Shillong, March 19: Union of Cook cum Helpers PM POSHAN Meghalaya has issued a deadline to the Centre to increase their monthly honorarium from 900 to Rs 9000 per month.
During the first general meeting of association at Pyndengrei, West Khasi Hills on Saturday, the union informed that their monthly honorarium remained the same for the past 20 years.
Setting April as the deadline for the Central government to meet their demand, Association adviser, Khroo L Pariat said that the members would take up the job voluntarily and would cook the midday meal for the students as and when they feel if the Centre does not increase the monthly honorarium after the deadline.
The contribution towards PM Poshan is 90:10 with the state government contribution standing at 10 per cent while the Centre contribution is 90 per cent, Pariat stated.
He informed that the state government in 2023 had increased its contribution from Rs 100 to Rs 1100.
The union submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in April 2022 and met with the Secretary of the Ministry of Education in Delhi in January this year to voice their grievances.
The union added that the amount which is provided by the Centre is meek taking into account the increase in the price of essential commodities and it is not commensurate with the present times.
Replying to a query, he said that they are getting paid Rs 2000 monthly for ten months since the state government does not pay them for December and January as schools are closed during these months.
According to him, there are more than 20,000 cook-cum-helpers in Meghalaya.
Although the delegation comprised workers from Meghalaya only, the demand for enhancement of the honorarium pertains to the cook-cum-helpers from across the Northeast.
It may be mentioned that the cook-cum-helpers from the Northeast had also taken up the issue with Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to take up the issues with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
