Noon meal employees stage protest in Ramanathapuram

Raising a slew of demands, Tamil Nadu Noon Meals Employees Association (TNNMEA) staged a protest here on Wednesday. 

A. Sahaya Tamilselvi, TNNMEA district president, said, they were reeling under an acute shortage of workers. “The noon meal scheme which does the noble work of providing quality foods to school children could not meet the desired result if carried out with labour shortage,” she added.  

When more than 60,000 positions vacant in the State how could the job be done satisfactorily, she questioned.  

For those who have worked under the scheme for more than 20 years the government should at least provide ₹6,750 as pension amount, she noted.  

Akin to the revenue village assistants who receive the pension amount they should also be included under the scheme, she said.  

Also, other benefits like gratuity which are extended to all government employees, should also be expanded to include noon meal workers, she stated.  

“While all their service goes to the students at the government schools why are the workers alone not considered as part of the government service,” she questioned.  

Many of the basic benefits like 12 months maternity leave enjoyed by all government employees were still refused to their workers, she pointed out.  

Condemning the step motherly attitude towards the workers, Ms. Sahaya Tamilselvi said they still believe that the Tamil Nadu government would consider their pleas and take a bold step to address their demands.