Mid-day meal workers stage protest; demand salary hike in Baksa district

GORESWAR, Sept 26: Hundreds of mid-day meal workers of Goreswar in Baksa district staged a protest in front of the Goreswar Block Elementary Education office and shouted slogans in support of their long-pending demand of salary hike and other facilities. A memorandum was also submitted to the Prime Minister through the Block Elementary Education Officer of Goreswar containing a five-point charter of demands like salary hike upto Rs 6,000 instead of Rs 1,000, to stop privatization of mid-day meal scheme, release of their salary after each month, social safety of the workers and to stop discharging them from their job with false allegations.

According to the workers, the State Government was doing injustice to them by giving them a very minimal salary. “We are getting only Rs 1,000 per month since 2009 but we do 5-6 hours of duty everyday,” said Manmani Deka, president of the Goreswar unit of the All Assam Mid-Day Meal Workers’ Union. “Many of the mid-day meal workers are either single women or widows. They completely depend on this income,” added Deka. Manmani Deka and Surama Deka, president and secretary of Goreswar unit of All Assam Mid-Day Meal Workers’ Union, demanded immediate salary hike by the government so that the mid-meal workers could work more dedicatedly and sincerely.

JOYSAGAR: The Sivasagar District Midday Meal Workers’ Union also staged protest in Boarding Field of Sivasagar town. They submitted a memorandum to the Sivasagar Inspector of Schools. The Midday Meal Workers’ Union of Charaideo District also staged a similar protest in support of their demands and sent a memorandum to the Charaideo Inspector of Schools.