‘How do we survive on ₹66 a day?’ Midday meal workers refuse to end protest

Grief and anger marked the protest site at Tuta Dharna Sthal in Naya Raipur as midday meal cooks intensified their indefinite strike over low wages. The agitation gained urgency after two women who had participated in the protest died in January.

Savita Manikpuri, 38, from Dudhawa village in Kanker district, recalled her last conversation with Dulari Yadav. “We’re dying of starvation every day. It’s better to die once,” Dulari had said, questioning how anyone could run a household on ₹66 a day.

Dulari, in her late 50s and a resident of Bemetara, fell ill at the protest site on Jan 25 and later died during treatment. A day later, Rukmini Sinha from Balod district also died while undergoing treatment in Rajnandgaon.

She had joined the protest between Jan 20 and 23 before her health deteriorated. Doctors cited underlying medical conditions in both cases, but protesters allege that prolonged exposure to the cold caused their deaths.

The strike began on Dec 29, 2025, under the banner of the Chhattisgarh School Madhyanbhojan Rasoiya Sanyukta Sangh, which represents over 87,600 cooks engaged in government schools.

Their primary demand is an increase in the monthly honorarium from ₹2,000 to wages aligned with collector rates, roughly ₹350 to ₹400 per day.

They are also seeking conversion of part-time positions to full-time roles and protection against job loss when student enrollment declines.

State president Ramrajya Kashyap said collector rates determined by the labor department translate to monthly earnings between ₹9,000 and ₹13,000, which he described as the minimum required for basic household expenses.

The association has additionally demanded withdrawal of a rioting case filed after a rally on Jan 29 and compensation of ₹10 lakh each for the families of the two deceased cooks.

Most of the cooks are women. Many describe balancing school duties with domestic responsibilities under financial strain.

Manikpuri, a mother of two, said her earnings have not allowed her to send her daughter to college. Her husband works as a seasonal laborer, earning about ₹250 per day when work is available.

Her workday begins at 4 am. After finishing household chores, she walks about a kilometer to the school.

Cooks are responsible not only for preparing and serving meals but also for cleaning classrooms, collecting rations, and maintaining school premises. One cook is appointed for every 50 students, though in practice some handle larger numbers.

The scheme, now called Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman, provides one hot meal to students up to Class 8 in government and aided schools.

Costs are shared between the union and state governments in a 60:40 ratio. Cooks say additional duties during sports events or elections bring no extra pay.

They are paid for only 10 months each year, with no wages during May and June. Finding alternative work under rural employment schemes is difficult, they say, due to limited opportunities and administrative hurdles.

Around 95% of the workforce comprises women. Dhansi Yadav, one of the few male cooks, said his father earned ₹15 per day when the region was part of Madhya Pradesh.

The honorarium gradually rose to ₹2,000 through repeated protests, but workers argue that revisions have not kept pace with rising living costs.

“We took up government work with the belief that sooner or later the government would recognize us as salaried employees. It’s not like if we work for ₹15 on the first day, we will continue to work for that amount for the rest of our lives,” Manikpuri said.

The ongoing strike has disrupted midday meals in several schools, raising concerns about nutrition for children from low-income families.

Kashyap said he met School Education Minister Gajendra Yadav on Jan 9 and was told the department had proposed a 50% increase in honorarium. On Jan 28, he was informed that the proposed hike had been revised to 25%.

“I have been here for the past 31 years. Had they added even ₹100 per month every year, it would at least have been ₹3,100 today,” Kashyap said.