2025:KER:26348 IN THE HIGH COURT OF KERALA AT ERNAKULAM PRESENT THE HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE N.NAGARESH THURSDAY, THE 27TH DAY OF MARCH 2025 / 6TH CHAITHRA, 1947 WP(C) NO. 12505 OF 2024 PETITIONERS: 1 SCHOOL PACHAKA THOZHILALI UNION (AITUC) REG.NO.08-11-OF 2014 C.JANARDHANAN SMARAKAM, MANNADIAR LANE, THRISSUR REP. BY GENERAL SECRETARY, P G MOHANAN., PIN - 680001 2 ALICE THANKACHAN AGED 62 YEARS W/O THANKACHAN, CHAMAKKALAYIL HOUSE, ETTUMANOOR.P.O, KOTTAYAM DISTRICT., PIN - 686631 3 ANITHA APPUKKUTTAN AGED 48 YEARS W/O APPUKUTTAN, CHERIAMPARAMBIL HOUSE, KURUMASSERY.P.O, ERNAKULAM DISTRICT., PIN - 683579 BY ADVS. V.M.KRISHNAKUMAR P.R.REENA RESPONDENTS: 1 UNION OF INDIA REPRESENTED BY SECRETARY, MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, NEW DELHI, PIN - 110001 2025:KER:26348 WP(C) NO.12505 of 2024 2 2 STATE OF KERALA REPRESENTED BY CHIEF SECRETARY GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT, THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, PIN - 695001 3 DIRECTOR OF GENERAL OF EDUCATION OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR, JAGATHY, THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, PIN - 695014 4 SECRETARY DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE, SECRETARIAT, THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, PIN - 695001 SMT.ANIMA M,GOVERNMENT PLEADER SRI.T.C.KRISHNA, DSGI THIS WRIT PETITION (CIVIL) HAVING COME UP FOR ADMISSION ON 27.03.2025, THE COURT ON THE SAME DAY DELIVERED THE FOLLOWING: 2025:KER:26348 WP(C) NO.12505 of 2024 3 JUDGMENT Dated this the 27th day of March, 2025 The petitioners are aggrieved by the non-disbursal of honorarium for the Mid-day Meal Cooking Staff of Government and Aided Schools in the State of Kerala. The 1st respondent has fixed honorarium for Mid-day Meal Cooking Staff at 1,000/- per month, ₹ out of which 600/- per month is ₹ to be given by Central Government and the remaining 400/- ₹ is to be given by the State Government. 2. Though the remuneration for Mid-day Meal Cooking Employees is fixed at 1,000/- per month by ₹ the 1st respondent-Union of India, in the State of Kerala, the remuneration is fixed at 675/- per day and there will be ₹ around 21 working days every month. Thus, the total remuneration payable will be around 13,500/- per month ₹ 2025:KER:26348 WP(C) NO.12505 of 2024 4 only. 3. Under the guise that the Central Government contribution of ₹600/- per month is delayed, the 2 nd respondent is delaying the payment of remuneration to Mid-day Meal Workers consistently. The payment of Central Government is only Rs.600/- per month, whereas the total remuneration payable to the Mid-day Meal Employees by the State Government is around 13,500/- per month, ₹ contend the petitioners. 4. It is not in dispute that the petitioners have not been paid wages for a few months. The petitioners would contend that the employees have not received wages from November, 2024 till date. 5. In the circumstances, it would only just and proper that the writ petition is disposed of with appropriate directions. The writ petition is therefore disposed of directing respondents 2 to 4 to pay 50% of the amounts due to the 2025:KER:26348 WP(C) NO.12505 of 2024 5 employees within a period of one month and the balance 50% of arrears within a further period of one month thereafter. Sd/- N.NAGARESH JUDGE hmh 2025:KER:26348 WP(C) NO.12505 of 2024 6 APPENDIX OF WP(C) 12505/2024 PETITIONERS’ EXHIBITS Exhibit P1 TRUE COPY OF THE RELEVANT PAGES OF CIRCULAR NO. N.M.A1/19000/2019/DPI DATED 25.05.2019 Exhibit P2 TRUE COPY OF THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE DIRECTOR OF GENERAL EDUCATION, NO NMI (2)/24257/2019/DGE DATED 23.10.2019 Exhibit P3 TRUE COPY OF THE GOVERNMENT ORDER GO (RT) NO. 3046/2021/GEDN DATED 17.06.2021 Exhibit P4 TRUE COPY OF THE LETTER NO.NMA2/3510/2023/DGE DATED 17.04.2023 GIVEN BY THE 3RD RESPONDENT RESPONDENT ANNEXURES Annexure R3(a) TRUE COPY OF THE LETTER NO. DDEEKM/3969/2024-G.EDN DATED 20-04- 2024 OF DDE , ERNAKULAM Annexure R3(b) TRUE COPY OF THE LETTER NO. NM1/2267/2024/DDEKTM DATED 21-04-2024 OF DDE, KOTTAYAM