Over 20 days after chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda extended generous gifts to government employees, scores of Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) from all over the state, under the banner of Asha Workers' Union Haryana, held a rally here on Saturday.
The protesters gathered at Sector-6 ground in the morning and after holding discussions, they started marching towards the chief minister's local residence, but the police thwarted their plans by erecting barricades.
In a press release, Asha workers said that on November 10, the chief minister had declared sops for almost all categories of government employees, but he did not mince a single word for the Asha workers.
They said that the Asha workers had been playing a pivotal role in the implementation of National Rural Health Mission and p bringing down the infant mortality rate by ensuring institutional deliveries, ensuring vaccination of children, providing all services of family planning and reducing anaemia among women and children.
Ranjana Nirula, national coordinator of Asha workers and treasurer of CITU, while addressing the rally, said, “Our fight is not just for meagre increase in our incentives but for establishing our identity as workers also".
Jagmati Sangwan, general secretary of AIDWA, while supporting all the demands of the Asha workers, said that the state government was unleashing a false propaganda of women empowerment. “The reality is that more than 80% of women in Haryana are anaemic and the crime against women is continuously increasing,” she added.
{{/usCountry}}Jagmati Sangwan, general secretary of AIDWA, while supporting all the demands of the Asha workers, said that the state government was unleashing a false propaganda of women empowerment. “The reality is that more than 80% of women in Haryana are anaemic and the crime against women is continuously increasing,” she added.
{{/usCountry}}The rally was also addressed by Sarv Karamchari Sangh president Dharambir Phogat, Anganwadi Workers And Helpers Union general secretary Santosh Rawal, state convener working women coordination committee Sabita, and state president of Mid Day Meal Workers' Union Saroj.