Asha workers demand monthly salary of Rupees 6k

Vijayawada: MLC V Bala Subramanyam demanded that the State government pay salary of Rs 6,000 per month to Asha workers working in Medical and Health Department and came down heavily on the government for its inaction to resolve the pending problems.

He along with another MLC Boddu Nageswara Rao and Asha Workers State Union leaders addressed thousands of Asha workers who staged a massive dharna at the Dharna chowk here on Monday protesting against the apathy of the government in providing solutions to their problems.

Speaking on the occasion, Bala Subramanyam said the Asha workers were working hard with dedication and commitment but the government has not been paying salary to them in spite of their struggle for a long time. He warned that the Asha workers would intensify their agitation if the government failed to concede their demands.

Boddu Nageswara Rao said that he would raise the issue of Asha workers in the next Legislative Council meeting. He said the State government speaks of women empowerment but it has been neglecting the basic demands of health workers.
Asha Workers Union state president P S V Ratnam and general secretary K Dhanalakshmi speaking on the occasion said the Kerala government is paying Rs 7,500 per month.

He pointed out that the Telangana government has been paying a salary of Rs 6,000 and Karnataka government Rs 5000 to Asha workers but the Andhra Pradesh government is depriving them of their salaries. They also demanded that the government should provide benefits like PF and ESI to Asha workers.

Earlier, several hundred Asha workers came from different parts of the State and took out a rally holding placards, banners and flexes from Railway Station to Dharna Chowk passing through Old Government Hospital and MRO office. Asha workers state union leaders A Kamala, B Sudha, Vijaya Lakshmi, Rameeja Bee and others led the rally.