Ludhiana, Aug. 2 -- Mid-day meal workers across the state are struggling to make ends meet as their monthly salaries have not been credited for the past two months. These workers, who earn a modest Rs.3,000 per month, say the delay has pushed them into a severe financial crisis. With many of them having taken small loans, their EMIs are being auto-deducted from their existing accounts, leaving them with nothing to survive on.

Adding to their woes, the government has now asked them to open new bank accounts in Canara Bank, which they claim is one of the reasons behind the stalled payments. "We have been told to shift our accounts, and while that process is still ongoing, we are not even being paid for the previous months," said Parveen Ku...