The All Manipur ASHA Workers’ Union (AMAWU) has said that the government’s indifference towards ASHA workers highly contradicts the recent recognition and honour of their service by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Speaking to media persons at Irawat Bhavan, Imphal, on Thursday, union president Naorem Binodini said that the WHO recently honoured the ASHA workers with the WHO Director General’s Global Health Leaders’ Award.
She lamented that the government has turned a deaf ear to the repeated appeals and pleas for redressing the grievances faced by the ASHA workers. The ASHA workers are deprived of their much deserved benefits, she said.
The union president further said that the union along with All India Trade Union Congress and All India ASHA Workers’ Federation is prepared to exert pressure on the central government for regularisation of the ASHA workers, who are presently treated as voluntary social health activists under National Health Mission.
While saying that few states have recognised its ASHA workers as regularised full-fledged workers, she lamented that the state government is yet to even materialise the hiking of wage for the ASHA workers by Rs 1,000.
Despite the cabinet decision taken last year in this regard, the government has not issued an order so far to implement the hike in wages, she added.
She contended that even the uniform money and washing allowance which amounts to 300 Rupees for every six months are not provided to the ASHA workers.
She also expressed disappointment that apron has been issued to the ASHA workers only twice or thrice since the launching of ASHA in 2006 in the state.
She questioned why the state government is not disbursing the amount directly to the accounts of the workers even though funds were sanctioned by the centre for the same purpose.
Taking part in the press meet, union general secretary, Ak Thoibi expressed disapproval of the fact that the service of the ASHA workers is treated as voluntary yet at the same time they are being bound by government order.
She also drew attention of the government to regularise the ASHA workers at the earliest in line with the recognition and honour by the WHO.
