3 min readRaipurUpdated: Jan 29, 2026 07:40 AM IST
Two women mid-day meal cooks who were part of an ongoing protest for a wage hike in Chhattisgarh’s New Raipur died this week after their health deteriorated, even as the government announced a marginal daily increase of Rs 16.6.
Rukmani Sinha, in her 50s and from Balod district, died at a hospital in Rajnandgaon on January 26. Dulari Yadav, in her early 60s and from Bemetara district, died a day later at a hospital in Bhilai. Their deaths come as the agitation by the Chhattisgarh School Madhyanh Bhojan Rasoiya Sanyukta Sangh, demanding a hike in daily wages from Rs 66 to Rs 340, entered its 31st day.
Speaking to The Indian Express, Yadav’s grandson Gaukaran Yadav said his grandmother had gone to the protest on January 23 and that three days later the family received a call from the Sangh saying her health had worsened. “They said she has been referred to the Shri Shankaracharya Institute of Medical Sciences in Bhilai. On January 27, before we could speak with her, she died. She had no health issues,” he said, adding that she had complained of being unable to breathe.
Explaining Yadav’s condition, a doctor at the Shankaracharya hospital said she had pneumonia. “She was having severe breathing issues for a week, acidosis and low blood pressure. She was brought in a severe condition and had to be put on a ventilator immediately. There was a lot of delay in bringing her to our hospital and we could not save her life,” the doctor said.
Sinha returned home from the protest on January 24 after feeling unwell. “We thought it was due to lack of sleep or exhaustion and did not focus much on her. But that night, her health deteriorated, and we rushed her to Balod hospital, which referred her to Rajnandgaon medical college. She passed away in the afternoon on January 26,” her son-in-law Mukesh Kumar said.
Explaining Sinha’s condition, Dr Pawan Jethani, Deputy Superintendent of Atal Bihari Vajpayee Memorial Medical College, said she was diabetic and that her blood sugar levels had shot up when she came to the hospital. “She had multiple health issues which cannot be disclosed. Due to these issues, she died of cardiac arrest,” he said.
