Over 4,500 sanitation workers to benefit from free meal scheme in Erode district

A total of 4,582 sanitation workers in urban local bodies will benefit from the free meal programme launched in the district here on Monday (February 9, 2026).

Minister for Housing, Prohibition and Excise S. Muthusamy launched the scheme to provide breakfast and lunch to sanitation workers in the Corporation, Municipalities, and Town Panchayats in the district, in the presence of District Collector S. Kandasamy, MLA V.C. Chandrakumar, and Mayor S. Nagarathinam.

Following the launch of the scheme earlier in Tiruvallur district by Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, the programme—aimed at ensuring nutritious food for sanitation workers across the State—was rolled out here. Food distribution began in the Corporation, covering 2,165 workers across four zones, including sanitation workers, drivers, and mosquito control workers.

The annual expenditure for implementing the scheme in the Corporation is ₹3.47 crore. Breakfast will be provided to 2,038 workers at 47 locations, while lunch will be served to 127 workers at nine locations. In addition, the scheme will benefit 874 sanitation workers in five municipalities and 1,543 sanitation workers in 41 town panchayats across the district.

Food will be provided as per a fixed weekly menu for workers engaged during morning and afternoon shifts. The menu includes a variety of breakfast and lunch items such as idli, pongal, kichadi, upma, vegetable biryani, lemon rice, tamarind rice, and sambar rice, along with side dishes, ensuring adequate nutrition.

Deputy Mayor V. Selvaraj, Corporation Deputy Commissioner K. Dhanalakshmi, Assistant Collector (Training) Kanchan Choudhary, and other officials were present.