CHENNAI: Chief Minister M K Stalin on Monday launched the statewide expansion of six welfare schemes, including the one-free-meal-a-day scheme for conservancy workers, at an event held at Polivakkam in Tiruvallur district.
The schemes, which were first announced on August 14 last year, had initially been implemented for conservancy workers of the Greater Chennai Corporation and have now been extended to corporations, municipalities and town panchayats across the state.
The schemes include, provision of a free meal, housing support, enhanced insurance coverage of Rs 5 lakh in addition to Rs 5 lakh financial assistance through the Cleanliness Workers Welfare Board, special focus on identification and treatment of occupational diseases, self-employment support through a subsidy of 35% of the project cost up to a maximum of Rs 3.5 lakh, and educational assistance for the children of cleanliness workers to pursue higher education.
With this expansion, the food scheme will benefit 1,29,689 sanitary workers employed in 25 corporations, including 31,373 workers in the Greater Chennai Corporation, 145 municipalities and 479 town panchayats. An annual allocation of Rs 213.92 crore has been earmarked for the scheme, according to an official release.
The release said that it was the DMK government, led by former CM M Karunanidhi, that established the Cleanliness Workers Welfare Board in 2007, which has since introduced several initiatives. The board currently has 3.27 lakh registered members.
According to an official release from the Tambaram city municipal corporation, the food scheme will cover permanent and contract workers, self-help group workers and park maintenance staff, benefiting a total of 3,431 workers across five zones. The annual cost of the scheme for Tambaram Corporation is estimated at Rs 5.09 crore. Facilities such as RO drinking water, hand-wash areas, lighting and toilets have been arranged at all 37 food distribution centres, it added.