BJP Mahila Morcha stages dharna, demands Asha workers’ wage hike to Rs 18,000

Hyderabad: Demanding justice for Asha workers, BJP Mahila Morcha led by president Dr Shilpa Reddy staged a dharna before the Directorate of Medical and Health on Tuesday.

The Mahila Morcha pointed out that the promises made by the Congress party during campaigning for assembly elections should be implemented immediately.

Asha workers in Telangana state have been working for more than three decades. They have received many trainings conducted by the government apart from writing registers, conducting surveys, working online, and detecting all kinds of diseases like BP, sugar, thyroid, etc. They are providing health services to pregnant women, infants, small children and other people. Asha workers played a vital role in controlling coronavirus during the pandemic.

The World Health Organisation also announced an award for Asha workers as Global Leaders in Health. It is not reasonable to ask the Aasha workers with so much experience to give examinations. In the past, the BRS government also tried to bring forward the same decision and implement it. Ashas across the state staged massive protests against this decision and the government had to back down.

In the Asha teleconference meeting held on June 5, 2023, former Health Minister T Harish Rao announced the cancellation of the Asha Examinations. It is not fair to bring new problems to the Ashas in the Congress government, which came to power with many promises, she said.

It was declared publicly by the present government that the remuneration given to Ashas will be Rs 18,000. The BJP Mahila Morcha demanded that it should be implemented immediately and the remuneration shall be paid on the second day of every month.

Also, the district authorities should issue a specific circular that Aashas will not be given the job to carry sputum bins and strict action should be taken against those who violate it, she added.

Further, there are no functional restrooms in mandal, district and State government hospitals which should be set up immediately for Ashas as all Aasha workers are women.

The Morcha also demanded that a circular should be issued for providing maternity leave as promised by the previous government and Asha workers should be given 20 days casual leave with pay every year.

She also mentioned that the workload of Asha workers is very high and they are also harassed by ANMs and nurses at different levels, and demanded to reduce the workload and issue clear job charges for them.