TN’s Coimbatore Corporation mulls midday meal scheme for sanitation workers, seeks staff preference

Coimbatore, Feb 12 (IANS) The Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation is considering converting its existing free breakfast scheme for sanitation workers into a midday meal programme, following concerns that food served early in the morning often loses freshness by the time workers are able to eat.

In an official statement, Corporation Commissioner M. Sivaguru Prabhakaran said the civic body has taken note of complaints from cleanliness workers who reported that breakfast prepared at dawn becomes stale or unsuitable for consumption after several hours of fieldwork.

“It has come to our notice that when workers consume food after a delay following their work, it leads to certain issues. Therefore, the possibility of replacing the breakfast scheme with meals is under consideration,” the statement said.

Sanitary workers typically begin their duties in the early hours of the morning, carrying out sweeping and conservancy work across the city. However, many are only able to take their meal break later in the forenoon. Since breakfast is prepared as early as 6.30 a.m., workers say the food often loses its freshness by 10 a.m., affecting both taste and quality.

If the proposal is implemented, the Corporation plans to provide a midday meal costing Rs 51 per worker per day, compared to Rs 40 currently spent on breakfast.

The additional expenditure will be borne by the civic body as part of its welfare commitment to frontline staff.

To ensure the decision reflects the needs of the workforce, the Corporation will distribute forms to all sanitary workers to gather their preferences.

Based on the feedback, officials will decide whether to continue with the breakfast scheme or shift to the midday meal model.

Currently, 9,454 cleanliness workers engaged in conservancy operations across Coimbatore benefit from the free breakfast programme. Many workers have expressed that a meal served closer to noon would be more practical and nutritious, helping them better sustain themselves after physically demanding duties.

The free breakfast scheme was originally introduced by the Tamil Nadu government to ensure sanitation workers receive adequate nutrition despite their early start times.

Coimbatore Mayor R. Ranganayaki had earlier expressed gratitude to Chief Minister M.K. Stalin for launching the welfare measure. Officials said the proposed change is aimed at improving food quality and worker well-being while strengthening support for one of the city’s most essential workforces.

–IANS

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