ASHA volunteers protest against low honorarium

Nashik : A large group of volunteers of the Maharashtra government's 'ASHA' programme on Saturday held a protest in Nashik against non-implementation of a promised hike in honorarium, one of the organisers said.

The ASHA programme is among the largest community health worker initiatives in the world, and aims to decrease neonatal mortality and morbidity. "ASHA volunteers have been on a stop-work protest.

They get honorarium of Rs 1,500 per month. The government had assured a three-fold increase, but has failed to implement it," said All India Trade Union Congress functionary Raju Desale.