3 min readRaipurUpdated: Jan 31, 2026 02:20 PM IST
For the last 34 days, several hundred cooks working under the Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman (PM-Poshan) midday meal scheme have been protesting at Tuta ground. (Express Photo)
Around 500-600 cooks of school midday meals in Chhattisgarh have been booked on charges of “rioting” after they took out a rally and sat on a road blocking traffic in New Raipur on Thursday and Friday. They have been demanding that their daily wage be increased from Rs 66 to at least Rs 261.
For the last 34 days, several hundred cooks working under the Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman (PM-Poshan) midday meal scheme have been protesting at Tuta ground, a site designated for protests in New Raipur. The protests were organised under the banner of the Chhattisgarh School Madhyanbhojan Rasoiya Sanyukta Sangh, an association of midday meal cooks.
Meghraj Baghel, secretary of the association, said, “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].”
‘Why can’t they understand? Rs 66 is very little’: #Chhattisgarh school cooks block road demanding fair pay, booked for ‘rioting’
On Thursday night, hundreds of cooks left the Tuta ground and marched towards the Mantralaya. Police put up barricades and stopped them, after which they sat down on the road. “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,” said a police officer from Abhanpur police station.
An FIR has been registered under sections 126(2) (wrongful restraint) and 191(2) (rioting) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
The association’s president, Ramraj Kashyap, said, “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.”
The main demand of the cooks in the beginning was for their daily wages to be increased from Rs 66 to Rs 440, and now they have asked to at least be paid the Rs 261 wage that is paid to those under the rural employment guarantee scheme.
Sanyukta Sangh secretary Baghel said, “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.”
Jayprakash S Naidu is a Principal Correspondent for The Indian Express, currently serving as the state correspondent for Chhattisgarh. With an extensive career in frontline journalism, he reports on the political, security, and humanitarian landscape of Central India.
Expertise and Experience
Specialized Conflict Reporting: Jayprakash is a leading voice on the Maoist/Naxalite conflict in the Bastar region. His reporting provides a critical, ground-level view of:
Internal Security: Tracking high-stakes encounters, surrender programs for senior Maoist leaders, and the establishment of security camps in formerly inaccessible "heartland" villages.
Tribal Rights & Displacement: Investigative reporting on the identity and land struggles of thousands of displaced tribals fleeing conflict zones for neighboring states.
Governance & Bureaucratic Analysis: He consistently monitors the evolution of Chhattisgarh as it marks 25 years of statehood, covering:
Electoral Politics: Analyzing the shift in power between the BJP and Congress and the impact of regional tribal movements.
Public Policy: Reporting on landmark infrastructure projects (e.g., mobile connectivity in remote zones) and judicial interventions, such as High Court rulings on civil and family law.
Diverse Investigative Background: Prior to his current focus on Chhattisgarh, Jayprakash held reported from Maharashtra, where he specialized in:
Crisis & Disaster Management: Notable for his extensive coverage of the Cyclone Tauktae barge tragedy (P-305) and the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on frontline personnel.
Legal & Human Rights: Investigative pieces for platforms like Article-14, focusing on police accountability and custodial deaths across India.
Environmental & Social Justice: Authoritative reporting on the Hasdeo Aranya forest protests and the approval of major tiger reserves, highlighting the tension between industrial mining and environmental preservation. ... Read More
