Shillong, Mar 21: The All Jaintia Hills Mid-Day Meal Workers’ Union on Monday decided to petition Prime Minister Narendra Modi against the state government’s failure to pay their five-month honorarium, besides fulfilling other demands.
“We have decided to write to the Prime Minister for his necessary intervention in this matter,” president of the union Phiyooris Syngkon said.
The state government has failed to release a five-month honorarium of Rs 1,000, “affecting many mid-day meal workers, most of whom are women”, Syngkon said.
The union had sent three memoranda to Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma but there was no response from the government.
There are over 15,000 mid-day meal workers in the state.
“Since 97 percent of them are women and are depending on the honorarium to run their families, the inordinate delay by the government has affected them to a great extent,” Syngkon said.
“We have demanded enhancement of the honorarium to Rs 5,000 per month and the honorarium to be paid for a full 12-month instead of 10-month,” she added.
The other demands include availing sick leave, maternity and paternity leave, pension schemes etc.
