corporation spends Rs.14 lakh but the revenue is about Rs.9 lakh. The Government subsidizes the deficit of Rs.5 lakh. The annual outgo for the Corporation is about Rs.18-20 crore.
An official of the Chennai Corporation said, “We have approached companies for other social measures like skill development, education and healthcare. They can also look at the canteen service being a social welfare measure.”
