Haryana midday meal workers to hold protest at Education Minister’s house on June 5

The Mid-Day Meal Workers’ Union of Haryana will hold a state-level protest outside the residence of Education Minister Mahipal Dhanda in Panipat on June 5 to press for their long-pending demands.

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Accusing the state government for neglecting their interest, the union’s state president Rajbala said despite submitting multiple memorandums through democratic means, the government had failed to take any meaningful action.

She pointed out that mid-day meal workers — many of whom were widows — belong to the most economically and socially marginalised sections of society. These workers receive only Rs 7,000 per month as honorarium and even that is paid for just 10 months in a year, with no compensation during school holidays. “Does the government believe that our families don’t need food or daily essentials for two months of the year?” she questioned.

She alleged that the honorarium payments were often delayed for several months in many districts. Of the Rs 7,000 paid, the Centre’s contribution was merely Rs 1,000 — and even that hadn’t been disbursed for months.

“Given the soaring cost of living, it is increasingly difficult for us to survive. We receive only Rs 800 annually for two uniforms, which should be raised to at least Rs 2,000. Our union also demands a one-time retirement benefit of Rs 5 lakh for each cook upon completing 65 years of service,” Rajbala maintained.

She also raised concerns over arbitrary dismissals and lack of social security. “We are often forced to do tasks outside our designated duties, and even minor complaints lead to harassment or termination,” she added.

Rajbala claimed that these issues had sparked widespread resentment among mid-day meal workers across the state. “Preparations for the Panipat protest rally are in full swing. A large number of mid-day meal workers from across Haryana are expected to participate,” she said.