Karnataka - Gulbarga   

Midday meal cooks seek higher pay

GULBARGA: Hundreds of cooks and assistant cooks working in midday meal centers in Gulbarga staged a protest demonstration on Tuesday in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s office in the city demanding increase in wages.

The cooks, who protested under the banner of Samata Sainik Dal, took out a procession from Jagat Circle to the Deputy Commissioner’s office. They submitted a memorandum to the district authorities which was addressed to Chief Minister B. S. Yeddyurappa.

Prominent among the leaders who protested were president of the Samata Sainik Dal Sanjeev T Male and State general secretary of Republican Party of India A. B. Hosmani.

Their main demand was that chief cook’s wages be increased to Rs. 2500 from Rs. 650 , cook’s to Rs. 2,000 a month from Rs. 450 and assistant cook’s wages be increased to Rs. 1,500 from Rs. 300 with immediate effect. The political interference in appointment of cooks and assistant cooks should be avoided, and officials should be given freedom in recruiting meal staff.

Those working in the midday meal centers should be provided Antodya ration card and should be paid maternity allowance and leave, the memorandum said. They should also be provided free houses under government schemes, and the Government should give up the decision to hand over the mid-day meal scheme to private organisations, the protesters demanded.

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