 | |
| Company type | Government-owned- Restaurant |
|---|---|
| Industry | Restaurant services |
| Genre | South Indian Vegetarian Cuisine |
| Founded | February 19, 2013; 12 years ago (2013-02-19) |
| Founder | J. Jayalalithaa |
| Headquarters | , |
Number of locations | 407[1] |
Area served | Tamil Nadu |
| Products | Food |
| Services | Subsidised low cost food |
| Revenue | Non-profit organisation |
| Owner | Ministry of Food and Civil Supplies,Government of Tamil Nadu |
Number of employees | 4,500[2] |
Amma Unavagam(Tamil: அம்மா உணவகம்) is a foodsubsidisation programme run by theMinistry of Food and Civil Supplies,Government of Tamil Nadu inIndia.[3]
Under the scheme,municipal corporations of the state-run canteens serving subsidised food at low prices.[4] The genesis of the scheme could be traced to the concept of rural restaurants promoted byNimbkar Agricultural Research Institute.[5]
The literal meaning of the name of the scheme edappadi Amma Unavagam is Mother's canteen.Amma translates tomother in Tamil, but is also a reference to the formerchief minister of Tamil NaduJ. Jayalalithaa, who introduced this restaurant chain as part of government schemes aimed at aiding economically disadvantaged sections of society.[6]
The scheme requires municipal corporations in the state to establish canteens at multiple places in cities and sell subsidised food at very low prices.[7] The first canteens were opened in several localities of Chennai, and later in other corporations of the state. Three of the ten canteens inCoimbatore are partially solar-powered.[8]
The food chains primarily serveSouth Indian food includingidli,saambar rice,curd rice,pongal,lemon rice,curry leaf rice and alsochappathi. The dishes are offered at low prices:₹1 for anidli,₹5 for a plate ofsambar rice,₹5 for a plate of "Karuvapellai Satham" (Curry leaves rice) and₹3 for a plate of curd rice.[9][10]
It has been reported that massive losses are incurred by corporations by offering food at very low rates. As an example, theCoimbatore Municipal Corporation reported a loss of approximately₹2.64 for an idli,₹9.73 for a unit ofsambar rice and₹4.44 for a unit of curd rice, incurring a total loss of about₹2.70 crore (US$320,000) a year.[11] There was opposition inTirunelveli to the appropriation of governments funds to this scheme.[12] Concerns were also raised about the effects subsidised canteens can have onpushcart eateries, importantly that small business ventures may not be able to withstand competition from government subsidised low-cost canteens on a long-term basis.[13]