Imphal, August 1: The Mid Day Meal Workers Union in Manipur, on Thursday, demanded a wage increase and formal recognition from the state government, citing their current earnings of Rs 33 per day, significantly lower than the Rs 12,000 earned by their counterparts in other states.
At a press conference at Irabot Bhawan, union convener Pukhrambam Pravahini Devi called on the government to address this wage disparity and formally recognize mid day meal workers as employees, which would provide them with job security and benefits. She also demanded the immediate release of overdue honorarium payments to alleviate the workers’ financial strain. Additionally, she stressed the urgency of discussing this issue during the ongoing assembly session.
The mid day meal program, started in 1995, aims to provide nutritious meals to students in government and aided schools throughout Manipur. Despite their crucial role in this program, the workers are struggling due to insufficient pay and lack of formal recognition.
The union hopes their demands will lead to prompt government action, ensuring fair treatment and improved wages for mid day meal workers in the state.
What is mid day meal scheme?
The Mid Day Meal Scheme is a government initiative in India aimed at enhancing the nutritional status of school-age children nationwide. Key points of the scheme include:
1. Objective: To provide free lunches to students in primary and upper primary classes in government and government-aided schools, as well as special training centers.
2. Nutritional Goals: The scheme aims to improve the nutritional intake of children, reduce classroom hunger, and enhance enrollment, retention, and attendance rates in schools.
3. Coverage: It covers children in primary classes (I-V) and upper primary classes (VI-VIII).
4. Nutritional Standards: The meals provided must meet specific nutritional standards, providing a minimum number of calories and grams of protein per meal.
5. Implementation: The scheme is implemented by state governments and union territories, with funding and guidelines provided by the central government.
6. Impact: The Mid Day Meal Scheme has been credited with improving educational outcomes, reducing child malnutrition, and providing social equity by benefiting children from disadvantaged backgrounds.
The scheme is a significant component of India’s efforts to combat child hunger and promote education.
There salary should be increased as the living standards and price is skyrocket
Definitely they should be paid a better wage.