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Nearly 65% Mid-Day Meal Cooks Underpaid, Recieve Monthly Salary Less Than 2K: Report
Writer: Devyani Madaik
A media enthusiast, Devyani believes in learning on the job and there is nothing off limits when it comes to work. Writing is her passion and she is always ready for a debate as well.
India, 20 Dec 2021 9:42 AM GMT
Editor : Palak Agrawal |
Palak a journalism graduate believes in simplifying the complicated and writing about the extraordinary lives of ordinary people. She calls herself a " hodophile" or in layman words- a person who loves to travel.
Creatives : Devyani Madaik
A media enthusiast, Devyani believes in learning on the job and there is nothing off limits when it comes to work. Writing is her passion and she is always ready for a debate as well.
The salaries of cooks/helpers working in eight states and three union territories are frozen at Rs 1,000 for the last 12 years or have seen minor appraisal, despite hike recommendations by several parliamentary committees.
Of the total number of cooks-cum-helpers (CCH) involved in preparing food under the government's Mid-Day Meal program or PM Poshan, 65 per cent are paid less than Rs 2,000 a month.
The salaries of cooks/helpers working in eight states and three union territories are frozen at Rs 1,000 for the last 12 years or have seen minor appraisal, despite hike recommendations by several parliamentary committees, The Indian Express reported.
States/UTs Lagging
The maximum underpaid workers are from the eight states and three union territories, primarily from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal, etc.
States/UTs Ahead
The report states the southern states and Union Territories to be way ahead in providing adequate monthly payment, including Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala, paying Rs 21,000, Rs 12,000 and Rs 9,000 respectively to the cooks and helpers, also known as CCHs.
Govt's Assurances
When the scheme was renamed to PM Poshan in September this year, the government was assured of reviewing the formula to calculate cooking cost per child; but there have been no updates and revisions of the monthly payments.
Appraisal Rejected By Finance Ministry
Speaking to IE, a senior government official said that the Education Ministry had raised the matter of appraisal in 2018 and 2020. Still, they didn't receive a nod from the finance ministry, saying that it was the state governments' prerogative to update the payments as per the requirements.
"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," IE quoted the official as saying.
Funds Ratio
The funds for salaries are divided in a 60:40 ratio by the centre with states and UTs.
Disparity Within The System
According to the report, the Rajya Sabha committee highlighted the disparity in the honorarium paid to the cooks and helpers. The report states recommended forming a uniform system that would decide the salary to be paid and would be maintained between different States and UTs.
An irregularity has also been noticed in the payments. Reportedly, nearly 3.93 lakh CCHs in Uttar Pradesh were not paid.
Also Read: Disappointed With Low Prices, Farmer Burns Dozens Of Garlic Produce In Madhya Pradesh
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