Shillong: Education Minister Lahkmen Rymbui will lobby New Delhi to boost pay for PM POSHAN workers. Cooks across Meghalaya plan an indefinite strike on September 1. The scheme is on the brink of collapse. Rymbui promised a delegation of cook-cum-helpers he will meet Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan following the Assembly’s Autumn Session. He previously raised the payment issue during a July 22 meeting of state education ministers.
Gina Nengnong, president of the Union of Cook-cum-Helpers for PM POSHAN, led the push. The group submitted a memorandum warning of the upcoming walkout. Workers claim three years of federal neglect have left their wages stagnant. They say the strike is a last resort, stating, "The strike had been necessitated by the Centre’s continued inaction."
Since 2019, workers have sent requests to the Prime Minister, the Finance Minister, and various education heads. None of these pleas sparked change. The union expects cooks across the Northeast to join the work stoppage. They have asked Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma to back their cause. Crucially, the union urged the state to avoid hiring temporary replacements during the agitation.
Workers intend to return to their kitchens only after the Centre boosts its share of their pay. The delegation praised the state government for its own past efforts to increase its portion of the honorarium. They hope this pressure will secure long-term welfare for staff and protect students who rely on the meals.
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