Chennai, May 28(BPNS)

DMK leaders ,Food and Civil Supplies minister, R Sakkarapani and Minister for Forest , K Ramachandran in a statement here on Friday said that the party would bear the expense of the free food being provided by fifteen Amma Canteens from Friday in Coimbatore and surrounding areas.

The Amma canteens serve Idli and Sambar in the morning and Curd Rice and Sambar rice in the afternoon. Amma canteen has a daily footfall of 500 people and fifteen canteens would serve 7500 to 10,000 people a day.

The statement said that the cost would approximately work around to Rs 52.5 lakh per month which the DMK party has decided to bear.

The free food will be offered in 12 Amma canteens functioning in five zones in Coimbatore city and three in municipalities. Other than the 12 Amma canteens in the city, three are in Pollachi, Mettupalayam and Valparai.

It may be recalled that immediately after the DMK led front assumed office there were widespread attacks by the DMK workers on the Amma canteens in Chennai and other parts of the state. This was due to the fact that the Amma canteens were formed during the period of Jayalaithaa as Chief minister to provide two times food to the poor at reasonable rates across Tamil Nadu.

Chief minister MK Stalin had to take preventive measures on the attack against Amma canteens and had ordered the arrest of those involved in destroying the canteens. Chief minister had also openly condemned the attacks against the canteens.