Srinagar: Terming ASHA workers the backbone of the Health department in rural areas, senior CPI(M) leader Muhammad Yousuf Tarigami Tuesday asked the government to fulfill the assurances given to these workers at the earliest.
“These workers are compelled to work for paltry emoluments. The government has totally neglected them. They have been fighting for better remuneration for many years but to no avail, thus compelling them to resort to strikes and ‘dharnas’,” Tarigami said in a statement.
He also said that union leaders apprised senior officers of the NHM about their long-pending legitimate demands, and these officers assured them that their demands for an enhancement of incentives would be recommended to the Union Health Ministry.
“They also assured them about an increase of Rs 1000 in their assured incentive, as well as an increase in the uniform allowance up to Rs 3200 and Rs 150 for desk duty,” he said and added that with these assurances, the ASHA workers’ union has suspended their protests for the time-being.
“It is learned that the Health department submitted these proposals to the Union Health Ministry, and the government has, in principle, agreed. As such, it is expected that the assurances will be implemented from the next financial year,” he said.
He also said the Anganwari workers, helpers, and ICDS Supervisors working under ICDS have not received wages and salaries for the past several months.
These employees and workers have to feed their families and are working hard, but they are not paid their wages in time, he added.
