Publish Date: | Wed, 15 Mar 2023 04:56 PM (IST)

Ambikapur. The cooks who prepare mid-day meals in schools are not satisfied with the increase of Rs 300 in honorarium by the state government. Accusing the state government of reneging on its promises, the cooks have started protesting at the block headquarters including the district headquarters Ambikapur. In Ambikapur, the cooks are agitating in a unique way.

The cooks, who arrived from village to village with ration and water, prepare food in the pandal in front of the State Bank Collectorate branch. This is the food they eat and most of the cooks also sleep in the pandal at night, for this everyone has collected donations. Arrangements have been made for food, tents and pandals with the amount of donations.

There is a handpump near the picket site, the water from this handpump is being used for daily activities and cooking. Community toilets are also being used by them. The cooks say that during the last election, the Congress had promised in the public manifesto to give the cooks at least an amount commensurate with the MNREGA workers.

For the last four years, the government did not fulfill the promise. In the election budget, in the name of giving relief to the cooks, the honorarium of only three hundred rupees has been increased, which is not acceptable to us. The cooks have said that if they are not regularised, they should be paid honorarium at least at the collector rate.

The cooks have mobilized for their demands. He says that the strike is going on at the district and block level, if the government level demands are not taken sympathetically, then the province-wide indefinite agitation will be held in the capital Raipur.

children are not getting mid day meal

Mid-day meal scheme in schools has been affected due to the movement of cooks. In most of the schools children are not getting mid-day meal. The school education department is pressurizing the teachers to distribute mid-day meals through groups, although this arrangement has not come on track. Due to the agitation, the mid-day meal scheme has been badly affected.

Minister has also expressed displeasure in front of Bhagat

Recently, a program was organized in the Circuit House of Ambikapur in the presence of Food Minister Amarjit Bhagat. In this program, along with counting the achievements of the state government’s budget, information was given about the decisions taken in the interest of people of all sections of the society. Was staying

A large number of chefs were also present in this program. Everyone shouted slogans strongly opposing the increase in the honorarium of only three hundred rupees from the government level. The cooks had even said that they do not accept the honorarium increase of three hundred. If the government wants, this amount can also be withdrawn.

Here differences also emerged among Anganwadi workers

To fulfill the promises of the public manifesto, Anganwadi worker assistants had also agitated for several days in solidarity. The honorarium of Anganwadi workers has been increased to Rs 10,000, that of assistants Rs 6,000 and that of mini Anganwadi workers Rs 7,500. Till now they are seen united regarding the demands. Internal differences have now started even among Anganwadi workers and assistants.

Mini Anganwadi workers say that they also do all the work according to the Anganwadi workers, so they should also be given equal pay for equal work. Despite the increase in salary from the government level, the system of all Anganwadi centers in Surguja district has not been improved. Anganwadi worker-helper is preparing to protest against the central government.

Posted By: Manoj Kumar Tiwari