ASHAs take out procession in Kalaburagi, stage demonstration for a raise

ASHAs staging a demonstration outside the district administrative complex in Kalaburagi on Friday.
| Photo Credit: ARUN KULKARNI

Organised under the banner of All India United Trade Union Centre (AIUTUC), hundreds of Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) staged a demonstration outside the district administrative complex in Kalaburagi on Friday putting forward various demands, including an increase in their monthly honorarium to ₹15,000.

Before the demonstration, they took out a procession from SVP Chowk raising slogans against the State government for being insensitive to their demands.

“ASHAs play a crucial role in offering health services at the grassroots level. They are in direct touch with the people in villages and assist the government in implementing its various welfare programmes, especially those related to health. There are over 42,000 ASHAs in the State and the government has never taken their issues seriously,” honorary president of ASHAs organisation V.G. Desai said during the protest.

Shivalingamma, a leader of ASHAs, blamed the Siddaramaiah government for not keeping its word on addressing their issues.

“At present, ASHAs are getting ₹12,000 honorarium a month, made up of ₹5,000 from the State government and ₹7,000 from the Union government. It is insufficient to meet even the basic requirements of a decent life, considering inflation. We want the State government to increase its share by ₹3,000 to take the total honorarium to ₹15,000 a month,” she said.

Another leader Geetha Malli raised the other demands which included the payment of a lumpsum of ₹3,00,000 at the time of retirement as given in West Bengal.

“The government should not force ASHAs to do additional work other than their designated tasks. If it wants ASHAs to discharge additional duties, it should pay an additional honorarium and give internet data for online-based work. ASHAs are not getting payment proportionate to their work. The government should increase honorarium for ASHAs who are in facilitator positions,” she said.

“It should pay travel and other allowances to them. The government should consider ASHAs as its employees and extend them all facilities such as provident fund, ESI, gratuity that its employees are entitled to,” she added.