Children studying in government schools will not get food this Thursday

Mid-Day Meal Workers Union Punjab is going on a state-level strike on Thursday (February 12), to mount pressure on the government over their long-standing demands.

Due to this strike, mid-day meals will not be served to students on that day in all government schools of the state.

The day coincides with Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria’s Abohar visit to carry the padyatra from the Municipal Corporation office to the DAV College under a drug awareness programme.

However, the students have not been asked to be present in the event so far. 

Union's Punjab president Bimla Devi and general secretary Kamaljit Kaur said at a rally here today that their organisation has been fighting for the legitimate demands of about 77,000 mid-day meal workers contracted in the state for the last 25 years.

But, till now, they added, no government has paid serious attention to these demands. They said that in this era of inflation, mid-day meal workers are forced to work for only Rs 100 per day, which is not a respectable salary.

The union demanded that the monthly salary of mid-day meal workers should be increased to Rs 7,500 as per Haryana pattern.

The leaders said that their other major demands include provision of summer and winter uniforms, grant of casual leave, medical, maternity and earned leave, inclusion of pre-nursery children in primary schools, appointment of at least two mid-day meal workers in each school, Contributory Provident Fund deduction by issuing service book, free insurance of Rs 5 lakh for each worker, and job to a family member in case of death of the worker.

They clarified that in protest against the non-fulfilment of the demands, a strike will be held at an all-India level on February 12, under which mid-day meal will not be served to children in the government schools of Punjab.