Women of mid-day meal will also be on duty on Raksha Bandhan

Mid-day meal workers in the state are facing financial difficulties due to non-payment of their honorarium for the past three months. Furthermore, the denial of leave on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan has increased resentment among female Mid-day meal workers against the government.
Preeti Thakur, president of the Mid-Day Meal Workers Union, Block Mashobra, said that women employees in the state are granted special leave on important festivals like Raksha Bandhan, Karva Chauth, and Bhaiya Dooj, but women working in the Mid-Day Meal are still required to perform their duties on these occasions. She demanded that women Mid-Day Meal workers be granted special leave on these festivals, similar to other female employees.
Preeti Thakur alleged that mid-day meal workers are being discriminated against. She said that mid-day meal workers receive a monthly honorarium of only ₹5,500, which is already a meager amount. Despite this, their honorarium has not been paid for the past three months. Many families’ household expenses depend on this honorarium, and the lack of payment during the festival season has further exacerbated the workers’ problems.
Preeti Thakur said that the women employees of the union had also met Education Department Director Ashish Kohli demanding release of pending honorarium, but they got only assurances.
The union president said that mid-day meal workers are increasingly being burdened with additional responsibilities. While their primary job is to prepare meals for children and manage the school kitchen, they are now being tasked with additional tasks like cleaning water tanks and kitchen gardening.
Meanwhile, Block Elementary Education Officer Mashobra Neelam stated that schools will remain open on Raksha Bandhan. She added that female staff can go home after preparing food for the children.