Bengaluru : State Minister of Primary & Secondary Education and Sakala S. Suresh Kumar has written to Ramesh Pokhriyal, the Union Minister of Human Resource Development asking him to increase the Centre’s share in the remuneration provided to the serving staff working under the mid-day meal scheme.

In the letter, he has stated that in 2010 the central government used to pay Rs 1000 per month as remuneration to the serving staff. In this, the Centre’s contribution was 75 per cent and the state’s was 25 per cent. However, in 2014 the central government dropped its contribution to 60 and increased the state’s to 40. As Rs 1000 was not enough for these staff the state government increased their pay to Rs 2700 but the contribution from the centre has remained the same – Rs 600.

Presently, there are 46,768 cooks and 71,159 helpers in the state working under this scheme. These workers have been repeatedly demanding a pay hike to Rs 6000.

Suresh Kumar further states in the letter that the centre must agree to their just demands.