A joint effort between Durga Brigade and the Forum for Small Scale Industries are aiming to recreate the fabled dabba services of Mumbai in Pune. Abhay Bhor, president of Forum said this service will mainly be run by women who would be operating centralized kitchens and delivery services as part of this. Work is underway to start at least one cluster by early April.
The demand for good homemade food has spiked during the covid-19 pandemic, Bhor said. “Our survey showed that while such demand for home cooked meals is high, there is a serious lapse in supply. The industrial canteens, which are in operation are not up to the mark and often there are complaints about the quality of food served there, â€Bhor added.
A survey showed that just in Pimpri Chinchwad industrial area more than 50,000 people expressed their willingness to subscribe to such services.
The service would see establishment of kitchens in Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad for people who would like dabbas deliveries to their homes. Another service would be aimed at office goers and delivery of tiffins to their work places. “This program would primarily be run by women. Thus the delivery would be done by women on two wheelers and the centralized kitchen would also be manned by them,†he said. While the morning deliveries would be done by women, the evening one would be done by men.
Bhor said the centralized kitchens would be run as per the norms of the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA). Paperwork for licensing of the premises and for running the kitchen is underway at this moment. Women who wish to work as cooks in this would have to submit their health certificates before enrolling
With prolonged closure of schools and colleges, Bhor said many women who supplied dabbas to students have been thrown out of work. “We aim to provide employment for such women in our centralized kitchens. But they would have to submit their health certificates first,†he said.
