Pune: Mid-Day Meal Scheme For Construction Workers Comes To An End In PCMC Area, Uncertainty Over Future Assistance

Pimpri, 29th October 2023: The mid-day meal scheme, designed to provide two meals to construction workers, has been terminated as the state labour department instructed contractors to halt work from November 1. This decision has raised questions about the food supply for thousands of workers in the city and whether the government will introduce an alternative scheme.

Over the past few years, the city has witnessed significant urbanization, with numerous industries operating in and around the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) area. Workers from across the nation migrate here for employment, resulting in the continuous construction of new residential and industrial projects. This has propelled the construction business into one of the city’s major industries, attracting skilled and unskilled labourers from various regions. These labourers, often from outside the city, work under challenging conditions and require access to nutritious meals twice a day.

The Building and Construction Workers Welfare Board accumulated substantial funds for labourer welfare. In February 2019, a decision was made to launch a two-time healthy meal plan for workers, initially intended for registered workers but later extended to unregistered and naka workers during the pandemic. However, the Chief Executive Officer of the Maharashtra Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board, Vivek Kumbhar, has now ordered the suspension of the scheme.

Criticism and objections to the scheme arose, primarily regarding its limited coverage and the quality of the provided food. Some organizations advocated depositing the meal amount directly into the workers’ accounts instead of supplying food. Now, with the scheme’s termination, attention shifts to the government’s next steps.

The city, known for its large workforce, accommodates thousands of construction workers. Many ongoing projects rely on these labourers for their completion. With the closure of the mid-day meal scheme, thousands of workers may face food deprivation.

Kashinath Nakhate, a labour leader, expressed, “The mid-day meal scheme has been contentious from its inception. Various organizations across the state reported inflated worker numbers and subpar food quality. While we are pleased with the scheme’s termination, we continue to advocate for direct deposits to workers’ accounts.”