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Ludhiana: ASHA workers protest outside DC office over pending demands
The protesters urged the government to provide ₹5 lakh as a retirement benefit along with a regular pension for ASHA workers and facilitators after completion of their service.
Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) workers and facilitators from across the district staged a protest outside the deputy commissioner’s office here on Monday, demanding fulfilment of their long-pending demands related to honorarium, allowances and social security benefits.
Workers gathered in large numbers and raised slogans against both the central and state governments, alleging that their legitimate demands have been repeatedly ignored.
During the protest, the workers burnt copies of the Union budget and also expressed strong opposition to the Punjab government’s budget, accusing the authorities of failing to address the financial concerns of ASHA workers.
Union leaders said ASHA workers are currently receiving an honorarium of around ₹2,500, which they described as grossly inadequate considering their workload. They demanded that the honorarium be doubled and that the minimum monthly wage for ASHA workers be fixed at ₹24,000 in line with minimum wage standards. They also demanded that the travel allowance be doubled and previously discontinued allowances be restored.
Another major demand raised by the union was financial security for retired workers. The protesters urged the government to provide ₹5 lakh as a retirement benefit along with a regular pension for ASHA workers and facilitators after completion of their service. The union also called for increased incentives for institutional deliveries, timely payment of pending dues, and proper recognition of ASHA workers as frontline health staff under the National Health Mission. They further demanded additional incentives for vaccination work and other health-related duties performed at the grassroots level.
The protest was led by union leaders including Punjab president Kirandeep Kaur Panjola, Ludhiana district president Kamaljeet Kaur, senior vice-president Neetu Bala, district cashier Harpreet Kaur, and block presidents Rupinder Kaur, Jaswinder Kaur and Kamaljeet Kaur, along with several other representatives.
Union leaders warned that if the government fails to address their demands, they will intensify their agitation and continue protests against both the central and state governments in the coming days.
