Ludhiana: Workers await pay as govt-run schools reel under mid-day meal fund delays

The crisis extends beyond the kitchens to the livelihoods of mid-day meal workers; their honorarium, a modest ₹3,000 a month, has also been pending for over two months

For the past two months, many government schools in the district have been struggling to run their mid-day meal programme as funds for food and salaries for kitchen workers remain unpaid.

The delay has forced teachers and school heads to dig into their own pockets to ensure that children are fed. (HT Photo)

The delay has forced teachers and school heads to dig into their own pockets to ensure that children are fed. “Each primary school student is allotted a budget of ₹6.78 for the mid-day meal. With no funds for two months, we have been managing ourselves,” said Sukhdhir Singh Sekhon, headteacher of Government Primary School, Moti Nagar. “On average, we spend ₹80,000 a month on these meals. While groceries can be bought on credit, vegetables and fruits require cash, which makes things very difficult.”

The crisis extends beyond the kitchens to the livelihoods of mid-day meal workers. Their honorarium, a modest ₹3,000 a month, has also been pending for over two months. “Some of us are single mothers who stretch every rupee of this amount,” said Parveen Kumari, a mid-day meal worker. “We have repeatedly appealed to senior officials to release our pay. If the situation does not improve in a day or two, we will have no choice but to lock the kitchens and stop work.”

District Lecturer Cadre Union president Dharamjeet Singh Dhillon warned that the delay is causing mental and financial stress among both staff and workers, potentially disrupting the crucial nutrition scheme for hundreds of children.

When contacted, Punjab Mid-Day Meal Society general manager Varinder Brar said, “The salary of the mid-day meal workers has been released and should reach them within a day. The funds for the programme have already been credited till August 31. Schools still facing problems may contact us.”

This is in striking contrast to the district elementary education department’s announcement of a contest to crown the “most beautiful kitchen” among government primary schools, as the reality on the ground is grim.