Trailblazing Meal Scheme Revolutionizes Sanitation Workers' Welfare in Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu's Chief Minister M K Stalin has introduced a groundbreaking expansion of a free meal program for urban sanitation workers across the state, marking a first in the nation. Originally launched on November 15, 2025, in Chennai, this initiative provides three nutritious meals a day to over 31,000 sanitation workers within corporation areas, targeting an improvement in their health and working conditions.

The scheme, which distributes meals in tiffin boxes, initially covered all 200 wards of the Chennai Corporation. Now expanded, it aims to address hunger for a total of 1,29,689 sanitation workers, covering additional jurisdictions: 48,768 individuals in 24 corporations, 29,556 in 145 municipalities, and 21,910 in 479 town panchayats. During the program's public launch, Stalin interacted personally with workers, emphasizing the Dravidian model's commitment to their holistic development.

The scheme not only focuses on nutritional aspects but also includes welfare measures such as housing, entrepreneur loans, life insurance, and scholarships for the workers' children's education. Stalin reaffirmed the government's dedication to launching further welfare programs to support sanitation workers, as he shared a supportive message on 'X'.