Civic body for corporate aid to run Amma canteens

 

Senior officials told DC the civic body will soon be writing to firms to see if they are interested in getting involved as part of Corporate Social Responsibility activity. 

 

The corporation runs 252 Amma canteens in the city, of which 45 were opened after Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa was sworn in for the fifth time earlier this year. 

 

Almost all these 45 newly-opened canteens have fewer women from self-help groups running it in what officials said was an ‘optimisation of work force’ drive. Usually, the average Amma canteen has around 12-16 women to operate it daily. 

 

While it is speculated that the civic body is forced to explore alternative funding options as a financial crunch stares at it, officials maintained that the Amma Unavagam GO No 21 (dated 17 January 2013) allows them to seek corporate help in  running the facility.

 

“The GO has provisions for it. We will only be asking the corporates for funds out of their CSR pocket but to be very clear, we will not outsource the operations to any private player. We are very proud to be running the Amma canteens as it is a pet project for the corporation as it is for the state,” said a senior official.

 

Optimising the work force was a decision taken after officials found that a few under-performing canteens need not have the full strength of allotted workforce. But sanitary inspectors supervising the canteens told DC that they are finding it tough to transport women workers between canteens.

 

“The problem is one of co-ordination. Six women work in three shifts each in all these canteens. Optimisation means we are now taking two women from each shift and transporting them to the canteen which needs them,” said a sanitary inspector, requesting anonymity.