Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) volunteers in Kerala have condemned the state government’s decision to raise their monthly honorarium by Rs 1,000, calling it an “insult” to their long-standing struggle for fair pay and benefits.
The Kerala government on Wednesday, October 29, announced that the monthly payment for ASHA workers would increase from Rs 7,000 to Rs 8,000.
Protest Leaders Reject Increment, Demand Dignified Wage
The Kerala ASHA Health Workers’ Association (KAHWA), which has been leading the state-wide agitation, said the Rs 1,000 hike amounts to just Rs 33 a day and fails to acknowledge the contributions of thousands of frontline workers. “It is also highly objectionable that the government did not even mention the key demand for retirement benefits,” KAHWA said.
