Chennai, Feb 9 Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Monday expanded the free meal programme for sanitation workers, extending the benefit to nearly one lakh additional conservancy staff employed in urban local bodies across the state.
The move marks a significant step in strengthening welfare support for frontline civic workers who ensure cleanliness and public health in towns and cities.
The expansion was formally launched at Polivakkam in Tiruvallur district.
Under the revised coverage, 48,768 sanitation workers in 24 municipal corporations, 29,556 workers in 145 municipalities, and 21,910 workers in 479 town panchayats will now receive free meals.
The scheme was initially rolled out last year exclusively for workers of the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC), benefiting 29,455 conservancy staff.
With the latest extension, the programme will now cover sanitation workers across Tamil Nadu’s entire urban local body network, significantly widening the safety net for one of the most vulnerable sections of the workforce.
In his address at the event, Stalin reiterated his government’s commitment to improving the living and working conditions of sanitation workers. He said the state has already introduced several welfare initiatives, including housing facilities, loan assistance for small businesses and entrepreneurship, life insurance coverage, and educational support for their children.
"We will continue to introduce more welfare measures and stand firmly with sanitation workers," he said in a social media post.
Several senior leaders and officials attended the launch, including Ministers K.N. Nehru, S.M. Nasar, and M. Mathiventhan; Member of Parliament S. Jagathrakshakan; legislators S. Chandran, V.G. Raajendran, T.J. Govindarajan, S. Sudharsanam, A. Krishnaswamy, K. Ganapathy, and Durai Chandrasekar; along with Chief Secretary N. Muruganandam and other top bureaucrats.
The scheme’s statewide expansion follows a Cabinet decision taken on August 14, 2025, when six proposals aimed at improving the welfare of conservancy workers were approved.
The decision came in the wake of protests by sanitation workers at Chennai’s Ripon Buildings, which had drawn attention to their demands for better support and dignity at work. Officials said the free meal initiative is intended to ensure nutritional security and reduce daily expenses for workers who often start their duties early in the morning, reinforcing the government’s broader social justice agenda.
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