Coimbatore : While the plea by Nutrition mid day meal workers to increase their wages is yet to be addressed, the state government has proposed closure of 8000 Nutrition centres in the State.
Coimbatore : While the plea by Nutrition mid day meal workers to increase their wages is yet to be addressed, the state government has proposed closure of 8000 Nutrition centres in the State.
Almost 50 lakh students from economically backward families are directly benefited through the 42,000 Nutrition centres across the State. However, in the recent times, the gradual decrease in number of students enrolled for the meal program has urged the government to close down 8,000 centres.
"Such centres have poor strength of less than 25 students. Operating nutrition centres with such poor attendance makes the process tedious and pointless", said an official source.
As many as 150 such centres will be shutdown in schools in Coimbatore City, sources confirmed.
“The decision by the state government to close down mid day meals in 8000 schools in the State has not only brought shock to the employees working under the Nutrition scheme but will also impact the health of poor children studying in the school", said Palaniswamy, Former Head of State employees in Nutrition centres to SimpliCity.
Stating that the long pending problems of mid-day meal workers should be brought to limelight and expedited, Palaniswamy opined that "In the recent times, we are facing continous disappointments due to the decisions taken by the Education department".
He also apprised that their association has planned to protest against the incumbency on December 27 , and will strongly stress on wage hike and pension schemes for the employees of the mid-day meal centres.