Tension prevailed at the Director of Medical Education (DME) office in Koti on Monday when several ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist) workers staged a protest demanding a salary hike. The workers were pressing for an increase in their remuneration to ₹18,000, a promise made by Congress leaders during the election campaign but yet to be fulfilled. Their current pay is ₹9,900.
During the demonstration, a heated incident occurred when police attempted to disperse the protesters. An ASHA worker, forcibly placed in a police van, cried out in pain as her leg became stuck in the vehicle’s door. In her distress, she slapped the Station House Officer of Sultan Bazaar police, Srinivas Chary. Senior police officers and women constables present at the scene quickly intervened, restraining her and escorting her and other protesters to a nearby police station.
Another injured protester, identified as Santoshini, was rushed to Osmania General Hospital for treatment.
Reacting to the incident, Siddipet MLA and former Health Minister T. Harish Rao criticized the Congress government for failing to fulfil its promises. “On one hand, we proudly speak of Telangana Talli, yet on the other, ASHA workers who serve tirelessly are met with police brutality when they demand their rightful dues. The Congress government, after a year in power, has failed to fulfil its promises to them, betraying the trust of the people. Such suppression of genuine voices is undemocratic and deeply shameful,” he stated.
Published – December 09, 2024 05:55 pm IST
