­All-India Trade Union Congress opposes midday meals by Akshaya Patra in Narayanpet

Narayanpet: The All-India Trade Union Congress vehemently opposed the State government's move to replace the existing mid-day-meal supplying workers with that of the Akshaya Patra agency.

They staged a protest in front of Revenue Development Office (RDO) on Friday and demanded that they will not relent and would fight in favour of the mid-day-meal workers until the government retains them and drops its idea of giving the contract of supplying mid-day-meal to Akshaya Patra Foundation.

"It is more than 17 years that these conventional mid-day-meal workers have been providing meals to the school students since the inception of the scheme by the government. But now, the State government is planning to drop these workers and render them jobless and wants to replace them with the Akashaya Patra," the agitators said.

Speaking on the occasion, AITUC district president Kondanna said, "There are more than 70,000 workers who are providing mid-day meals to the students across various schools in the State. However, of late, the State government is coming up with the idea of replacing these workers with Akshaya Patra. We are vehemently opposing this.

This is clearly anti-labour policy of the State government. Just because the government has to pay the PF, ESI and pensions, they are planning to completely remove the conventional system and want to render 70,000 workers jobless in the State. We will not tolerate this injustice to the workers and will take up agitation on a big way."

At present, the midday meal workers are given just Rs 1,000 honorarium. This is a meagre salary. As per the labour laws, the government has to pay PF, ESI and pensions to all these workers. But now to avoid the financial burden, they are bringing in private agency. If this is done, then it will be a grave injustice to workers, observed Kondanna.

The midday meal workers, along with AITUC leaders after staging a protest in front of RDO office, handed over a representation to Administrative Officer Balaji.