HT Correspondent
JORHAT, Nov 01: The members of the All Assam Mid-day Meal Employees’ Union on Wednesday
staged a protest in front of the education department offices complex in Jorhat in support of various
long standing demands.
The protestors participating on the first day of the four day state-wide stir, held banners and placards,
shouted slogans demanding immediate fulfillment of their demands, the major one being hiking
monthly wages to Rs 10000 from the present Rs 1000.
The other demands are paying of monthly wages regularly and compensation to the tune of Rs 3 lakh in
case of illness or other unforeseen illness.
Alleging government apathy towards them, they described the hard work they had to undergo which
included activities other than cooking. They said they had to spend long hours in the school leaving their
family behind. Stating that they too needed to be treated fairly by the government like other service
holders, the employees said that they also had to contribute to the family’s expenses.
They said that the government was giving money as financial assistance to the tune of Rs 1250 to non
working women, but they were being paid only Rs 1000.
The protestors said that if the government did not heed their demands they would intensify their stir
and even consider abstaining from voting.
It may be mentioned that the mi-day meal workers have been staging protests from time to time for
fulfillment of their demands in recent times.
