Shillong, Jul 28: Vice Principal of Nongkwar Presbyterian Secondary School, K.B. Rapsang, has called for an immediate revision of the honorarium paid to mid-day meal cooks, warning that low wages could hit student attendance.
Rapsang said 286 students from Nursery to Class 8 at the school receive mid-day meals daily, and the scheme plays a key role in sustaining attendance, especially for children from poor economic backgrounds.
He said cooks work over five hours daily for cooking and serving, and spend additional evening hours cleaning and preparing rice, vegetables and other items for the next morning.
“The hard work does not match their current payment,” Rapsang said, calling the honorarium “too low” amid rising prices of essentials.
He warned that if workers stop due to low wages, it would cause major inconvenience to students and could even lead to an increase in school dropouts.
Rapsang urged the government to reconsider the payment structure under the PM-Poshan scheme.
