Hunger strike to hand breakfast schemes to noon-meal workers, withdrawn

CHENNAI: The hunger strike demanding the Tamil Nadu government to hand over breakfast schemes to noon-meal workers instead of Self-Help Group (SHG) women was withdrawn on Tuesday evening.

After the Minister of Social Welfare and Women Empowerment P Geetha Jeevan met the noon meal women workers protesting at Ezhilagam on Tuesday, nearly 5,000 women withdrew the protest over minister's assurance.

The noon meal workers have pressed 14 demands to the TN government.

And the hunger strike began on Monday due to the government's inaction for several years.

Some of the demands of the workers are; to transfer the meal preparation under breakfast scheme from SHG women to noon meal workers, appoint workers for 50,000 vacancies across centres in TN, revise the pay scale and allow necessary holidays for women working under the scheme and more.

Speaking on this, a member of TN noon meal workers association said, "We have already been working on the related scheme for over two decades. Hence instead of handing over the newly launched breakfast scheme to us, the government has awarded it to SHG women."

"The women are paid Rs 5,000 per month to cook food in the morning. And, produce such as gas cylinders and other materials are used by them, allotted for the noon meal scheme. Hence, it is only imperative for the government to strengthen the noon meal department and hand us over the scheme, "the worker added.

As the protest entered the second day, which received adequate media attention, minister Geetha Jeevan met the protesting women on Tuesday.

"The minister assured action for nine out of 14 demands within the next 15 days. And, with the consultation of Chief Minister MK Stalin, the other demands too will be addressed, the minister assured, "said Malarkodi, general secretary of noon meal workers association.