Hundreds of midday meal cooks in Chhattisgarh have been protesting since December 29, demanding an increase their honorarium of ₹2,000 a month; they demand job security and a sum of money that will cover at least their basic daily expenses, saying it is impossible to run houses at ₹66 a day.
For 47 days now, hundreds of mid-day meal cooks, most of them women, have made Tuta ground in Chhattisgarh’s New Raipur their home. The key demand behind their indefinite strike: An increase in daily wages from Rs 66 per day to Rs 440, though the more pragmatic ones in the group say even a hike to Rs 261, which is paid to MGNREGA workers, would be a start.
The state government’s offer so far: A hike of Rs 500 per month, a little under Rs 17 a day. The education department has also warned of disciplinary action against cooks who disrupt mid-day meals, and asked district officials to ensure the system, which employs around 70,000 cooks, is not disrupted.
Earlier last week, two women – Dulari Yadav (in her 60s) and Rukmani Sinha (in her 50s) – who were part of the protest, died after their health deteriorated. While doctors said both had preexisting illnesses, the deaths have added fuel to the already simmering situation. 500-600 cooks decided to march to the Mantralaya to make their demands heard, and sat on the road when stopped by the police. When they did not budge on Friday despite multiple warnings from the administration, a case was registered against them under sections of rioting and blocking traffic.
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