Kerala Asha workers' protest: Congress mulls extra payment from local bodies

Thiruvananthapuram, March 25
As the Asha workers' protest outside the State Secretariat entered its 44th day on Tuesday in Kerala, the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) is considering providing additional payments to the protesting workers from the funds of local bodies under their control.

Currently, the Kerala government pays Asha workers an honorarium of Rs 7,000. The Congress leadership is planning to supplement this with an additional Rs 2,000 in local bodies they govern.

As a pilot initiative, two Congress-led local bodies -- one in Kollam and another in Pathanamthitta -- have announced an incentive of Rs 1,000 for each Asha worker.

Meanwhile, UDF leaders have tasked their legal and policy teams with examining whether there are any legal or technical barriers to using local body funds for such incentives.

Hopes for a resolution were raised last week when the Pinarayi Vijayan-led Left Front government invited the protesting Asha workers for talks. However, discussions with the National Health Mission director and later with state Health Minister Veena George yielded no concrete assurances.

Frustrated by the lack of progress, three Asha workers began an indefinite hunger strike, which entered its sixth day on Tuesday.

Veena George faced criticism after promising to raise the issue with Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda during a visit to Delhi, but she failed to secure an appointment with him. This further angered the protesters, who viewed her promise as an empty gesture.

The Pinarayi Vijayan government continues to blame the Centre for inaction, maintaining that the state has fulfilled its obligations and the remaining demands fall under the Centre's purview.

Since the protest began on February 10, Asha workers have received widespread public support, with large crowds gathering daily at the protest site to express solidarity.

There are 26,000 Asha workers in Kerala.