COVID-19: DMK demands power bill waiver, free food at Amma Canteens

The DMK on Tuesday demanded that

the Tamil Nadu government waive electricity bill for 'rice' category ration card holders in view of the loss of income during the lockdown and asserted that such a move alone would lend a helping hand to them.

Days after AIADMK party units in districts, including Coimbatore and Salem, said they would bear the cost of free food in Amma Canteens in their regions, the main opposition party flayed the government for what it called "handing over on a platter," the State-run eateries to the ruling party in "every district" and alleged it was "very bad politics."

DMK chief M K Stalin, in a statement here, asked the AIADMK to "not do politics" with Amma Canteens and instead wanted the government to fund free food in the eateries so that people could eat for free.

 

The low cost State run canteen chain, run by local bodies in Tamil Nadu, cater largely to the working classes and the indigent.

The price of food, including idli and 'variety rice' like lemon rice, range between a Rupee and Rs five.

The Dravidian party chief said people confined to their homes in view of the lockdown and deprived of even minimum income would not be able to pay their electricity bills.

Hence, he said, "waiving electricity bill for those with rice ration cards alone will be tantamount to lending a hand of friendship for them by the government."

Rice ration card holders receive rice for free and other essential commodities like cooking oil and dhal at a highly subsidised rate.

The DMK leader also demanded that the Central government put on hold the collection of fee at toll plazas since taking charges from vehicles transporting essential commodities may lead to rise in prices.

Toll plazas reportedly started collecting fee from April 20 after stopping it during the first phase of lockdown.

Stalin also alleged that sanitary workers in Karur Government Hospital were pushed to "staging protest" since they had not received "one month salary" and added that only timely remittance of salaries could be a mark of gratitude to them who put their lives at risk in the fight against coronavirus.