By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, April 1: Rajya Sabha member Wanwei Roy Kharlukhi has urged Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to address the grievances of cooks and helpers under the PM Poshan (Mid-Day Meal) scheme.
Kharlukhi recently wrote to the union minister following a request from the Union of Cook-cum-Helpers PM POSHAN Meghalaya, which has been advocating for an increase in their monthly honorarium.
The union reached out to the MP as their monthly honorarium of Rs 900 has remained unchanged for over 20 years.
“We approached the Rajya Sabha MP after submitting a letter to the Secretary of the Ministry of Education on January 24 this year. The Secretary assured us that he would take up the matter with top officials in the Ministry,” said Gina Nengnong, president of the Union of Cook-cum-Helpers PM POSHAN Meghalaya, on Tuesday.
She expressed hope that the MP’s intervention would lead to a positive outcome in fulfilling their long-standing demand.
The union is demanding an increase in their honorarium from Rs 900 to Rs 9,000 per month.
It is pertinent to note that the PM Poshan scheme follows a 90:10 funding ratio, with the central government contributing 90 per cent and the state government covering the remaining 10 per cent.
In 2023, the Meghalaya government increased its contribution from Rs 100 to Rs 1,100.
The union had earlier written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi through the Governor in April 2022, requesting an enhancement of their honorarium.
Apart from a pay hike, the union has also urged both the central and state governments to provide LPG connections for cooking mid-day meals in schools.
According to Nengnong, using LPG would benefit the health of cooks, most of whom are women, as cooking with firewood adversely affects their well-being. “It would also improve students’ health and reduce cooking time,” she added.
Meanwhile, Nengnong noted that since DSEL Director Swapnil Tembe took charge of PM POSHAN, payments have been disbursed regularly every month, unlike earlier when they were released only three times a year.
It is worth mentioning that the Union of Cook-cum-Helpers PM POSHAN Meghalaya, Shillong, and the All Garo Cook-cum-Helpers PM POSHAN held a joint meeting on March 29 at Resubelpara, North Garo Hills district.
