Representatives from multiple conservancy workers’ associations gathered at Chief Minister M.K. Stalin’s camp office in Alwarpet on Friday to express their gratitude for the government’s new welfare measures designed to support sanitation workers.
The unions submitted a letter of appreciation personally to the Chief Minister. Among those present were Beula John Selvaraj, P. Jayashankar, S. Purushothaman, I. Jayakumar, Senguttuvan, R. Saravanan, G. Ramu, S. Anbudasan, G. Sathiyakumar, and Muthu Ravichandran. Also attending the meeting were key state figures including Ministers K.N. Nehru, E.V. Velu, Ma. Subramanian, P.K. Sekarbabu, Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) Mayor R. Priya, Deputy Mayor M. Mahesh Kumar, senior officials, and GCC Commissioner J. Kumaragurubaran
.
The six welfare schemes announced on Thursday extend a broad range of benefits to sanitation workers. These measures include provision of free breakfast for urban workers, priority allocation of housing for rural sanitation staff, and a dedicated health drive targeting occupational illnesses like tuberculosis. The schemes also bolster financial protection, offering a compensation cover of ₹10 lakh in the event of death occurring during work. Additionally, workers will receive subsidies of up to ₹3.5 lakh to support self-employment, along with interest subsidies for prompt loan repayments. Educational benefits are also included with scholarships covering higher education expenses for workers’ children. To ensure adequate housing, the government is committed to constructing 30,000 homes over the next three years under state housing programmes.
The unions conveyed their heartfelt thanks to the Chief Minister for taking decisive steps to enhance both the welfare and security of those who play a crucial role in maintaining city cleanliness. The initiatives represent a significant acknowledgment of their contributions and provide much-needed support across health, financial, educational, and housing dimensions.