The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Mid-day meal scheme workers stage protest

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Tuesday, Nov 20, 2007
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Mid-day meal scheme workers stage protest

Staff Reporter

— Photo: Mohd. Arif

On warpath: Cooks of mid-day meal scheme protesting in Sangareddy on Monday.

Sangareddy: Activists of Andhra Pradesh Mid-day meal scheme Workers Union, an affiliate of the CITU, urged the State Government not to handover the responsibility to non-governmental organisations. The members on Monday organised a rally from the Inspection Bungalow to the Collector’s office here and submitted a memorandum to the District Revenue Officer.

CITU district convener B. Lakshmi addressing the workers said that even though more than 6250 cooks and helpers have been working in 2,500 schools in the district, they are being denied minimum wages and are not even recognised as labour at par with industrial workers.

CITU district general secretary A. Manikyam said that 50,000 schools in the State have no cooking sheds and at least half of them do not have drinking water facilities. He pointed out that 80 per cent of the schools in the State do not have power connection and 3,500 schools have been running in private accommodation.

Comparing the status of scheme to that of neighbouring States, Manikyam said that workers in Tamil Nadu were paid Rs. 2,278 while helpers are being paid Rs. 1,150. Unlike in the State, the food material there is supplied by the Civil Supplies Department.

The workers further demanded Rs. 5 meal budget and 150 grams of rice per student, ID cards for workers and good quality rice for cooking.

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