Raipur
Anger has erupted among protesting mid-day meal cooks in Chhattisgarh following the deaths of two women who were part of a 30-day-long sit-in at the Tuta protest site in Nava Raipur. The deceased have been identified as Dulari Yadav from Saltha village in Bemetara district and Rukmani Sinha from Kusmaka village in Balod.
Around 86,000 cooks have been on strike since 29 December 2025 under the banner of the Chhattisgarh School Mid-Day Meal Union. They are seeking minimum wage, permanent employment status, and social security.
Dulari Yadav, posted at a government primary school in Berla block, had been at the protest site since the start of the agitation. Her health deteriorated on 25 January 2026, after which she was admitted to Dr BR Ambedkar Memorial Hospital. She was later referred to a private facility in Bhilai where she passed away. Doctors suspect metabolic acidosis as the cause of death, noting she had a pre-existing heart condition.
The second deceased, Rukmani Sinha, participated in the protest from 20 to 23 January. Her nephew, Devesh Sinha, stated that she experienced dizziness and abdominal pain upon returning home on 24 January. She was taken to the Balod District Hospital and later referred to the Rajnandgaon Medical College, where she died on 26 January.
Political reaction and official clarification
The opposition Congress has blamed the BJP government for the tragedy. A party spokesperson stated that the government’s failure to address demands for fair wages and social security led to these deaths.
“Women whose labour ensures nutrition for lakhs of children are forced to sit on the streets.”
However, the Directorate of Public Instruction (DPI) issued a statement clarifying that the deaths were not directly linked to the protest site. The administration dismissed reports of the women falling ill at the venue as “baseless.”
The DPI stated that senior officials from the School Education Department had previously met with union representatives. During these talks, the government informed the union of a 25 per cent hike in honorarium, amounting to an increase of ₹500. The administration had requested the cooks to end their strike and return to work.
Union demands compensation
Ramraj Kashyap, state president of the Rasoiya Sangh, claimed the health of both women worsened at the protest site. He has asked the state government to provide immediate compensation to the bereaved families and to fulfill the pending demands of the workers.
“The government had promised to increase the honorarium but is not fulfilling its word. There is a lack of concrete initiative,” Kashyap said.
Govt denies link between mid-day meal cooks’ deaths and strike
Raipur: The Chhattisgarh government on Tuesday rejected claims that the deaths of two mid-day meal cooks were linked to the ongoing indefinite strike in Nava Raipur. The Directorate of Public Instruction (DPI) termed the allegations by workers’ unions as “misleading”, stating that the fatalities were due to personal health issues rather than the conditions at the protest site.
The Chhattisgarh School Mid-Day Meal Cooks’ Union had earlier claimed that two women, who were part of the agitation at the Tuta protest ground, died due to prolonged exposure to cold weather. According to union leader Ramraj, Dulari Yadav, a cook from Bemetara district, had been at the sit-in since 29 December 2025.
The second cook, Rukmani Sinha from Balod district, died while undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Bhilai. The DPI clarified that Sinha was already suffering from a serious illness, while Yadav had only attended the protest for two days on 20 and 21 January before returning home.
“The deaths of the two cooks have no direct connection with the protest or the strike,” the DPI stated.
Thousands of cooks, mostly women, have been on strike for over three weeks demanding a hike in their daily wages from ₹66 to ₹340. The state government recently offered a 25% increase in monthly honorarium (₹500 additional), but the union rejected the offer, insisting on revision as per collector rates.
The strike has disrupted mid-day meal services in several government schools, affecting thousands of students. Union leaders have warned of intensifying the agitation if demands for better pay and job security are not met.
