SHILLONG : Mid-day meal cooks working under the PM POSHAN scheme in Meghalaya have decided to prepare meals only once a week during October and November, demanding an increase in their honorarium after nearly 20 years of service.
The decision was announced by Gina Nengnong, president of the Union of Cook-cum-Helper PM POSHAN Meghalaya, during a meeting in Shillong on Friday. The workers have warned that they could withdraw completely from the scheme if the government fails to respond to their demand.
Nengnong said the cooks had spent two decades preparing meals for schoolchildren while receiving what she described as a token payment from the government. She said the time had come for them to consider their own financial security and future.
“For 20 years, we have worked for society through schoolchildren. We request the Prime Minister to look towards us,” she said, appealing to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to address their concerns.
Describing the cooks’ responsibilities as similar to those of mothers, Nengnong said they treated schoolchildren as their own children and carried out their duties with dedication.
She also claimed that no school in Meghalaya had reported children falling ill after consuming mid-day meals, attributing this to the care and commitment of the cooks.
Questioning why their work continued to be treated as voluntary service, Nengnong said the daily responsibilities placed on the workers did not reflect the nature of their employment.
She pointed out that the cooks were expected to report for duty every day and could not freely take leave or work elsewhere to supplement their income. Even when a cook fell ill, arranging a substitute could mean paying the replacement from their own pocket, she said.
“We want you to recognise us as cooks and respect us if you think we are the foundation of this scheme,” Nengnong said.
Under the existing arrangement, the workers receive payments for only 10 months a year. In response, the Union has decided that its members will prepare mid-day meals just once a week during October and November.
On the remaining days, they intend to seek other daily-wage employment to meet their financial needs. The cooks will also assist in distributing rice to ensure that the available stock does not go to waste.
“As the payment is an honorarium, we too will work in that manner. We have no hesitation in taking this decision so that we can work elsewhere to meet our needs,” Nengnong said.
The Union is now waiting for a response from the Union Cabinet and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on its demand for an increase in honorarium.
Nengnong said the workers would convene a general meeting in the second week of February to decide their next course of action. If the government fails to respond to their demand for a higher honorarium, the Union has warned that it could announce a complete withdrawal from the scheme.