Bhubaneswar, March 20 -- Midday meal cooks and helpers in Odisha continued their protest for the third consecutive day on Friday, intensifying their agitation over pending wages and other long-standing demands. Members of the All Odisha Midday Meal Cook-Cum-Helper Association have been staging continuous demonstrations, sitting through the nights as part of their ongoing protest.

The agitation is focused on securing the release of pending allowances for the last three months and requesting an increase in wages. Protesters have taken to the streets, alleging that their repeated appeals have not been addressed by the authorities.

The association has put forward a series of demands, including clearance of unpaid dues, implementation of equ...