ASHAs stage protest seeking ₹15,000 monthly remuneration

Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) staged a protest in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s office in Ballari on Thursday, demanding that the incentives and honorarium paid by the Central and State governments be combined and fixed at a minimum of ₹15,000 a month.

The protest was organised as part of a State-wide ‘Protest Week’ being observed from October 5 to 11 under the leadership of the Karnataka State United ASHA Workers’ Association, affiliated to AIUTUC. The workers took out a protest march from Gandhi Bhavan to the Deputy Commissioner’s office and staged a demonstration there.

Addressing the protesters, association State secretary D. Nagalakshmi said ASHAs had received an increase of only ₹1,500 in the past nine years and that their remuneration had not kept pace with the rising cost of living. She said the government should fulfil its earlier assurances regarding an increase in their remuneration.

She also alleged that ASHAs had been facing delays in the payment of incentives and honorarium for nearly a year, with pending incentive amounts yet to be released in several districts.

Ms. Nagalakshmi said ASHAs were also facing difficulties in carrying out mobile-based work as many had not been provided with mobile phones and were encountering technical, server and connectivity-related problems. She said the workers were not opposed to digitalisation, but basic facilities should be provided before they were made to depend entirely on mobile applications for recording their work.

AIUTUC district president A. Devadas demanded that the incentives and honorarium paid by the Central and State governments be combined and fixed at ₹15,000 a month. He also sought immediate payment of all pending incentives and timely release of monthly remuneration.

The organisation warned that the agitation would be intensified if the government failed to intervene and address the demands.

The protesters submitted a memorandum addressed to the Chief Minister and Health Minister through the Deputy Commissioner. Their demands included the immediate release of pending incentive payments and payment of outstanding amounts under various components.

They also demanded that the authorities stop allegedly forcing ASHAs to undertake Nikshay app-related work if it was not assigned to them under National Health Mission guidelines. They sought measures to resolve problems related to the RCH portal, through which, they alleged, incentives were not being credited in proportion to the work performed.