Protesting ASHA Workers In Kerala To Cut Their Hair To Intensify Agitation

ASHA workers in Thiruvananthapuram have been protesting for 50 days for increased honorarium and post-retirement benefits.

Protesting ASHA workers in Kerala

Source : PTI

Thiruvananthapuram, Mar 30 (PTI) The ASHA workers protesting outside the Secretariat here have announced that they will intensify their agitation by staging a 'hair cutting demonstration' on Monday as their stir enters 50th day.

As the government has not made any favourable decision, a section of protesters launched an indefinite hunger strike at the protest venue here last week.

Mini S, one of the leaders of the protesting ASHA workers, criticised Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday for remaining silent about their agitation and said they would not backtrack from the stir until the government accepts their demands.

"The CM is concerned even about animals, birds and other creatures in the wake of the heat wave warning in the state. But, he has not uttered any word on these ASHA workers who have been protesting under scorching sun for the last 50 days," she told reporters here.

She said she had cut her hair several times before but it is for the first time that she is doing it as part of a protest.

"Not just me, ASHA workers who arrive here from several districts will cut their hair as part of the protest. It will become a significant episode in the agitation," the leader added.

A section of ASHA workers have been protesting outside the Secretariat here for the last several weeks raising various demands including post-retirement benefits and an increase in honorarium.

The Left government in the state made it clear that such a steep hike in honorarium is not practically possible and said it was the responsibility of the Centre to address the demands of the ASHA workers.

According to the government, it has not received any cash grant from the central government under the National Health Mission (NHM) for 2023-24 for payment towards various Centrally sponsored schemes, including ASHA.

The central government has, however, rejected the state's claims and contended that it has given what was due, but the utilisation certificate did not come from Kerala.

It said that once the certificate comes, the requisite amount would be given to the ASHA workers and the state.

Union Health Minister J P Nadda had also announced in the Parliament that the Mission Steering Group of the NHM has decided to raise the incentives for ASHA workers.

(This report has been published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. Apart from the headline, no editing has been done in the copy by ABP Live.)