Mid-Day Meal Workers in Chikkaballapur Await Payments

CHIKKABALLAPUR: Mid-day meal workers in Chikkaballapur district are still awaiting honorarium payments for April and May, despite providing meals during the drought. Approximately 2,690 workers, including main and assistant cooks from SC, ST, and OBC communities, have not received their wages for months.

The workers, most of whom are economically disadvantaged and often widows, received ₹3,700 monthly as main cooks and ₹3,600 as assistants. “Since September 25, we’ve been providing eggs to students daily, increasing our workload without extra pay,” said Manjula, District Secretary of the Mid-day Meal Workers’ Union.

While payments for June and July have been issued, August and September honorariums remain pending. Despite the Central Government releasing funds for the period, the workers have yet to receive them. Many of these women rely on this modest income for their families’ survival.

“During the holidays in April and May, we worked to provide meals for drought relief but still haven’t been compensated. We too have lives to lead,” a frustrated worker from a local school lamented. The situation underscores the urgent need for timely payments to support these essential workers.