Kakinada: Jobs demanded for kin of Covid victims

Kakinada: Tension prevailed for some time at the Collectorate here on Monday as huge number of Asha workers staged a protest against the government for not providing compensation to the kin of Asha workers, who died due to Covid-19.

Hundreds of Asha workers encircled the Collectorate and raised slogans against the government. Police told them that they should stage protest at Dharna Chowk, but not at the Collectorate. When the Asha workers continued their protest, police prevented them from entering the Collectorate.

But the protestors pushed the heavy barricades away and entered the Collectorate. They even behaved roughly with women police. The police arrested the workers and shifted them to police station.

Asha workers alleged that the police resorted to lathicharge against them. They questioned how the police could beat them when they were fighting for their rights.

The protesters alleged that the Medical and Health department officials were recruiting outside people without taking the kith and kin of those, who died while doing Covid duty. They demanded immediate appointment of the relatives of those, who died on Covid duty. ASP K Kumar said that Asha workers forcibly tried to enter the Collectorate despite the police preventing them.