Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) in Mysuru staged a protest on Wednesday, demanding the release of their pending honorarium and incentives. The protesters, under the aegis of the All India United Trade Union Centre, alleged that incentives for the past two months have not been released for work carried out under various health schemes. They demanded the immediate release of two months’ honorarium by the state government and two months’ incentives by the Union government.
The ASHA workers sought disbursal of incentives and honorarium on the fifth of every month, instead of the current practice of releasing them once every three to four months. They opposed the government’s decision to reduce incentives and urged the release of component incentives pending for several months. The protesters also demanded an end to harassment in the name of performance evaluation and a one-time retirement settlement for ASHAs who have retired from service. They called for an increase in honorarium and incentives to 10,000 rupees, pointing out that the state government has increased the monthly honorarium of midday meal and anganwadi workers by 1,000 rupees. The protesters warned that they would intensify their agitation across the state if their demands are not addressed.