ASHA workers lay siege to Secretariat announce hunger strike in Kerala

Thiruvananthapuram, Mar 17 (PTI) Hundreds of ASHA workers, who have been staging a protest for over a month pressing for various demands, on Monday intensified their agitation by laying a siege to the state's Secretariat here.


They also announced an indefinite hunger strike by three leaders from March 20, as part of the third phase of their ongoing agitation.

Though the protesting leaders acknowledged the state government's action of issuing an order relaxing 10 eligibility criteria for receiving an honorarium, they made it clear that they would not end their stir until their major demands are met.

A section of Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) workers has been protesting in front of the Secretariat for the last 36 days seeking post-retirement benefits and a hike in their honorarium.

As they are yet to get any assurance from the authorities on their demands, the ASHA workers today laid a siege to the Secretariat till evening by blocking the main gate of the Secretariat, located in the heart of the city.

UDF MLA K K Rema inaugurated the siege while the workers of various organisations came to the venue to express their solidarity with the ASHA workers.

After gathering at the protest venue, the agitators moved towards the main gate of the state's administrative hub, squatted on the road and raised slogans.

Police placed barricades on the premises to block the protesters.

Security was intensified in and around the Secretariat and over 800 police personnel were deployed to prevent the protesters from entering Secretariat.

Police said the agitation didn't create any hurdle to the normal functioning of the Secretariat.

However, the massive agitation of the women workers disrupted traffic on the MG road, one of the major thoroughfares in the capital city.

M A Bindhu, one of the leaders, said the government's decision to withdraw the criteria for honorarium was a victory of their agitation.

"We welcome the government's decision to withdraw the criteria for getting honorarium to the ASHA workers. But, we would not end our agitation untill our major demands including honorarium hike and pension are met," she told reporters here.

A protesting ASHA worker, who came from neighbouring Kollam district, said they won't end the ongoing agitation untill the state government accepted their demands.
"How can we take our lives forward with this meagre income. I am a widow and have two children and an elderly mother to look after. I cannot live anymore with this meagre honorarium at a time when prices of essential commodities are skyrocketing," she told the media.


Addressing the protesters, VK Sadanandan, President of the Kerala ASHA Health Workers Association, announced that an indefinite hunger strike would be launched from March 20.

"We will begin an indefinite hunger strike here from March 20...Three persons will take part part in the hunger strike in the initial phase. We cannot say how long it will continue," he said.

Senior Congress leaders V D Satheesan and Ramesh Chennithala and BJP state president K Surendran visited the protesters during the siege.

Surendran said the state BJP leadership has already been pressurising the union government to enhance the central share to the ASHA workers and it would be increased soon.

But, the Rs 21,000 honorarium being demanded by the protesters is the liability of the state government, he said.

Satheesan urged Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to take the responsibility to settle the agitation of ASHA workers.

"I personally requested the CM, while in the Assembly and via phone, to intervene to end the agitation. I will continue to do the same... Is the government declaring war against the poor women who are protesting?" he asked.

Meanwhile, the ruling LDF continued to criticise the ASHA workers over their agitation and said those who are leading the protest have some hidden agenda.
"They should have staged a protest against the union government...not against the state government," senior CPI(M) leader and LDF convenor TP Ramakrishnan said here.
He also claimed that the LDF and the CPI(M) have always stood up for the interests of ASHA workers and would continue to do so.
Accordign to the Left 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 centre-sponsored schemes, including for ASHA.
The central government has, however, rejected the state's claims and contended that it has given what was due, but the utilisation certificate has not come from Kerala.
It said that once the certificate comes, the requisite amounts 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 of ASHA workers.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)