Midday meal workers at school in Haryana's Nuh not paid for 10 months, lawyer writes to NHRC
A Delhi-based lawyer has complained to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) that midday meal workers at Government Model Sanskriti Senior Secondary School in Raniyala village of Haryana's Nuh district have not received their honorariums for the past 10 months.
Filed on Wednesday by advocate Ashok Agarwal, the complaint alleged a serious violation of labour rights at the school in the Ferozpur Jhirka area. Cooks and their helpers have not received their pay of Rs 7,000 per month for the last 10 months now, Agarwal found on visiting the school with social activist Dr Ashfaque Ahmed on May 24.
According to the complaint, many of the midday meal workers have served the school for 10 to 15 years preparing and serving meals to students daily.
'Despite their continuous … they have been left without remuneration, leading to significant economic hardship and emotional distress for them and their families … This situation is not only unjust and exploitative but also amounts to a grave violation of labor and human rights. The denial of rightful wages over such an extended period bears resemblance to 'Begar' (forced or unpaid labor), which is explicitly prohibited under Article 23 of the Indian Constitution', the complaint reads.
It goes on to raise concerns about systemic issues, suggesting that similar exploitative practices may exist in other government schools across Haryana, given that the affected school is affiliated with the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), one of India's prominent educational boards.
Agarwal told The Indian Express that the workers do not get paid for the two vacation months in a year too.
The complaint thus urges the NHRC to investigate the matter urgently, direct authorities to release the pending salaries, and ensure such violations do not recur in government-run schools.
Vishram Kumar Meena, Deputy Commissioner, Nuh, told The Indian Empress that the administration would ask the district elementary education officer to look into the issue and resolve it.
'I have got a message from the DC and have spoken to the midday in-charge, who is currently on leave. We will look into it and give an update tomorrow. Normally, there are budgetary issues sometimes, but not at present. In any case, 10 months is too long a time,' District Education Officer Ajit Singh said.
Nuh MLA Aftab Ahmed raised questions about the state government's approach to public education. 'They have declared it an aspirational district but do not pay any attention to the education woes. District officers of the department are not sufficiently hired or are kept on additional charge. I will look into this school and others, and see that their payments are released. The poor workers do not have a union or support system or anything, and are usually on their own,' he told The Indian Express.
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