Agartala: Jan 03: The Cook-cum-Helpers Welfare Committee organized a protest march in Agartala, Tripura, to advocate for a ten-point charter of demands, including a minimum wage of ₹18,000 for mid-day meal workers.
The protest began at Bodhjung School on Friday, with participants marching through the city. They called on the state government to provide alternative employment for mid-day meal workers in schools that are scheduled for closure. Other demands included the implementation of a provident fund for mid-day meal workers, a ban on layoffs, and a gratuity of ₹5 lakhs upon retirement.
According to the committee, there are 11,130 mid-day meal workers in the state. They argued that their current wages are insufficient to meet the rising cost of living, prompting them to take to the streets. The committee cited Kerala and Puducherry as examples, where mid-day meal workers receive a monthly salary of ₹12,000, highlighting the wage disparity between these states and Tripura.
Bir Kumar Debbarma, the convener of the state committee, stated that the workers felt compelled to protest due to the state government’s failure to address their demands.
