All people, including those not having ration cards, can get the Rs 500 groceries kit being sold through PDS shops in Tamil Nadu in view of the COVID-19 lockdown, the state government informed the Madras High Court on Thursday.
The submission was made in a counter-affidavit before a special bench comprising justices M Sathyanarayanan and M Nirmal Kumar on a PIL seeking a direction to the government for door delivery of the kits.
The kit comprising 19 basic essentials like pulses, oil, tamarind, chillies and spices in fixed quantities can be bought by all public and there was no need for producing ration card or any other identification proof, the counter said.
Advocate A P Suryaprakasam, in his public interest litigation, has submitted that not only the poor but even the middle class people were suffering due to the lockdown. Therefore, essential supplies should also be provided to all the needy without insisting on ration card.
The government has launched the kits in a bid to ensure there was no shortage of essential commodities during the lockdown.
In addition to this, the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) which runs over 400 Amma canteens in the city, on Thursday, announced free food to people at all its eateries till the lockdown ends.
Days after the food items were made free for people in the Western cities of Coimbatore and Salem, the GCC in its twitter handle said under Chief Minister K Palaniswami's 'order and guidance’, all Amma canteens in its jurisdiction will provide free food thrice a day till the lockdown ends.
Sources told PTI that per day, at least Rs 17 lakh is the cost of food served in the 407 canteens in the state capital and volunteers have expressed willingness to foot the bill.
Recently, Local Administration Minister SP Velumani had said that the AIADMK district party unit will bear the expenditure of providing food at all the 15 Amma canteens in Coimbatore.
On April 19, Palaniswami announced free food at all Amma canteens in Salem district, his native place, and said that the AIADMK's local units will bear the cost.
In Tamil Nadu, there are 600 plus canteens and in Salem district, 11 are functioning in the Corporation areas and four in municipalities including in Edappadi, the home turf of Chief Minister Palaniswami.
Launched by former chief minister Jayalalithaa years ago, the Amma canteens, known as "Amma Unavagam" in Tamil, provide breakfast, lunch and dinner even during lockdown.
Catering to lakhs of people, including working classes and the indigent, the chain of low cost eateries are run by local bodies.
These canteens offer idlis at a cost of Rs one each, two pieces of roti at Rs 3, Pongal at Rs 5 and rice varieties including sambar, lemon and curd at Rs 5 a plate.