Sullia: When prices of essential commodities are shooting up, Amma canteens in Tamil Nadu create a national wave as noon meals are available for mere Rs 5. People flock at these canteens exactly at 12 noon and the supply lasts till the food gets over as the supply mode is first come first serve basis. Thousands of ordinary people avail the benefits of Jayalaitha or Amma’s AIADMK government funded flagship scheme and many feel this was one of the reasons for her electoral victory against odds in the recently held state assembly elections.
Well, doing this for a government is easy because it has resources at its disposal. Now, imagine a man who dares to replicate this model. Meet Sundar Saralaya. His name means ‘beautiful’ and with the great deed that Saralaya has done, he has justified his name by showing the beauty of his heart.
Saralaya is providing food in his canteen for Rs 10 in a state where one will not get a cup of coffee/tea or even a beverage for Rs 10 in any ordinary hotel. May be few street corner shacks with no overheads in unhygienic conditions may succeed in offering at a reasonable price. When rice price is hovering around 40 per kilo in the market, Hotel Ramprasad at Srirampet in Sullia town provides a meal at an unbelievable price of Rs 10. The menu includes rice, sambar, rich gravy, pickle and buttermilk all for Rs 10. The same menu would otherwise cost anywhere between Rs 40– 70. What’s more amazing is that he has no funding from government, NGO or corporates. The practice of providing a meal at down to earth prices started when Sundar Saralaya’s father, Venkatesh Saralya started the hotel 78-years-ago, in 1938. What started at 4 anna (25 paise ) has touched Rs 10 today with no compromise in quality or service. The meal prices gradually increased to Rs 1, 2, 3 and touched Rs 5 from 25 paisa over the years. Meal price remained at Rs 5 for nearly 20 years but it became inevitable to increase the prices to Rs 10 as grocery prices shot up in the market.
With his limited infrastructure he caters to around 200 people including hungry students from nearby educational institutions who rush during mid-day to his canteen to taste a meal for Rs 10 and return with smiles every day. They carry sweet memories for years when they leave the town after their education. Really mind boggling feat in modern times!
The state government under former Food minister Dinesh Gundu Rao which proposed similar outlets can take a leaf out of Sundar Saralaya’s achievement and introduce meals to the downtrodden at lower prices at least in few poor and backward areas of the state.
How does Saralaya manage in a period when inflation rules?
He offers breakfast, lunch and snacks at his hotel where breakfast, snacks and beverage items are priced normal. The profit margin he earns helps him to offset the losses he incurs while providing noon meals though he does not term them as losses. The students who walk out of his hotel after having lunch feel it’s a blessing in disguise in modern times.
Saralya is able to cut down overheads as his son Raghavendra and his other family members help him in his daily chores. With 57 years of experience, out of which 43 years on his own as proprietor, Saralaya is a content man. Contentment is visible in his smile when he completes his noon Annaseve (meal service) every day.
Hotel Ramprasad is very popular among all residents and students in the town and every visitor who tastes a meal at his hotel lauds his effort. He has also trained hostel cooks and others in cooking tasty food to become self-reliant. Recognizing his yeoman service organizations like Rotary and Jaycees honored him in the past.
The hotel which started in Mulihallu in Sulia 78-years-ago still carries forward the legacy today, and plans to continue its services in coming years.
Hotel Ramprasad is the only place which incorporates hygiene while providing tasty noon meals to heart’s content with its priceless service.
