The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) on Monday announced that free food will be provided across all the 407 Amma canteens in the city till May 17. Free food was being served in all the Amma Unavagam centres ever since the nationwide lockdown, which had seen the government establishment revert back to its format of charging customers earlier today. However, the civic body has now informed that the free food service in Chennai's Amma canteens will continue till the ongoing lockdown (dubbed as lockdown 3) comes to an end on May 17.

With the number of positive coronavirus cases rising as each day passes, the decision to continue with the distribution of free food is to aid the people who are not able to afford any owing to the ongoing lockdown, which has put a halt on their livelihoods and job opportunities. Nearly 3,000 people have been infected by the COVID-19 virus in Tamil Nadu with Chennai city alone seeing as many as 200 cases on Sunday. Amma canteens will be providing customers with idlis, variety rice, pongal with sambar and chapati with dal.