Around 65 per cent of India’s 24.95 lakh mid-day meal workers are paid less than Rs 2,000 per month.
Even after Parliamentary committees recommended hikes in their salary, they still remain the same. In eight states and three Union Territories, the monthly payment of these workers is just Rs 1,000 since 2009, a report in The Indian Express said.
On the other hand, the reports state that the southern states and UTs are miles ahead in terms of the monthly payment. States like Puducherry, Tamil Nadu and Kerala have been paying over Rs 21,000, Rs 12,000 and 9,000 respectively on a monthly basis to cooks and helpers.
“The cooks and helpers are classified as honorary workers who have come forward to render social services. They are not considered workers and consequently, the legislation on minimum wages are not applied to them,” a government official told Indian Express.
The report further stated that the Ministry of Education in 2018, and last year had pitched for a hike in wages to Rs 2,000 but the proposals were shot down by Finance Ministry. The ministry gave the onus on states to increase the salary based on their demands.
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Published 20 December 2021, 17:25 IST