Congress escalates support for ASHA workers

The Congress party has escalated its involvement in the ongoing protest by ASHA workers in the state, who have been demonstrating outside the state Secretariat for over two weeks. The workers are demanding an increase in their monthly honorarium from ₹7,000 to ₹21,000, along with retirement benefits and the clearance of pending payments.
KPCC General Secretary M Liju announced on Wednesday that the Congress would intensify its support by burning the government's circular, which he described as a "threat" to replace protesting ASHA workers if they do not return to work. This move signifies the party's commitment to standing in solidarity with the health workers.
The protest has seen participation from various political and social leaders. Former Union Minister V. Muraleedharan urged Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to engage in discussions with the ASHA workers, highlighting that the central government had allocated ₹915 crore to the state under the National Health Mission. However, he noted that these funds were delayed due to non-compliance with guidelines. Muraleedharan criticized the Chief Minister for prioritizing other matters over the plight of the ASHA workers.
Despite several discussions with the Health Minister, the workers' demands remain unmet. The Finance Department recently sanctioned a two-month honorarium, but only about half of the workers have received the amount. Many claim that the honorarium, initially set at ₹7,000, has been reduced to between ₹500 and ₹1,000 for several workers.
The protest has also sparked internal disagreements within political circles. CITU-affiliated ASHA Workers Federation's State General Secretary, P.P. Prema, described the honorarium as the "magnanimity" of the state government, emphasizing that salary provisions should come from the central government. She suggested that the protest should be directed towards the central authorities rather than the state Secretariat. This stance reflects the official position of CITU, the largest trade union in the state, affiliated with the CPM.
Veteran CPM and CITU leader Elamaram Kareem dismissed the ongoing protest as being led by groups attempting to raise funds through donations. He argued that the state provides one of the highest honorariums for ASHA workers in the country and attributed the state's inability to increase payments to the pending release of ₹468 crore under the National Health Mission by the central government. Open URL