Cooks protest in Handwara over meager wages, pending salaries
Srinagar: In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, different segments of society continue to stage protests against anti-people policies, as cooks working in government schools held a demonstration in Handwara against non-payment of salaries and meager wages.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the cooks, mostly women, gathered at Chinar Park in Handwara town of Kupwara district and staged a peaceful protest to highlight their grievances. They said they have been working in government schools for years under various schemes but are being paid a paltry amount of around Rs 30 per day, which is far below the Minimum Wages Act.
The protesting women said they perform duties similar to regular employees and also carry out additional tasks beyond preparing mid-day meals, yet successive governments have failed to regularize their services or ensure fair wages. They lamented that despite decades of service, their economic condition continues to deteriorate due to official apathy and discriminatory policies.
The protesters demanded that the authorities must ensure proper and timely payment of wages in accordance with legal standards. They said their earnings are insufficient to meet even basic household needs, forcing them to live in extreme hardship.
Some of the protesters also revealed that they had even donated land to the education department in the hope that their services would be regularized, but no concrete steps have been taken so far. Others said they had been working for over a decade with the expectation of permanent employment, but their hopes remain unfulfilled.
Such protests by low-paid workers, employees, and other vulnerable groups have become a routine in the occupied territory, reflecting widespread frustration and growing resentment against policies that fail to address basic socio-economic issues faced by the people.
