Paradip noon meal workers up in arms

PARADIP: Mid-day meal workers of the district are on a warpath, opposing contract system, outsourcing of work and demanding salary hike. About 1,000 women workers, who are instrumental in implementing the Central Government scheme launched to check malnutrition among schoolchildren, held a meeting in this regard on Sunday.Even as they welcomed the State Government’s decision to hike their salary from the measly Rs 300-400 to Rs 1,000 a month following a Central Government directive, they flayed the former’s new contract job conditions.“Scores of women, who cook the meals for schoolchildren, have been deprived of basic necessities themselves. Our work condition is pathetic. We have informed the government about our problems but no action has been taken yet,” Manorama Muduli, secretary of the district mid-day meal workers’ union, alleged.They said as per the new conditions, government would deploy one cook for 25 students, two workers for 50 to 100 students and one additional helper along with a cook in schools having more than 100 students.The members said under these new conditions, as many as 500 workers will lose their jobs as many schools have less than 50 students. Besides, the workers said they do not receive ration for months together sometimes. Most schools still do not have a kitchen and drinking water is also scarce. “We have no social security or even a minimum wage even after 10 years of work,” said Jayanti Sahu, a MDM worker.She also alleged that the State Government is sidelining the workers by outsourcing work to private organisations and NGOs.  Some of the workers’ demands include all BPL workers in BPL list, two pairs of sarees in a year, washing allowance, identity card, first-aid box, LPG gas for cooking, 180 days of maternity leave and so on. If things do not improve and the government fails to fulfil our demands, we will go on an indefinite protest,” said Sahu.Circle Inspector of Schools Prasant Kumar Swain said no new circular regarding the contract job conditions for engagement of MDM workers had been implemented yet. These job conditions will be implemented  after rationalisation of students of primary schools.