Uttara Kannada: Mid-Day Meal Worker dies after hot Sambhar falls on her; Union demands fair compensation

The Karnataka State Mid-Day Meal Workers Union has written to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah demanding a compensation of Rs 5 lakh for Annapoorna Hunyal who succumbed to burn injuries after a six-day struggle. Currently a compensation of Rs 1 lakh is provided by the government for such cases. The union has asked for the limit to extend up to Rs 25 lakh. They have also requested the government to provide a job for one of her family members on compassionate grounds. 

On August 19th, the meal preparation for 615 students in Mundagooda was near completion and preparations were underway for serving them. Annapoorna along with another worker were carrying a large saucepan of Sambhar. She had slipped and subsequently, the large saucepan of hot Sambhar fell on her. The union has also claimed that they were severely understaffed with  only 4 workers given the responsibility for such a cumbersome task. The incident happened in a government run Pre-University college in the Uttara Kannada district. Annaporna was the lead-in-charge for the workers and 49-years-old. She was taken to the government hospital in the Mundagooda Taluk and subsequently shifted to the Karnataka Institute of Medical Sciences, Hubli. She passed away on 25th August.