Daijiworld Media Network - Chennai

Chennai, Oct 23: In a major move to uplift sanitation workers, the Tamil Nadu government has unveiled a robust welfare package centered around providing free daily meals—breakfast, lunch, and dinner—to sanitation workers, starting with the Greater Chennai Corporation and gradually expanding to other urban and local bodies.

This initiative, overseen by the Municipal Administration and Water Supply Department, is part of a broader set of welfare measures approved during a Cabinet meeting led by Chief Minister Stalin. Alongside the free meal scheme, the government has introduced several key programs to address the health, financial security, education, and housing needs of sanitation workers.

A special health program will tackle skin ailments caused by prolonged exposure to waste, while a compensation plan offers Rs 10 lac to families of workers who lose their lives on duty. Workers aspiring for self-employment can avail subsidies up to Rs 3.5 lac, backed by a Rs 10 crore fund allocation.

Education support comes in the form of a higher education scholarship for workers’ children, and housing needs will be addressed by constructing 30,000 new homes for sanitation workers in urban areas, with rural workers prioritized under the Kalaignar Kanavu Illam scheme. Additionally, a free insurance scheme worth Rs 5 lakh will provide further protection.

Local authorities have been directed to ensure the regular provision of free breakfast, reinforcing the government’s commitment to the dignity, safety, and well-being of sanitation workers—key pillars of Tamil Nadu’s public health infrastructure.