Hyderabad: Lakhs of students across Telangana schools were left without mid-day meals over the past two days as more than 54,000 mid-day meal (MDM) workers have been on strike, demanding the immediate release of pending bills and a hike in wages. The strike, which entered its third day on Wednesday, has created a major disruption in the supply of meals to schools across the state.
To mitigate the impact on students, the Telangana education department has directed district education officers (DEOs) to make alternative arrangements. However, parents report that some schools have been unable to provide meals due to various reasons. Students have now been asked to bring their tiffin boxes.
Approximately 23 lakh students, constituting 75-80% of the total enrollment in the state-run schools, rely on mid-day meals.
Workers give ‘Chalo Hyderabad’ call
The MDM workers have been pressing for immediate fulfilment of their demands. Despite a previous order to increase the honorarium amount to Rs 3,000, workers claim they are yet to receive the payment, further fueling their grievances.
While the education department hopes that the strike will end soon, the workers’ union has called for a protest rally on Thursday, “Chalo Hyderabad,” to submit a memorandum to the state government. “The future course of action will depend on the government’s response to our demands,” said an MDM worker from Karimnagar, requesting anonymity.
The strike not only affects the daily meals of lakhs of students but also threatens to increase dropout rates, as many economically disadvantaged families depend on these meals as an incentive to send their children to school.
Contractors express solidarity
Meanwhile, contractors involved in the mid-day meal scheme have also joined the protest due to the delay in the clearance of bills and honorarium by the state government. In response, headmasters of government schools have been instructed to make alternative arrangements, including purchasing groceries and engaging cooks to ensure meals for students.
However, difficulties in making these arrangements have forced some schools to ask students to bring their own lunch boxes.
Bills worth crores pending
“The situation has been caused by the outstanding bills owed by the state government to the agencies involved in preparing mid-day meals. We would not be doing this had our genuine demands been mee,” the worker said.
In Nalgonda alone, agencies are owed Rs 1.3 crore, while in Suryapet and Yadadri-Bhuvanagiri districts, pending bills amount to Rs 1.40 crore and Rs 1.81 crore, respectively.
