The Manipur Mid-Day Meal Workers’ Union (MDMWU) on Monday rejected the state government decision to clear two-month honorarium of mid-day meal workers and said it would continue the ongoing cease work strike till all dues of 19 months are cleared.
"Where does the state government utilise the funds for the mid-day meal scheme? How will the state achieve the objective of the mission if it continues like this?” MDMWU Manipur president Y Indrani Devi asserted while speaking to mediapersons in Imphal on Monday.
MDMWU Manipur has been demanding the government to disburse their pending honorarium of total 19 months.
Condemning the delay in payment of their honorarium, the MDMWU Manipur started cease work strike since April 5.
In response to the strike, authorities concerned informed them that honorarium for two months would be cleared.
However, the union will never accept this decision of the state government, Indrani said, pointing out that the Central government had already released funds for the mid-day scheme in time and termed it a humiliation to them that the state government has not distributed it till now.
Such "irresponsible acts" demoralises them to work sincerely as a maximum of the workers are economically deprived, the president said.
The union would also like to know the genuine reason of not being able to pay their Rs 1,000 monthly honorarium and as to why they get only for 10 months in a year, Indrani enquired.
The MDMWU Manipur president said the union will stand firm on their ongoing agitation and continue with the cease work strike until their demand is fulfilled completely.
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