Midday meal workers in Haryana yet to get salary for 4 months

Faridabad, September 20

The majority of the 30,000 midday meal workers in various districts of Haryana haven’t received their monthly honorarium for the past four months, it is learnt.

This has led to unrest among the workers who had been engaged full time to cook for thousands of students in government schools. The department concerned has claimed that the payment has just been released.

“The state government has been meting shabby treatment to thousands of midday meal workers by delaying their honorariums every month despite their crucial role in the Education Department,” says Saroj, president of the Haryana Midday Meal Workers Association.

She adds that workers have not received their honorarium since May. The last time the honorarium was released, it was given after a gap of five months, she claimed.

“Though we have recently been assured that the honorarium of the past four months will be released soon, why do workers not get their wages by the first week of each month as given to employees of other departments in the state?” she asks.

Revealing that the issue had been highlighted before the authorities, including the Education Minister and senior officials, at various times, she said the problem stands unresolved.

Describing the midday meal workers as an important part of the Education Department, Sarbati, general secretary of the association, said that they have been told that payment has been released recently, and demanded that the honorarium be raised to least Rs 20,000. “As the majority of workers belong to poor families, delay in release of the honorarium leads to a survival crisis as they have to borrow money from their kin, resulting in various problems,” says Jai Bhagwan, secretary, CITU, Haryana.

“The honorarium for three months (June to August) has been released and is likely to reach the accounts of workers soon,” said Sanjeev, a senior official of the state Elementary Education Department.