Manipur Mid-Day Meal Workers' Union holds State Conference 2025
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, February 01 2025: The State Conference, 2025 of All Manipur Mid-Day Meal Workers' Union (MDMWUM)washeldtodayat Irawat Bhawan, Imphal.

The conference was graced by dignitaries, including All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), Manipur, general secretary, L Sotinkumar; All India State Government Employees Confederation (AISGEC), Manipur Unit president, M Joykumar; MDMWUM secretary, L Thoibi Devi; MDMWUM state convenor, M Prabhavahini Devi; All Manipur ASHA Workers' Union president, Th Pumimashi Devi and All Manipur Minority Unorganised Union general secretary, Wahena Raj Begam.

Speaking on the occasion, L Sotinkumar said that the midday meal-workers, since the implementation of the midday meal scheme, have been rendering services and providing nutritional foods to students in Government schools across the State.

"With a view to enhancing enrolment, retention and attendance and simultaneously improving nutritional levels among children, the National Programme of Nutritional Support to Primary Education (NP-NSPE) was launched as a centrally sponsored scheme on August 15, 1995 .

In October 2007, NP-NSPE was renamed as the National Programme of Mid Day Meal in Schools, which is popularly known as Mid-Day Meal Scheme.

Then in September 2021, the MidDay Meal Scheme was renamed PM POSHAN or Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman", he added.

He continued that despite the noble services, the condition and status of Mid-Day Meal workers are yet to be improved.

Expressing dissatisfaction with the paltry sum of Rs 1000 paid as monthly honorarium to cooks employed under the Mid Day Meal Scheme, he said, "As compared to other States, the condition of the workers in Manipur is pathetic.

In states like Tamil Nadu, scheme workers are paid a minimum of Rs 8,500 per month" .

L Sotinkumar also appealed to the Government to recognise the services rendered by the scheme workers and discuss the long-pending demand of the Mid-Day Meal workers in the upcoming Assembly Session.

Some of the demands are - regularisation of Mid-Day Meal workers as recommended by Indian Labour Conference in its 45th conference, increase monthly remuneration to Rs 26,000, provide social security including pension to Mid-Day Meal workers, provide necessary facilities and amenities, establish a welfare board for scheme workers, etc.

During the conference, a 45-member State Committee was also constituted with L Thoibi as president, Th Kadambini as vice president P Prabhahini as secretary, M Kapabala as joint secretary and Y Chaoba as treasurer.

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