Rs 500 hike in honorarium for cooks

Chandigarh, March 20

The education authorities have implemented the previous government’s decision of giving Rs500 hike in honorarium to around 50,000 mid-day meal cooks. The move will add a burden of Rs29 crore annually on the exchequer.

In the run-up to the elections, the then SAD-BJP government had decided to raise the honorarium from Rs1,200 to Rs1,700 per month. However, the notification was issued after the Congress government assumed charge.

The revised honorarium will be effective retrospectively from January 1.

Officials said the honorarium for cooks had been fixed at Rs1,000 per month, as per the mandate of the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), under which funds are provided by the Centre for the mid-day meal scheme.

“Funds are provided on a 60:40 basis. The Centre contributes Rs600 per month per worker. The state had earlier effected a hike of Rs200 per month on its own. The financial burden after the fresh revision will be borne by the state,” an official said. — TNS