GCC's 29,455 cleanliness workers to get full-day meal as govt approves pilot project

CHENNAI:The State government has approved the implementation of a full-day meal scheme for sanitation workers under the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC), marking the first phase of a welfare initiative that is set to be extended to workers across the State.

As part of the rollout, each worker will receive a single free meal a day (breakfast, lunch, or dinner) based on their shift timings. The scheme will first be implemented in Chennai before being extended to other urban local bodies. The civic body has identified 29,455 conservancy workers for inclusion under the scheme. This includes 3,628 permanent employees, 415 NMR staff, 2,946 self-help group workers, 8,901 persons employed under Urbaser, 5,346 under Ramky Enviro Engineers, and others engaged through NGOs and smaller contracting agencies.

Under the Rs 186.94 crore programme, sanctioned by the Municipal Administration and Water Supply Department, the meals will be prepared and delivered through a licensed catering agency selected by the Corporation, with food packed in tiffin carriers to ensure hygiene and timely delivery.

The cost per meal has been fixed at Rs 57.75 for the morning shift, Rs 42 for the evening shift, and Rs 47.25 for the night shift. The GCC has been authorised to finalise the tender and oversee implementation. The programme will be jointly monitored by the Corporation Commissioner and the principal secretary, Municipal Administration and Water Supply Department, who will supervise the flow of funds, quality checks, and audit compliance.

The announcement came at the onset of a month-long protest of the city’s sanitation workers under the NULM scheme, who resisted privatisation and demanded job security. While those demands have not been met, Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu announced after the August 14 Cabinet meeting, chaired by Chief Minister MK Stalin, that sanitation workers who begin their duties before dawn often skip meals due to irregular work hours.

According to the order, meals will be distributed from designated points across all 15 zones of the Chennai Corporation, with supply and supervision managed directly by the civic body. The initiative aims to ensure nutritional support for the city’s sanitation workforce, while also setting a model for expansion to other urban local bodies in Tamil Nadu.