Bhubaneswar: Midday meal (MDM) cooks-cum-helpers from across the state have been on a protest at Lower PMG Square in Bhubaneswar for the past three days, demanding immediate release of their pending wages and a hike in their honorarium.The agitators alleged that their salaries have not been paid for the last three months.The workers, who had gathered under the banner of All Odisha Midday Meal Cook-cum-Helper Association, said they will continue their agitation until their demands are addressed by the state govt. “We are struggling to manage our households without regular income. Despite working continuously, our dues have not been cleared,” Anjali Swain, one of the protesters, said.Apart from clearing pending payments, the protesters are also pressing for an increase in their monthly remuneration, arguing that the current honorarium is insufficient, given the rising cost of living. They are also demanding payment of salaries within the first week of every month and enhancement of the retirement age to 62 years.Officials in the school and mass education department said that while govt is looking into their issues, including the pending salary component, the heads of schools have been directed to make alternative arrangements for cooking of midday meals for students.They had organised similar demonstrations last Dec last year and the state govt had reportedly assured them of resolving their demands within Feb. “It is already March and nothing has been done by the state govt to look into our problems. To worsen things, our salaries have not been cleared for three months,” Swain added.There are 1,12,090 cooks-cum-helpers in govt schools for cooking midday meals for students under the PM POSHAN Yojana. The MDM scheme is implemented with a central share of 60% and the rest is shared by the state. While the Centre takes care of the food grains cost, state bears the cost of cooking and the honorarium is paid to cooks-cum-helpers. Last year, the honorarium for cooks-cum-helpers was increased from Rs 2,000 to Rs 3,000.
