Teachers prepare midday meals in schools as cooks continue stir in Odisha

Teachers turned cooks in several schools across Odisha while in some others they served midday (MDM) meals to children as around 1.15 lakh MDM cooks continued their protest in Bhubaneswar seeking fulfillment of various demands.

Teachers were found preparing midday meals at Pranakrushna Nodal High School on Friday due to the ongoing strike by the midday meal cooks under the banner of All Odisha Pachika Mahasangha. 

Meanwhile, students in the school have alleged that studies have been severely affected as the teachers are mainly engaged in preparing midday meals and serving them to students due to the ongoing strike by the cooks.

“Earlier, our teachers went on strike and our study was severely hampered. Now they have turned cooks of midday meals due to the ongoing strike by the pachikas. Again our studies have been affected. We request the government to take necessary steps so that studies in our school will resume,” said a student of the school.

“Our studies are getting neglected as our school teachers are engaged in preparing midday meals,” said another student.

The midday meal workers, who have been demanding an increase in salary, maternity leave, two pairs of sarees per year and social security along with several other benefits, threatened to vote ‘NOTA’  (None of the above) in the elections if the state government does not fulfill their demands.

Moreover, the cooks demanded Rs 26,000 salary per month, no disengagement of cook-cum-helpers from schools having less than 25 students and schools merged with elementary schools, 10 days of casual leave and medical leave, EPF and ESI coverage and pension of Rs 3,000 per month after retirement.