Co-op societies seek KMC help to run Maa Canteens

Kolkata: With the LPG crisis hitting the community kitchen running under Maa Canteen to feed people in need, a section of the cooperative societies entrusted to run the scheme wrote to the Kolkata Municipal Corporation to bail them out of the crisis. Now, KMC makes payment to the cooperative societies for running 130 Maa Canteens across the city, where citizens can have a lunch packet for only Rs 5. The packet contains rice, dal, a seasonal vegetable, and egg curry. According to an estimate, community kitchens prepare 45,000 meals a day that are distributed to the people through Maa Canteens.According to a KMC official, it was becoming increasingly difficult for the cooperative societies to run the community kitchens in absence of a regular supply of gas cylinders. "Several agencies running the community kitchens for Maa Canteens wrote to us to take effective steps to resolve the crisis. We took note of their grievances and will discuss the matter with the civic brass accordingly. Under no circumstances should the canteens cease to exist," said a KMC social sector department official who is assigned to coordinate with the cooperative societies.However, a KMC source said on Friday that, out of 130 Maa Canteen stalls, 3 shut down due to operational hazards. "We are hoping that mayor Firhad Hakim will take up the matter with the state and the crisis will be resolved soon," said a civic official.