With the goal of providing low-cost three-meal-a-day food to the urban poor of Chennai, the Tamil Nadu government launched Amma Unavagam in 2013. The programme has 393 urban canteens, seven of which are located within government hospital premises. Upon visiting one of these industrial area canteens, one can observe the strong infrastructure, which includes solar electricity and sufficient water amenities. Men over the age of 35 make up the majority of the canteens’ customers, and they reach there at 12:30 in the afternoon for the satisfying rice. They persevered through the COVID-19 pandemic and floods on a daily wage of Rs. 300 with no official vacations or salary increments. The majority of their employees are from Self-Help Groups. In spite of dealing with sometimes disruptive clients and confronting compensation difference depending on the canteens’ sales margins, the staff maintains a level of service that dispels past conceptions that the canteens exclusively serve certain social sectors. A major concern is the maintenance of facilities, especially restrooms, which occasionally necessitates staff to combine their resources for cleaning. Furthermore, the canteens face challenges with uneven supplies, such as insufficient vegetables, which results in a repetitious menu that impacts sales. Despite this, most reviews are excellent regarding the service and the value offered (good meals for as low as Rs. 5). Amma Unavagam could fulfil its mission of feeding the hungry while promoting sustainability and respect for both customers and workers by updating the menu, improving food quality, and better maintaining facilities. This would boost patron satisfaction and revenue.

The author is currently pursuing Masters in Economics, School of Economics, University of Hyderabad.