BALASORE: ASHA workers from across Balasore district have threatened to cease work if their demand for disbursal of incentives for September is not met within seven days.
Sources said monthly incentives are disbursed to ASHA workers by the 10th of every month. However, due to the ongoing strike by National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) workers, payment of their dues has been delayed. The ASHA workers met the Chief District Medical Officer to apprise him of their demand. “We work 24 hours a day. While incentives are given in the first week of every month, we are yet to receive it this month even as 15 days have passed”, rued Sujata Basab, an ASHA worker.
CDMO Vivekananda Das said unless the agitating NRHM staff, who are on a dharna in Bhubaneswar, do not call off their stir, nothing can be done for the ASHA workers. He hoped the NRHM staff will call off their stir by Monday. Notably, NRHM workers under the banner of Swasthya Mission Parichalana Karmachari Sangha have been staging dharna at Lower PMG in Bhubaneswar since September 12 over various demands.