Members of the Karnataka State Midday Meal Workers’ Federation have urged the government to enhance their salaries. Federation president H.K. Ramachandrappa and convenor Y. Mahadevamma told The Hindu that the workers could not even buy provisions for their families with the salary that they are getting at present. They urged the government fix minimum wages at Rs. 15,000 a month for cooks and assistants so that they can lead normal lives. They said that cooks and their assistants were leading a pathetic life owing to escalation of cost of essential commodities. It is inhuman to extract lots of work from midday meal workers while paying them Rs. 1,600 per month.
Mr. Ramachandrappa also urged the government to provide other benefits such as pension, ESI and PF facilities to midday meal workers.
