Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Saturday announced a hike in the salary of pachikas and assistants engaged in the mid-day meal scheme in the schools across the state.
The salary of pachikas and assistants has been increased from Rs 1,400 to Rs 2,000. This will benefit the pachikas and assistants working in 55,000 schools in the state. For this, the State Government will spend Rs 74 crore per year.
In addition to this, ex-gratia of Rs 1 lakh will be given to the family members of pachikas and assistants in case of death during their service period.
As a result of this decision, 1.10 lakh pachikas and assistants working in 55,000 schools will be benefited. The increase in wages will be implemented retrospectively from October 2023, according to an official release.