Telangana’s Mid-Day Meal Cooks Warn Of Stir Over Unpaid Bills, Low Menu Charges
Cooks from almost every district protested at the School Education office in Saifabad, saying they have been spending their own money for years and have gone nine to 10 months without reimbursement.
HYDERABAD: Telangana’s mid-day meal cooks warned they cannot continue feeding students unless the government clears months of pending bills and fixes menu charges to match market prices. Submitting their demands to director of education Naveen Nicholas on Monday, they asked the state to either provide all ingredients or pay ₹25 per student so they can meet the menu requirements.
Cooks from almost every district protested at the School Education office in Saifabad, saying they have been spending their own money for years and have gone nine to 10 months without reimbursement. Union leaders said they have served for 24 years, treating children like their own, but rising costs have made the situation unmanageable.
They said the government’s menu charges are far below market rates and that their ₹3,000 monthly honorarium is also delayed for months. Breakfast scheme bills from the previous government remain unpaid, with ten months of arrears pending. They demanded immediate steps to implement the promised ₹10,000 salary and full clearance of all outstanding bills and wages for Classes I to X.
The union warned of a strike in the last week of December if there is no action. The Director assured them the issues would be addressed soon.