Hands that feed school kids noon-meal burdened by staff shortage
This initiative, which Tamil Nadu takes immense pride in introducing the noon meal to poor school children, has ultimately led to higher school enrolment and reduced dropout rates over the years.
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CHENNAI: A cook working under the prestigious noon-meal scheme, a pioneer for many states across the country, implemented by the Tamil Nadu government at a Kancheepuram centre, is reportedly forced to work at two places due to an alleged shortage of staff, which is wrecking the scheme across the State.
"Due to lack of cooks and organisers, we are forced to cook for children of the neighbouring schools too,” she says on condition of anonymity. “Though we volunteer to feed the children, the government cannot burden us with more work for a meagre pay, sans employing adequate staff.”
This initiative, which Tamil Nadu takes immense pride in introducing the noon meal to poor school children, has ultimately led to higher school enrolment and reduced dropout rates over the years. Although the initiative is counted as one of the noble schemes that truly empowers students from economically weaker backgrounds, the plight of those cooking these meals for children is quite dire.
Noon-meal scheme, turned into ‘nutritious meal programme’ after its initial launch in 1982, has been extended to 1.43 lakh centres across the State. The Department of Social Welfare and Women's Empowerment has sanctioned approximately 1.50 lakh posts to operate these centres and ensure that food is served to school children on time. But on the ground, it is a poor picture.
Several noon-meal cooks and organisers speaking to DT NEXT allege that there are currently only 40,000 staff working in the noon-meal scheme, and the high number of vacancies is forcing them to take up more work, too, for a meagre pay.
According to official data, as of April 2024, there were more than 19,000 vacant posts for organisers, over 9,000 vacant posts for cooks, and alarmingly high 24,000 vacant posts for cook assistants – all amounting to more than 53,000 vacant positions out of the sanctioned 1.28 lakh posts required to run the flagship scheme.
With several workers having already retired in recent years, the vacancy has risen to 65,000, combining organiser, cook and assistant positions, stakeholders point out.
A cook cited that several organisers have been monitoring almost five noon-meal centres, instead of being responsible for one.
An organiser in Salem district rued, "I oversee operations of at least five centres every month. I keep track of the raw materials and also keep track of expenses for all centres. Ideally, the work needs four more hands. We have constantly urged the department officials, minister and CM to fill vacancies and increase our pay.”
Meanwhile, in addition to the demand to fill vacancies, the noon-meal workers have also requested the government to fulfil long-pending demands such as the implementation of time scale pay, Rs 5 lakh to noon meal workers on retirement, and a monthly pension of Rs 9,000.
Commenting on this scenario, a higher official in the Social Welfare Department said, "Being aware of the high number of vacancies in noon-meal centres, we have announced the hiring of 8,997 cook assistants in noon-meal centres. We have almost completed the interview, and these staff members will be employed. We will also take steps to address other concerns.”
