The Kudumbashree has started Cafe Corners at the international airport here and in Kochi to offer refreshments to expatriates returning home.
The Cafe Corners at the airport here—one in the lounge inside the terminal and another in the corridor outside—began functioning on Sunday.
The kiosks, run by Big B Eats, a Kudumbashree-affiliated unit, provide refreshments to non-resident Keralites disembarking from flights and in for a wait owing to COVID-19 tests.
While the kiosk in the lounge provides tea, snacks such as biscuits, and drinking water, the one outside the terminal will provide steamed eats, limited number of vegetarian and non-vegetarian meals, and biryani from Monday. The two Cafe Corners are manned by three women.
Kudumbashree Executive Director Harikishore S. said health tests required expatriates to wait at the airports, but buying food from the airport was not affordable for many. Some might not even be able to buy food on the journey home owing to safety protocols. A decision was then taken by the Chief Minister to rope in Kudumbashree to provide refreshments to them at affordable rates. Directions were then given to Collectors of the districts concerned.
Short notice
Kudumbashree district mission coordinator K.R. Shaiju said the Cafe Corners here had begun functioning at short notice without any stall arrangement after permission was received on Saturday. However, operations would start in full swing on Monday. The eats were also being provided by another Kudumbashree unit at a COVID testing centre at Chakka, he said.
The first such kiosk started at the Nedumbassery airport on June 26.
The Cafe Corner there is run by a five-member unit from Kunnukara panchayat. Renjini S., Ernakulam district mission in-charge, said about 250 to 300 people were visiting the kiosk and the unit was making a profit of ₹4,500 a day.
The units have been deployed keeping in mind safety precautions. The people at the kiosks are allowed in only after temperature checks and have to don PPE kits.
The Kudumbashree Cafe Corners will soon open at the Kannur and Karipur airports.
