Hyderabad: Mid-day meal (MDM) workers in Hyderabad staged a protest in front of the Commissioner and Director of School Education (C&DSE) office on Wednesday due to the government's failure to clear their pending dues.

The workers, who are owed the last four to five months' honorary remuneration of 3,000 per worker per month, as well as egg bills for the last 10 months, expressed their grievances. With 54,202 MDM workers in the state, the government owes approximately 80 crore in unpaid remuneration alone.

"The government barely pays us 6 per child. They only provide rice, and we have to purchase all other necessary items. Most of us are in debt because the government has not settled bills for months," said Sharada K, one of the protesting workers.

The workers highlighted that officials showed little concern for their issues and even resorted to police action as soon as they gathered at the C&DSE office. Many workers, like Rajeshwari Dasari, traveled from different districts to participate in the protest.

Dasari emphasized the financial strain they face and questioned the government's expectations to provide eggs to students without clearing bills for months. She also mentioned pending bills from two years ago that remain unresolved.

Alternate arrangements were made in government schools for a day to provide meals to students following the strike alert issued by the C&DSE.

Chava Ravi, president of the United Teachers Federation, expressed concerns about the continuity of meal services if the protest persists. The workers also noted that many were prevented from reaching Hyderabad due to preventive arrests in various districts.