CHENNAI: The state government pays the contractor Rs 57.75 per head for lunch under their much-publicised scheme that offers one free meal a day for sanitary workers. However, an on-ground check by TNIE over the last week revealed that workers in many wards were being served variety rice- brinji, lemon rice, tomato rice, tamarind rice, or one-pot sambar rice, which they said were easily available in roadside eateries for anywhere between Rs 20-Rs 40 with better taste and quality.
A total of 29,455 sanitary workers, ranging from permanent to contract sanitary workers deployed across the city are included in the scheme, according to the government order.
The menu varies in the 200 wards in the city, and workers in a few areas receive white rice with sambar or vatha kulambu at least three days a week, a meal they said they enjoyed. In many other wards, workers are served variety rice, which they said were neither nutritious nor appetising.
Sanjay (name changed), a sanitary staff from the Thiruvottiyur zone, said they work hard all day and “would like to have meals for lunch with sambar and rasam or some other curry and vegetable”. “As accompaniments, they mostly serve vegetables like potatoes which older people don’t prefer due to digestive issues or joint pain. Before this scheme, we used to eat at a small eatery run by a lady, who would give us egg, unlimited white rice, fish curry, sambar, rasam, and vegetables such as kootu or poriyal for just Rs 50. The food was delicious and filling,” he said.
TNIE also visited the said eatery and confirmed that the combo was indeed available with fish fry by paying Rs 20 more. TNIE also found that at Ambattur eateries, a range of variety rice, including bitter gourd rice, sundakkai rice, and mango rice were sold in good quality and quantity for just Rs 30. “If the allocated cost (Rs 57.75) is given to us, we could eat outside at half the cost and use the remaining for other expenses. We can even have sambar or curd rice at Amma canteens for Rs 5,” a worker said.
According to a G.O. issued by the MAWS department in October 2025, A-shift workers (6am-2pm) are to be provided lunch between 1.30pm-2pm. These workers said they are asked to report by 5.30am, forcing many to skip breakfast and work until lunch without food. The meals are reportedly being distributed only after the shift ends after 2pm.
Sangeetha (name changed), a sanitary worker from Sowcarpet, said she travels daily from near Kodungaiyur dump yard and reports for duty at 5.30 am. “It is nearly impossible to cook, eat, and leave so early. If I eat outside, I have to spend Rs 40 on breakfast and another Rs 60 on tea, and water bottles. The government can provide at least A-shift workers with two-free-meals-a-day,” she said.
She added that food distribution is poorly managed. “There is no one to serve. Some pack extra portions for two or three people. By the time others finish work and come, the food is over.”
Many workers that TNIE spoke to alleged that earlier, when meals were distributed in sealed lunch boxes, they had found bugs. The practice was discontinued soon after and food is now transported in insulated containers.
Several male workers across Sowcarpet, Royapuram, and Thiruvottiyur said they avoid the meals, citing poor taste. Workers also raised concerns over the lack of drinking water. “We work under the sun till 2pm. Most of our money goes towards buying water. More than food, we need water,” a worker said. Most of the food distribution centres in Chennai also lacked proper drinking water.
TNIE’s attempt to reach out to corporation officials including GCC commissioner J Kumaragurubaran and joint commissioner (health) VP Jeyaseelan went unanswered.