Khammam: Mid-day meal workers suffer as govt delays payment of salaries

Khammam: The cooks and organisers of the mid-day meal (MDM) scheme are suffering due to the delay in payments by the government. These people say they are in such a predicament that they are selling their livestock to pay back the loans they took to run the scheme.

Adilaxmi and Venkamma, MDM workers of Ramakrishnapuram under Chintakani mandal where there are 95 students in the primary school, had been drawn in to cook the mid-day meal and serve it to the kids.

The government supplies only rice for the MDM and all the other provisions like eggs, vegetables etc should be obtained by the organisers.

Prior to April 1, 2020, the government used to pay Rs. 4.48 per kid and an additional Rs. 2 per egg. Eggs should be served in MDM twice a week. Later, the pay per kid was increased to Rs. 4.97, that was applicable from April 1, 2020.

Adilaxmi said, “We took up the endeavour as it was a noble task. We took loans from private financiers and ran the scheme well. We thought the government will make the payment, via bills, regularly. But, so far, we did not get the money for the spend we did in the months before the start of Covid19. Out loans swelled to Rs. 75,000 against the Rs. 50,000 principal amount with a 24 per cent interest.”

Venkamma, another cook said, “I sold my buffalo to pay back the loan I took. It is a big burden on poor women like us and the government is not being mindful.”

Nagender, teacher. said, “The MDM is being implemented very strictly in schools and we did not allow the organisers to miss any item in the menu. They served the meal each and every day. Headmasters are facing difficulty getting cooks and organisers for MDM because of the delay in release of money by the government.”

An egg costs Rs. 5 now. Hence it is not possible to supply egg to kids, said by Madivi Nagalacmi of primary school of Dammapet in Bhadradri-Kothagudem district. She took a Rs. 60,000 loan from her brother to pay back the loan she took from a private entity. “Cooking and serving food with the present rates is difficult. The government should either remove egg from the menu or enhance its price in the MDM scheme”, she said.

The government owes each cook and organiser Rs. 50,000 to Rs. 3 lakh under the MDM. Because of the delay in getting the government funds released, the MDM workers are no more showing any interest to take up this work.