Uttar Pradesh increases honorarium and benefits for 3.53 lakh school cooks

The Uttar Pradesh government has announced a significant welfare package for approximately 3.53 lakh cooks working under the PM Poshan (mid-day meal) scheme. During a ceremony in Lucknow, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath introduced several measures to enhance the financial and social security of these workers, the majority of whom are women.

Key updates include increasing the monthly honorarium from ₹2,000 to ₹3,000. Additionally, the government has introduced a cashless medical facility providing up to ₹5 lakh in annual coverage for cooks and their families. To protect against workplace accidents, a ₹2 lakh insurance cover has been established. The annual uniform allowance has also been doubled from ₹500 to ₹1,000.

The state has also amended maternity leave rules, removing the previous requirement of a two-year age difference between children, following a ruling by the Allahabad High Court. The new honorarium payments will be transferred directly to workers' bank accounts to ensure transparency.