Ensure quality of meals provided to construction workers remains consistent: Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel

“We have also told the institutions who have been given charge of making the meals to ensure that good food is delivered daily to workers. Will they get it? What is the department saying?” the chief minister asked his officials seated on the stage. Patel said his government will ensure that the remaining cost of the meal provided under the scheme is paid to these institutions.

Former chief minister Vijay Rupani launched the scheme in 2017 where meals were provided at a cost of Rs 10. It was briefly suspended during the Covid pandemic. The scheme was later revamped and meals have been provided at Rs 5 since October 2022.

“Roti, pulses, rice, vegetables, pickles, green chilli and a piece of jaggery is part of the meal provided. Once a week sukhadi (a sweetmeat made from wheat flour, ghee and jaggery) is also provided. These meals, which have an estimated 1,600 calories, can be carried away in the tiffin boxes brought by the workers,” said Anju Sharma, additional chief secretary of labour, skill development and employment department.

Currently, 28,000 workers are beneficiaries of the scheme provided through 118 outlets in 10 districts. A worker can feed six members of his family through the e-Nirman card. Now, the numbers have been increased to 273 outlets in 17 districts, which includes 47 outlets in Ahmedabad city alone. “The government targets to cover 50,000 workers under this scheme,” Sharma added.

In 2021, the Gujarat government spent Rs 191.14 lakh on providing meals through dedicated kiosks set up at ‘kadia nakas’ across major cities of the state. The expenditure on this scheme fell by 47 per cent to Rs 101.29 lakh in 2022, stated data tabled in the state Legislative Assembly in March 2023.

Shramik Annapurna Yojana is one of the 20 welfare schemes run through money collected under the state’s Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Cess. As of December 2022, Rs 4,560 crore of cess has accumulated in the state treasury.