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Soaring veggie, egg prices hit noon meal scheme
Raising prices of eggs and vegetables have been posing problems in the implementation of the midday meal scheme in several schools across the State. Apart from this, delay in the payment of pending salaries to the workers and mess charges to the students is further complicating the implementing of the scheme.
Hyderabad. Raising prices of eggs and vegetables have been posing problems in the implementation of the midday meal scheme in several schools across the State. Apart from this, delay in the payment of pending salaries to the workers and mess charges to the students is further complicating the implementing of the scheme.
Speaking to The Hans India here on Monday, Telangana Midday Meal Workers Union (TMMWU) president K Varalakshmi said that the State government allocated Rs 2 for one egg against the prevailing market price of Rs 6. Similarly, except supplying rice from the Civil Supplies Department, the workers have to meet the expenses of purchasing vegetables and other provisions needed to prepare the midday meal from the fixed menu charges given by the State government.
While the prices of eggs and vegetables are on the rise, there is no increase in the menu charges provided for the students from class 1 to 10 availing the midday meals in the government schools across the State, she added. Following this, the workers have to run the scheme by raising loans.
Elaborating further, Varalakshmi said, “While payment of salaries are pending for three to five months in different districts, there is also an abnormal delay in releasing the mess charges to class 9 and 10 students.” It was against this backdrop that TMMWU has been requesting the government to allocate additional budget to provide eggs thrice in a week, she added.
Apart from this, the workers were paid an honorarium for a period of only 10 months unlike in Tamil Nadu where the State government provides a minimum salary of Rs 5,500 for 12 months as well as TA and DA, said the Union’s General Secretary, S Rama.
Although the State government had reportedly announced hiking the minimum salary to Rs 5,000 on October 27, no circular has been issued so far to implement the same, she added. Further, handing over the midday meal scheme to NGOs in Vikarabad had resulted in the workers, losing their jobs, she lamented.
Rama said that those working for several years have been removed from service due to political pressures. To avoid this kind of political harassment, the Union has demanded the State government to issue identity cards for those working in the mid-day meals scheme besides providing Provident Fund and ESI, she said.
