Where Aavin booths turn mini canteens

As a customer to an Aavin booth in R.S. Puram showed that it served as a roadside mess. It is like a canteen where staff employed in commercial establishments visit to take short breaks from their work for a cup of tea.What draws crowd in huge numbers to this booth is the availability of short-eats all through the day.

As per a Right to Information (RTI) petition filed in 2015, it is learnt that there are 63 Aavin booths in Coimbatore. Necessary permissions have been obtained to operate nine more booths. That brings the total to 72 boothsin the city. Out of these, a few of the booths are under direct control of Aavin, while others have beenopened as franchisees by Aavin.

The Coimbatore depot of Aavin produces milk and milk products on a daily basis. These products are sold in the Aavin booths. On a daily basis about one-and-a-half-lakh litres of milk packetsare produced at this depot and a majority of this is sold. We are informed that about 40,000 litres of milk is converted into by-productslike curd, buttermilk, butter, ghee, milk khoa, milk peda, and flavoured milk that is sold in the Aavin booths that are located in and around the city.

However, alongside these by-products,South Indian short eats and even packed meals are sold at these booths. This, according to a city-based activist is a clear violation. "When licences are issued to franchise owners,they are clearly told that they cannot sell any other products apart from brand Aavin. However, violations are happening in almost every Aavin booth and in the open. It is anyone's guess why officials are not reacting."

Upon asking the franchise owner at R.S. Puram if it is permitted to sell stuff apart from Aavin products he replied: "I sell these products because of demand from the public. A majority of my customers are office goersand they prefer to eat Indian snacks along with refreshments."

During Post Office hours the place surrounding this Aavin booth is littered with newspapers and the stray dogs feed upon the food littered on the road. The street where this Aavin booth is located falls under Ward 23. It is in fact is one of the first streets that was chosen for the implementation of the zero waste management- Shunya projects.

It must be noted that just a little away from this Aavin booth is located the R.S. Puram Head Post Office that has a canteen in its premises. This canteen sells a range of short-eats, breakfast and lunch on all workingdays for a reasonable cost. The Aavin franchise owner's justification that the demand from the public has prompted him to make and sell short-eats and packed food does not hold water.

Aavin officials were unavailable for comment.

TN polls: Dr Mahendran appointed as Pollachi and Valparai Observer

Ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections, officials including Dr Mahendran have been appointed as observers across Tamil Nad...

Coimbatore Industrialists Push for Expanded Air India Flight Services

Kongu Global Forum has urged Air India to expand services from Coimbatore International Airport. Currently four flights...

Major Dams in Coimbatore and Tiruppur Districts Record Steady Water Levels; Officials Release Discharge Updates

As of March 31, major dams including Aliyar, Parambikulam, Solayar, Amaravathi, and Thirumoorthy in Coimbatore and Tirup...

Karpagam Institute Celebrates 17th Annual Sports Day with Great Enthusiasm

Karpagam Institute of Technology celebrated its 17th Annual Sports Day on March 28, 2026, at its campus with students, f...

DMK Manifesto Ignores Electricity Demands: Recycling Textile Association Disappointed

The Recycling Textile Industries Association expressed disappointment as the DMK election manifesto failed to address cr...

AIADMK Manifesto Promises Solar Power Subsidies and Incentives, Industry Welcomes Announcement

Coimbatore: Tamil Nadu Solar Power Producers Association and industry stakeholders have welcomed AIADMK's election manif...