Mid-day meals scheme workers stage protest

Musheerabad: Under the aegis of Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), Telangana mid-day meals scheme workers union staged protest here at Dharna Chowk demanding payment of pending bills and resolution of their issues.

Speaking on the occasion, CITU leaders condemned the state government's lackadaisical attitude towards the workers' issues.

Instead of addressing the job security issues of the workers, the government is trying to privatise the scheme, the leaders alleged.

They demanded the payment of the bill arears which have been kept pending since last four months.

Other demands include payment of a minimum wage of Rs 18,000 pm, increase of mess charges based on the rise of prices, additional budget for eggs, and issuance of government identity cards to workers and supply of gas on subsidy.

The wages of the workers, most of them working for more than 17 years, have not been increased and basic facilities were not provided to them, they alleged.

On the other hand, state and central governments are trying to evade their responsibility by handing over the maintenance of the scheme to voluntary organisations despite CAG's report passing negative comments on maintenance of the scheme by third parties, they said.

The union leaders demanded that the state government to withdraw its decision as it would destroy the lives of SC, ST, BC and minority workers who depend on the scheme.

The leaders said that the budget allocated for eggs is not adequate and officials are pressurising the workers to provide three eggs, which they could not given the inadequate funds.

Several studies conducted on malnutrition opined that midday meals scheme has reduced malnutrition among children, but the state government has been deliberately destroying the scheme, they lamented.

About 98 per cent of women workers are from socially and financially backward communities.

While the neighbouring states such as AP and Tamil Nadu are giving better salaries, the state government is paying meagre salaries of Rs 1,000 per month that too only for ten months in the year, they said.

Among those who participated in the protest include the union president K Varalakshmi, general secretary S Rama, CITU leaders Paladugu Bhaskar, Jai Venkatesh, Gopal, Sudhakar, Srikanth, Brahmachari and others.