Owaisi Raises Concerns Over Cooks’ Honorarium Under PM Poshan Scheme
Hyderabad MP and All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Tuesday, November 26, questioned the education ministry about the honorarium for cooks and helpers working in government schools under the Prime Minister Poshan scheme. Speaking during the Question Hour in the Lok Sabha, Owaisi highlighted that the honorarium for cooks had remained unchanged since 2009 and asked whether state governments were providing additional amounts to cooks under the scheme.
In response, Minister of State for Education Jayant Chaudhary explained that the PM Poshan scheme, a centrally sponsored initiative, is implemented in partnership with state and union territory governments. He clarified that while the central government prescribes an honorarium of Rs 1,000 per month for 10 months for cook-cum-helpers (CCHs), the state governments have the flexibility to supplement this amount with additional funds from their own resources.
Chaudhary emphasized that CCHs, who provide valuable social services by preparing and serving meals, are honorary workers. The honorarium, he said, is shared between the central and state governments according to the prescribed sharing pattern.
Regarding Telangana, the education ministry’s data revealed that cooks working in government schools in the state receive Rs 3,000 from the Centre, along with an additional Rs 2,000 from the state government. This supplementary amount ensures that cooks in Telangana receive a total of Rs 5,000 as honorarium under the PM Poshan scheme.
