GO to open Amma canteens uploaded to portal after 8 years

The order was issued based on an appeal filed by D Saranya, who had applied under the Right to Information Act, 2005, seeking details about the procedures followed to appoint workers at Amma Canteens.

Not satisfied with the reply given by the public information officer of Chennai Corporation health department, Saranya filed an appeal with the Tamil Nadu Information Commission. During the hearing presided by S Muthuraj, State information commissioner, the Corporation maintained that the details were provided to the applicant. But Saranya pointed out that complete details have not been given to her.

Ordering the Corporation to provide the details about the procedures followed to appoint workers at the Amma Canteens, the Commission also directed the civic body to upload the government order related to the launch of Amma Canteens. The government order was issued on January 17, 2013.

The civic body had appointed women, who belong to self-help groups, as the workers at the Amma Canteens without following normal recruitment processes. “Self-help groups were selected based on the interest of the then councillors. The same practice continued even after the term of councillors ended,” a civic body source said.