44K mid-day meal workers without salary for 2 months in Punjab

A total of 44,301 mid-day meal workers have been unable to withdraw their monthly stipend following the Punjab Government’s decision to change their bank. Trade unions have termed this decision as “bizarre and inexplicable”.

They say these workers, who belong to the lower strata of society and are paid a measly monthly amount of Rs 3000, are grappling with a plethora of economic problems because of this impasse. They used to get paid Rs 2,500 till the government increased it by Rs 500 last year.

Till June, these women workers could withdraw their money from nationalised banks like the SBI, Punjab National Bank and Punjab and Sind Bank. The branches of these banks were easily accessible. But the government has now mandated that their honorarium can be withdrawn from only Canara Bank.

In Gurdaspur district, this bank has just 11 branches. Women workers have to travel to faraway places to get their money because of the paucity of branches. A similar scenario is being witnessed across the state. Government officials say the reason behind this was that Canara Bank offered free health and life insurance facilities.

Ironically, the same facilities are available in other banks as well.

“Gurdaspur has 3,800 workers and 80 per cent of them have to trudge to the nearest branch, which in any case is located at a considerable distance,” says Mamta Sharma, president of the Punjab unit of the Mid-Day Meal Workers Union.

“We have not been paid for the last two months since the government has not credited our money to Canara Bank. We are under severe financial distress,” said Gurpreet Kaur Kohali, a spokesperson of the Gurdaspur unit. “When the government is not giving any special incentive or inducement, what is the logic of moving our stipends to Canara Bank? With this bank having limited branches, some of us have to travel 25-30 km,” she added.

The workers said they should be given a choice of five or six banks to mitigate their sufferings. “Interestingly, an air accident cover of Rs 18 lakh has been introduced. A worker who is paid just Rs 3,000 per month does not travel by air,” said Amarjit Shastri, a trade union leader.

To complicate matters, any worker who has crossed the 60-year age limit cannot avail the insurance benefits. A series of protests have been planned throughout the state to urge the government to revoke the decision.