LDF govt still rejecting ASHA workers protest: Congress-led UDF

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Congress-led UDF opposition on Friday accused the ruling LDF government of continuing to "reject" and "deride" the 40-day-long protest by a section of ASHA workers outside the Secretariat here demanding retirement benefits and a hike in their honorarium.

The accusation from Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, V D Satheesan, came after state Excise Minister M B Rajesh said that the ASHA workers protest was "politically motivated" and due to their "adamant and stubborn stand", the talks with them failed.

Rajesh was replying, on behalf of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, to a submission made by Satheesan in the Assembly seeking a positive intervention from the state government to finally resolve the concerns and demands raised by the Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) workers.

Satheesan said that he had requested the CM for a positive intervention to resolve the issue and Vijayan had agreed to do so and subsequently, talks were held with the protestors, but the same failed.

He said that despite the talks failing, the government should keep making efforts to find a solution to the matter.

Responding to his submission, Rajesh said that the talks failed due to the "adamant and stubborn" stand of the protestors and not due to any fault of the government.

He said that the government has always taken a favourable approach towards the ASHA workers which was evident from the fact that their honorarium, which was Rs 1,000 in 2016, was increased to Rs 7,000 by December 2023. Besides that, of the Rs 3,000 they get as incentives, Rs 1,200 is paid by the state and the rest by the Centre.

"Despite the state paying them a total of Rs 8,200, they are protesting against the state and not the Centre," he said.

The minister further said that when State Health Minister Veena George was unable to meet Union Health Minister J P Nadda on Thursday, after she flew to Delhi for that purpose, she gave him a letter requesting that the ASHA workers be considered as health workers and not volunteers.

"The Centre is not committing to make that change as then it would have to pay them minimum wages and provide all other benefits given to a regular employee. Even the national trade unions like Congress' INTUC have sought that ASHA workers be considered as employees and not volunteers.

"That is why no national trade union is part of the protest. That is why only 354 out of 26,000 ASHA workers in the state are protesting," he contended.

The minister further said that many other states have been asking the Centre to increase incentives of the ASHA workers, but it has taken no steps regarding that. "So, why not protest against the Union government?" he asked.

Rajesh alleged that the instant protest was being held to help the Centre by demanding that the state increase the honorarium, instead of seeking that ASHA workers be considered as health workers.

"If they (protesting ASHA workers) give up their politically motivated stubbornness, things can be resolved," he said and termed the protest as "unjustified".

Satheesan opposed the minister's contentions, saying that it indicates that the state government is continuing to "reject and deride" the protestors.

He said that the protestors were raising justified demands and the approach of the state government was "not positive".

The opposition leader said that unlike other states, ASHA workers in Kerala have a much heavier work burden.

He also said that the protest outside the Secretariat was also by a trade union and the Congress' INTUC has been carrying out agitations in other districts raising the needs of the ASHA workers.

"We are with the protestors," he added and subsequently, the opposition staged a walkout in protest.

The ASHA workers had on Thursday intensified their protest with three of their members going on an indefinite hunger strike.

The decision to launch the hunger strike came after talks with the state government failed on Wednesday.

According to the Left government, it has not received any cash grants from the central government under the National Health Mission (NHM) for 2023-24 for payments toward various Centre-sponsored schemes, including ASHA workers' incentives.

However, the central government rejected the state's claim, asserting that it had disbursed the required funds but had not received Kerala's utilisation certificate.

It stated that once the certificate is submitted, the necessary funds would be released to ASHA workers and the state.

Nadda had also announced in Parliament that the Mission Steering Group of the NHM had decided to increase ASHA workers' incentives.