Guwahati: As part of the nationwide protests, hundreds of Mid-Day Meal workers and helpers came to the streets and held sit-in protests at several district headquarters around Manipur on Sunday.
Moreover, the protesters submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi demanding, among others, improving their service conditions.
The All Manipur Mid-day Meal Workers’ Union (AMMDMWU) president Maibam Amuna organised rallies and sit-in protests that attracted more than 2000 workers (cooks and helpers) from all across Manipur.
Their demands included, among others, increase in honorarium of the workers from Rs 1000 per month to Rs 6000 per month, increase on retirement age of cooks and helpers from 60 years to 65 years, and providing retirement benefits to the tune of Rs 2 lakhs.
AMMDMWU general secretary Arambam Thoi reported that members from Manipur also attended an all-India conference for mid-day meal workers that were conducted in Hyderabad on November 4 and November 5 on the sidelines of the protest and March in Imphal.
The conference agreed to hold sit-in protests on December 11 around the nation, and AMMDMWU offers support and helps coordinate the demonstrations.
She claimed that most mid-day meal workers are living in poverty and that the honorarium of just Rs 1000 per month that they receive is insufficient for the responsibilities assigned to them.
The mid-day meal programme in Manipur began in 2005 and will soon reach its 18-year completion date.
Without mid-day meal workers, the scheme, which is playing a crucial role in promoting the right to education act, would be impossible, she said.
Additionally, she made an effort to get the Manipur government’s attention by making them aware of the difficulties and problems that communities who rely on midday meals confront.
The Midday Lunch Scheme is an Indian school meal programme created to improve the nutritional status of school-age children across the country.
Children attending government primary and upper primary schools, as well as that receiving government assistance at Anganwadis, Madarssas, and Maqtabs Workers, are given free lunches on working days.