Mid-day meal workers are staging a demonstration in Hubballi on Thursday for release of pending honorarium. | Photo credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
The mid-day meal workers staged a demonstration in Hubballi on Thursday for the release of their pending honorarium.
Protesters outside the Mini Vidhana Soudha in Hubballi under the auspices of the Hubballi taluk unit of the Karnataka Rajya Akshara Dasoha Karmikara Sangha strongly condemned the delay in releasing the pending honorarium.
Addressing the protesters, AIUTUC district president Gangadhar Badiger said the state government bowed to the united midday meal struggle of mothers and announced an increase in honorarium by ₹1,000 and pension benefit by ₹40,000.
“However, the monthly honorarium of ₹ 4,600 was not enough to pay a month’s rent in a town like Hubballi. Moreover, the Union government has not raised even a paisa in the last 15 years. The government should increase the honorarium commensurate with the skyrocketing prices and pension and other benefits should be extended to mid-day workers as well,” he considered them labourers.
District sangha president Bhuvana Ballari said the honorarium given to mid-day meal workers in government and aided schools is meager and it is also not released on time.
At a time when prices have risen high, it is difficult for them to lead a normal life even if they work with dedication because most of these women are either single women or widows who carry their family responsibilities without help. The lack of meager honorarium on time will further compound their woes, she said, calling on the government to clear the arrears immediately and ensure that their honorarium is paid monthly without any problem, she said.
The protest was led by several mid-day meal workers including Lalita Hosamani, Nagamma Nagashetty, Haseena Mundinamani, Kavita Chavan and others.
The memoranda were presented to the tahsildar and officials of Prime Minister Poshan Shakti Nirman Yojna.
Published – 16 Oct 2025 20:52 IST
