CHENNAI: The state government has issued a Government Order (GO) to implement the free one-meal-a-day scheme for 29,455 sanitary workers within the Chennai Corporation limits, including staff working under private contractors, at a cost of Rs 59.29 crore for the first year.
The free meal initiative was among six special welfare schemes announced by the government on August 14 this year, following large-scale protests against the privatisation of waste management operations in two zones of the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC).
According to the order issued by the Municipal Administration and Water Supply Department on October 14, the GCC will hire a catering agency on a three-year contract to prepare food in designated kitchens. The meals will be packed in tiffin boxes and distributed to sanitary workers at their respective workplaces.
Of the total workforce, 22,886 workers are engaged in the morning shift from 6 am to 2 pm and will receive lunch between 1.30 pm and 2 pm. Around 1,410 workers on the 2 pm to 10 pm shift will be provided dinner between 9.30 pm and 10 pm, while 5,159 workers on the night shift from 10 pm to 6 am will be given breakfast.
The order stated that the total cost of implementing the scheme would be Rs 186.94 crore over three years — including a 5% cost escalation in the second and third years — covering food preparation and distribution charges. The project has been accorded administrative sanction by the state government and will be implemented directly by the GCC using grants from the Sixth State Finance Commission.
GCC to appoint consultant to oversee free meal scheme
The per-meal cost for the government will be Rs 57.75 for lunch, Rs 42 for dinner, and Rs 47.25 for breakfast.
As per the guidelines in the order, the GCC will appoint a Project Management Consultant (PMC) to oversee the scheme and ensure quality and quantity control in food preparation, packaging, and distribution. All meals must be prepared and supplied in compliance with Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) norms. After distribution, the catering agency is required to obtain signatures from the authorities concerned or update the details in the corporation’s mobile application.
Though there are 5,346 workers in zones where waste management is handled by private entities associated with the Ramky Group, a lot of them in Royapuram and Thiru Vi Ka Nagar zones have been demanding direct employment under the corporation and regularisation of jobs and have not resumed duty yet.
K Bharathi of Uzhaippor Urimai Iyakkam said, “This is not what the workers had demanded. What they are asking for is regularisation of jobs. We are hearing from sanitary workers that this month, their salaries were not paid as per the Minimum Wages Act. These are issues that the government should fix first.”
Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu, while announcing the scheme on August 14 after a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister M K Stalin, said the initiative would first be rolled out in Chennai before being extended across the state.
29K to benefit, entire tn will be covered soon
The scheme, which will cover 29,455 staff in Chennai Corporation, is among six welfare programmes announced by the state on August 14 after large-scale protests by the staff against privatisation of waste management in two zones of the GCC. Entire TN will be covered soon
