Increase in salary of midday meal workers: Mid Day Meal Scheme is an important initiative of the Government of India, which aims to provide nutritious food to children in schools. Under this scheme, honorarium is given to mid day meal cooks in various states. Recently, the government has decided to increase the honorarium of cooks for 12 months, which will improve their financial condition. This scheme will be especially beneficial for those women who are engaged in this work and whose livelihood depends on this honorarium.
At present, mid day meal cooks get honorarium only for 10 months in a year, which is Rs 2000 per month. The central and state governments contribute to this honorarium. Now, as per the new order, this honorarium will be extended to 12 months and the minimum salary is also planned to be Rs 10,000. This step will not only improve the economic condition of the cooks but will also assure them of permanent employment.
Mid Day Meal Cook Honorarium 12 Months
The main objective of the Mid Day Meal Scheme is to provide nutritious food to children in schools and to ensure sustainable income to the cooks. Under this scheme, the need has been felt to make the cooks work throughout the year and increase their honorarium.
Scheme details
The government has issued a new order for mid-day meal cooks, under which they will be given honorarium for 12 months. This decision will be applicable for all the states where this scheme is running.
| features | Description |
| name of the scheme | mid day meal scheme |
| beneficiary | cook and maid |
| Honorarium (per month) | Rs 10,000 |
| honorarium period | 12 months |
| Central government’s contribution | Rs 600 per month |
| State government contribution | Rs 1400 per month |
| total beneficiary number | approximately 85,000 |
| work start date | From financial year 2024-25 |
status of cooks
The condition of mid day meal cooks was demanding improvement for many years. Presently he gets only Rs 2000 per month, which is very less compared to his hard work and work. The new order will improve their economic condition and provide them with permanent employment.
minimum wage
The government has also planned to increase the minimum wage. This will provide a stable income to the cooks, which will enable them to support their families in a better way. Increasing the minimum wage to Rs 10,000 will improve the lifestyle of cooks.
State level initiative
Every state government has prepared proposals to implement this scheme at its own level. Some states have already taken steps in this direction and other states are also preparing to implement it soon.
implementation process
State governments will get support from the Central Government for the implementation of this scheme. Under this, it will be necessary to run budget allocation and administrative processes smoothly.
Beneficiaries’ response
Chef unions have welcomed this decision and called it a positive step. She said that this will give them fair value for their hard work and they will be able to perform their responsibilities in a better way.
potential challenges
However, there may be some challenges in the implementation of this scheme, such as delays in budget allocation or administrative hurdles. Apart from this, implementing it uniformly in all the states can also be a challenge.
conclusion
The decision to provide honorarium to Mid Day Meal Cooks for 12 months is an important step which will not only strengthen the economic condition of the cooks but will also improve the nutritional level of children. This step is an important initiative towards strengthening the education system as well as social justice.
Disclaimer: This scheme is based on reality and the process of implementing it is going on at the government level. However, there may be challenges in its implementation from time to time, so beneficiaries should continue to raise their issues so that their voices can be heard.
