Rajasthan: Cooks hope for government support from the central and state budgets! They've been working without pay for 7 months.

News Topical, Digital Desk : The general budget for the third term of the Modi government at the Centre is scheduled to be presented on Sunday (February 1, 2026). Ten days later, the Bhajanlal Sharma government of Rajasthan will present the state budget. While many people have high expectations from the central and state budgets, the cooks who prepare meals for children in Rajasthan's government schools have particularly high hopes for this budget. 

Approximately 114,000 cooks in the state are currently working for a mere 2,297 rupees per month. They earn an average of only 76 rupees per day. Cooks working in government schools in Rajasthan have not received a single penny this entire semester. They have been cooking in schools for the past seven months, but they have not been paid their wages. 

What do chefs want in a budget?

The cooks want both the central and Rajasthan governments to increase their wages in their budgets so that they can meet some of their own and their families' needs. They also want to be paid at least the minimum wage. 

The cooks have also appealed to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Rajasthan Finance Minister Diya Kumari. Since most kitchen workers are women, and the current Finance Ministers in both the Central and Rajasthan governments are women, the women cooks are hopeful that the budget will provide some relief for them. 

Government schools get this much salary

In Rajasthan, cooks who prepare mid-day meals in government schools receive a monthly salary of ₹2,297. Of this, ₹600 is provided by the central government, while the Rajasthan government provides ₹1,697. The central government has paid ₹600 per month since April 1, 2010.

It hasn't been increased by a single penny in the past 16 years. H.S. Chaudhary, a leader of the cooks who prepare midday meals in Rajasthan's government schools, says both the central and state governments should increase their contributions.

"We should also receive at least a certain amount of money that's respectable. Currently, we don't even earn a hundred rupees a day, so we're embarrassed to even tell anyone about our paychecks," he said. 

What does the leader of the cooks have to say?

Cooks' leader, H.S. Chaudhary, says that while they haven't been paid a single penny for the past seven months, the government also deducts money for holidays like summer, winter, and Diwali. They are being treated step-motherly.

They said they arrive at school first thing every day and return only after it locks. Their job is to cook, but they are also tasked with various other tasks, including cleaning. 

What do chefs expect from the budget?

Cooks hope that the central and Rajasthan governments will provide some relief in this year's budget. When Rajasthan government minister Gautam Dak was asked about this, he declined to give a direct answer and instead said he would consider the matter.

Meanwhile, the Congress party has targeted the double-engine government over this issue. Congress MLA Rafiq Khan said that the honorarium of cooks has been increased several times during his government's tenure. BJP governments should also treat them fairly.

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