Chhattisgarh School Cooks Face Rioting Charges After Road Block Protest Over Meager Wages
In a dramatic escalation of their ongoing protest, approximately 500-600 school midday meal cooks in Chhattisgarh have been booked on charges of "rioting" after they blocked a major arterial road in New Raipur on Thursday and Friday. The cooks, who have been protesting for 34 consecutive days, are demanding a substantial increase in their daily wage from the current Rs 66 to at least Rs 261 per day.
Protesters Question Government's Understanding of Their Plight
The protest has been organized under the banner of the Chhattisgarh School Madhyanbhojan Rasoiya Sanyukta Sangh, an association representing midday meal cooks working under the Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman (PM-Poshan) scheme. For over a month, several hundred cooks have been demonstrating at Tuta ground, a designated protest site in New Raipur.
Meghraj Baghel, secretary of the association, expressed frustration with the government's response. "Why can't they understand our situation? We work for four to five hours, and Rs 66 is very little. They are not even matching the inflation rate over the years," Baghel stated. He revealed that while their initial demand was for Rs 440 per day, they have now scaled it down to match the Rs 261 daily wage paid to workers under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).
From Negotiations to Confrontation
The protest turned confrontational on Thursday night when hundreds of cooks left Tuta ground and marched toward the Mantralaya. Police responded by erecting barricades to stop their advance, leading the protesters to sit down on the road, effectively blocking traffic on the arterial route to New Raipur.
A police officer from Abhanpur police station explained, "We told them many times to vacate the arterial road to New Raipur. But they did not budge. So, we booked them, but no arrests have been made." An FIR has been registered under sections 126(2) (wrongful restraint) and 191(2) (rioting) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Protesters Deny Rioting Allegations
Ramraj Kashyap, president of the cooks' association, strongly denied the rioting charges. "We did not even touch any public property. It's true we blocked the road. But we did not do any rioting, and they have slapped the rioting section on us," Kashyap asserted.
The protest highlights the growing discontent among midday meal cooks who play a crucial role in implementing the government's nutrition scheme but feel inadequately compensated for their labor. Their demand for parity with MGNREGA wages underscores the broader issue of fair compensation for essential workers in government schemes.
Baghel recounted their earlier negotiations with authorities, stating, "Earlier, we had met the Education Minister and demanded Rs 440 per day, but they said they would increase the wage by only Rs 500 per month — an offer we declined. Then, we said we need at least Rs 261 [per day] that is paid to MGNREGA workers, but that demand was declined too [by the government]."
The standoff continues as the cooks maintain their protest while facing legal charges, creating a complex situation that pits workers' rights against public order concerns in the state capital.
