A committee formed to examine the demands of the Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) who are staging an agitation in front of the Secretariat for nearly 60 days will submit its report within three months, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said.
Addressing the media here on Wednesday, the Chief Minister said the committee, led by an IAS officer, would include officials from the Health, Labour, and Finance departments and the National Health Mission (NHM). It will also hold talks with trade unions.
The Chief Minister pointed out that it was the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government that implemented the Centrally-sponsored ASHA scheme in the State. Till now, the Union government had not recognised ASHAs as workers. The incentive announced by the Union government at the time of the launch of the programme remained the same even now.
‘Paying good amount’
The State government, though, was paying a good amount as honorarium to ASHAs. From 2016 when the LDF came to power till now, their honorarium had been hiked by ₹6,000 from ₹1,000 to ₹7,000. Combined with incentives, ASHAs could earn ₹13,000. Some earned even more than that. “So should they protest against the State government that gives them a good remuneration or the Union government that has not hiked the incentive till now?” he asked.
Health Minister Veena George had met with the Union Health Minister seeking an increase in their incentive even before ASHAs had gone on strike. The State had also written to the Union government seeking arrears, including incentive of ASHAs, due to the NHM.
Intervention of MPs from the State had also been sought to get arrears to the tune of ₹636 crore released to the NHM for the 2023-24 year.
Of the 26,125 ASHAs in the State, 99% were not taking part in the stir by the Kerala ASHA Health Workers’ Association (KAHWA). Despite this, the government had tried to hold talks with them. The Health Minister had held discussions with them three times, once online along with the Finance Minister. The NHM director had held talks with them twice. Many of the their demands had also been implemented by the government. They had also been paid the honorarium and incentive till February this year.
ASHAs though remained adamant that they would call off the strike only if their honorarium was hiked to ₹21,000 and retirement benefits of ₹5 lakh were paid, the Chief Minister said.
Financial situation
ASHAs had been made aware of the government’s financial situation and that their honorariums would be hiked if it improved.
The trade unions of which a majority of ASHAs were members had welcomed the decision to form a committee to study their issues. The KAHWA, however, had not withdrawn the strike, Mr. Vijayan said.
Published – April 09, 2025 09:17 pm IST
