This week, the Haryana government announced a significant increase in the salaries of midday meal cooks and helpers, raising their pay from Rs 3,500 to Rs 7,000 per month. Additionally, the menu will be diversified to include items such as parantha-curd and millets. During a steering and monitoring committee meeting convened on Monday, Chief Secretary Sanjeev Kaushal approved a budget of Rs 658 crore for the scheme. The state will contribute Rs 457.2 crore, while the remaining amount will be provided by the Centre. Despite the Centre’s share remaining steady at Rs 600 per midday meal worker, the state will cover the difference. Kaushal emphasized that despite the central government’s contribution, the Haryana government is committed to providing midday meal workers with a monthly salary of Rs 7,000. He also mentioned that the Chief Minister instructed officials to study the meals distributed in other states to ensure that students in Haryana receive protein-rich and nutritious food.
Currently, schools in the state serve students vegetable pulao, dal chawal and dalia, etc. Last year, the menu was expanded to include three servings of 200ml milk to each student every week. Now, the meals will also include parantha-curd, millet dishes and khichdi, officials said. The scheme is being implemented across 14,253 schools, including 8,671 primary schools and 5,582 upper primary schools, in Haryana. Midday meal workers said on Tuesday that they will participate in a rally on February 16. They want their monthly salaries to meet the minimum wage – Rs 26,000 – apart from regularisation of their jobs and retirement benefits, among others.
Official data indicates that there are approximately 30,000 individuals employed as midday meal helpers or cooks across the state. In NCR cities like Gurgaon and Faridabad, many workers serve as helpers, particularly as the meals are supplied by the ISKCON Food Relief Foundation. None of these workers are appointed as permanent staff, and they receive salaries for ten months annually due to school closures during vacations. While the Centre sets salaries at Rs 1,000 in the scheme, states have the flexibility to augment this amount, as long as they cover the additional expenses incurred. “Haryana government has stated closing and merging schools as well. This move is jeopardising our employment, ultimately depriving us of our livelihoods. Already, we don’t have any social security and retirement benefits. Public sector privileges are being eroded, particularly within the education system,” Raj said.