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Srinagar: In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, midday meal workers staged protest demonstrations in Bandipora and Islamabad districts, demanding a substantial increase in their wages and better working conditions.<\/p>\n
According to Kashmir Media Service, a group of women cooks affiliated with the School Education Department assembled outside the Mini-Secretariat in Bandipora, voicing strong resentment over their meager earnings and irregular payments.<\/p>\n
Led by their association head, Haneefa Begum, the protesters said they receive a monthly honorarium of only Rs 900 for limited months in a year, which they termed insufficient to meet basic needs amid rising inflation.<\/p>\n
The demonstrators said that despite rendering continuous services for years, they are often paid irregularly and in small amounts, adding to their financial hardships. They also expressed concern over being asked to arrange firewood from nearby forests due to shortages of cooking fuel, terming the practice exploitative and unjust.<\/p>\n
The protesting workers criticized the authorities for ignoring their long-pending demands and expressed disappointment over the lack of attention to their issues during the recent assembly session. They said the authorities are neglecting poor workers while focusing on political interests.<\/p>\n
The protesters further demanded that their services be regularized and their wages be brought under the ambit of the Minimum Wages Act to ensure financial security and dignity. They maintained that despite low pay, they continue to perform their duties with dedication, preparing meals for schoolchildren across the territory.<\/p>\n
In Islamabad district, similar protests were held outside the Deputy Commissioner\u2019s office, where workers reiterated their demands for fair wages and timely payments. Social activists and civil society members extended support to the protesting workers, urging the authorities to address their genuine grievances without delay.<\/p>\n
The demonstrations concluded peacefully with a warning that the agitation would be intensified if their demands remain unmet.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Srinagar: In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, midday meal workers staged protest demonstrations in Bandipora and Islamabad districts, demanding a substantial increase in their wages and better working conditions. According to Kashmir Media Service, a group of women cooks affiliated with the School Education Department assembled outside the Mini-Secretariat in Bandipora, voicing strong resentment …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":193353,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-198015","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-indian-occupied-jammu-and-kashmir"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t