Current Affairs

Gujarat expands 'Shramik Annapurna' meal scheme – 101 new centres in 28 districts; full meal for ₹5

16-10-2026 · English

Gujarat expands 'Shramik Annapurna' meal scheme – 101 new centres in 28 districts; full meal for ₹5

Topics: Environment, Defence & Governance · 16 October 2026 Current Affairs (UPSC / TNPSC / SSC / RRB)

News

On 16 Oct 2026 Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel launched 101 new meal centres in 28 districts under the 'Shramik Annapurna Yojana' for construction workers, and served meals at Chanakyapuri, Ahmedabad. Construction workers and their families get a meal of rotis, vegetables, dal, rice, pickle and jaggery for ₹5 per person, with a sweet once a week. Daily meals will rise from about 35,000 to about 45,000. Over 5 crore meals have been served so far; sites with 50+ workers also get doorstep delivery (about 27 lakh meals). Media reports put the total number of centres variously at 372 and 394.

Key facts

Date16 Oct 2026 – CM Bhupendra Patel (Chanakyapuri, Ahmedabad)
Expansion101 new centres in 28 districts
Price₹5 per person (₹10 at launch in 2017)
BeneficiariesConstruction workers & families; ~45,000 meals/day (earlier 35,000+)
ImplementerGujarat Building & Other Construction Workers Welfare Board; Labour, Skill Development & Employment Dept
Record5 crore+ meals so far; ~27 lakh delivered at sites

Background

  • Building and Other Construction Workers (BOCW) Act 1996 + Welfare Cess Act 1996: a cess of 1–2% of construction cost; a welfare board in every State. These are now subsumed in the new Labour Codes (in force from 21 Nov 2025).
  • e-Shram portal – launched by the Union Labour Ministry on 26 Aug 2021; national database of unorganised workers.
  • Constitution: Arts. 39(e), 41, 43 (Directive Principles) – workers' welfare, living wage; Art. 47 – duty of the State to raise the level of nutrition. 'Welfare of labour' is in the Concurrent List.

Tamil Nadu link: the pioneer of subsidised meals, 'Amma Unavagam', was launched in Chennai in 2013 by CM J. Jayalalithaa (idli at ₹1). The 'Chief Minister's Breakfast Scheme' for primary school children was launched in Madurai on 15 Sep 2022. Tamil Nadu also has a Construction Workers Welfare Board.

Source: DeshGujarat, 15 Oct 2026; Punjab Kesari, GKToday, Gujarat Headline, 16 Oct 2026

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