Bengaluru: An indefinite protest by members of the Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) entered the second day on Friday. Over 15,000 Asha workers braved heavy rains on Friday evening and continued their protest at the Freedom Park.
Health Minister K.R. Ramesh Kumar called Asha representatives for a meeting in the evening, but the talks failed. “The health minister assured them of a monthly allowance of Rs 3,500 out of state funds. Besides, they also earn performance-based incentives under the National Health Mission. No state has given them such a big allowance, not even Telangana, as claimed by the representatives," said Dr Shalini Rajneesh, principal secretary, Health and Family Welfare.
Ms D. Nagalakshmi, secretary, Karnataka State ASHA Workers' Association, said, “The central government has not fixed any salary for Asha workers. It is based on incentives, which are based on 38 different activities that the workers have to take part in,” said. She said that some workers receive a meagre Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,000 per month, which is not enough as many women are breadwinners of their families.
The workers have also demanded the scrapping of Asha Soft. “The online payment system named ‘ASHA Soft’, introduced by the central government, has also been creating immense difficulties in our payments and it needs to be scrapped,” she said.
