Chennai: Tamilnadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami today flagged off three mobile Amma unavagams from the Secretariat here. These vehicles will be deputed in North Chennai, South Chennai and Central Chennai.
After the inauguration, Palaniswami said that more food trucks will be introduced in each zone of the Greater Chennai Corporation in a phased manner.
Sources said that these vehicles will be parked in areas where people gather. It is said that these vehicles were purchased at a cost of Rs 5.6 lakh each and were remodelled as food trucks.
“Breakfast and lunch will be provided in these vehicles. Food will be brought from the Amma Unavagams and will be distributed through these vehicles,’ sources said.
Sources added that this project is aimed at taking subsidised food to construction labourers and the homeless. ‘Based on feedback, it will be expanded to other parts of Tamilnadu too,” sources added.
Another move that the Greater Chennai Corporation is undertaking is relocation of some of the existing canteens. A total of 34 canteens have been identified to located within a very short distance. Also, about 70 canteens are found to be generating a revenue of not more than `1,000 per day.
“Since we do not want to shut down any of the canteens, we will shift some to the hotspots,” said the sources.
It may be noted that the Greater Chennai Corporation, which runs over 400 Amma Canteens in the city, provided free food to people at all its eateries during the initial stages of the lockdown.