Welfare Announcements for Mid-Day Meal Cooks

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday announced a series of welfare measures for 3.54 lakh cooks working under the state's mid-day meal programme. Speaking at a felicitation ceremony and cashless healthcare card distribution event in Lucknow, Adityanath said his government is providing social security guarantees to cooks employed in government primary schools.

The new measures include an increase in the honorarium of mid-day meal cooks, financial assistance of Rs 2 lakh in case of accidents, cashless treatment up to Rs 5 lakh, and an increase in the saree allowance from Rs 500 to Rs 1,000.

In a post on X, Adityanath described the cooking carried out in school kitchens as contributing to the health, education and future of millions of children. He paid tribute to the women working as cooks under the PM Poshan scheme, referring to them as the "foundational strength" of the programme. "Our cook mothers and sisters, who fulfill this sacred duty with their labor and maternal affection, are the true foundational strength of PM Poshan," his tweet read.

Adityanath described the cooks as "karmayogis" and said their work reflected dedication and care towards children. The initiative, he said, reflected the state government's commitment to providing more secure and dignified lives for the workers, and linked the programme to the welfare agenda of the BJP-led "double-engine government".

The distribution of cashless medical cards for the cooks will be inaugurated alongside an event to honour the workers. The PM Poshan scheme provides cooked meals to children in eligible government and government-aided schools across India.

Political Attack on Samajwadi Party

The Chief Minister used the occasion to launch a blistering political attack on the Samajwadi Party (SP). He claimed that people will "wipe out" the SP permanently in the next assembly elections, alleging that the opposition party had no place for the poor in its agenda. "This could have been done earlier as well, but it did not happen because the poor were never an issue in Samajwadi Party's agenda," he said.

Adityanath took a jibe at SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, whom he referred to as "Babua", saying: "Babua said all the members of our family are MPs, and that is why the SP remains consolidated. Notwithstanding, people will wipe it out in the next (assembly) election, permanently." This was in reference to Yadav's statement a day earlier that SP parliamentarians had not defected, as five members of his family are MPs, while several others are Muslims and "committed socialists".

Adityanath accused SP leaders of exploiting the poor for the benefit of their own families, looting the state, and turning it into a haven for goons. "These people used to encroach upon the land of the poor, compromise the safety of daughters and no one was safe. There were riots and clashes every day," he said.

Government's Record and Development Claims

Adityanath said his government has ensured that those who threaten the safety of women are "shown the way to Yamraj" and claimed Uttar Pradesh has become free of riots and curfews. He also took a swipe at Yadav's work ethic, saying: "If someone, like Babua, wakes up at noon... how will they find time for the state?"

Highlighting the transformation of government schools, Adityanath mentioned 'Operation Kayakalp', under which the state government has fixed 19 standards for public schools. He said that before 2017, schools run by the basic education department appeared "deserted and dilapidated".

The event in Lucknow saw the Chief Minister mix welfare announcements with political messaging, presenting his government's initiatives as a contrast to the alleged failures of the previous SP administration.