Raj Kiran Bathula, Hyderabad
Tense scenes unfolded in Ramnagar, Hanumakonda, on Monday as Midday Meal Scheme workers staged a protest outside the residence of Telangana Minister Konda Surekha. The demonstration, organized under the banner of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), was held to oppose the state government’s decision to hand over the Midday Meal Scheme to the Akshaya Patra Foundation.
Shouting slogans and staging a sit-in, the workers demanded that the government withdraw the move, which they say will jeopardize their livelihoods. The protest drew a strong response from police, who were deployed in large numbers to prevent any untoward incidents.
Addressing the protest, CITU State Secretary Kasu Madhavi accused the government of doing grave injustice to Midday Meal workers in the so-called Indiramma Rajyam. She alleged that Minister Konda Surekha, despite being a fellow woman, had allowed police action against the protesters, leading to their arrest. “This is not only unfair but also an insult to the women workers who have been serving children for years,” Madhavi said.
She demanded that the minister intervene immediately to address the grievances of the Midday Meal staff. Madhavi further called upon the education department officials in Khila Warangal Mandal to reverse their decision to outsource the cooking and supply of school meals to Akshaya Patra. “This scheme has been run by local women workers for decades, and handing it over to an external organization will strip them of their only source of income,” she asserted.
The protesters insisted that the government should instead strengthen the existing Midday Meal workforce, improve their wages, and provide better facilities, rather than sidelining them in favor of private agencies.
The standoff at Minister Surekha’s residence lasted for several hours before police dispersed the gathering. While there was no immediate response from the minister, the protest has intensified calls from trade unions and workers’ associations for the state to protect the rights of Midday Meal employees and ensure that decisions about the scheme take into account their welfare and the local community’s role in school nutrition.
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