BENGALURU: Health Minister B Sriramulu assured ASHA workers on Wednesday that he will talk to Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa and address their demands.A total of 500 ASHA workers staged a protest near Maurya Circle in Bengaluru on Wednesday demanding `12,000 as honorarium and good quality PPE kits. At 4.30 pm, Sriramulu arrived at the protest and said he will speak to the CM about their demands.
“Sriramulu said he will fix a meeting with the CM over our demands. More than 50 ASHA workers have tested positive and we get very low wages too,” said Nagalakshmi, president, Karnataka Rajya Samyuktha ASHA Karyakartheyara Sangha, affiliated to the All India United Trade Union Centre (AIUTUC).
The ASHA workers have been protesting for the last 20 days, and will hold an internal meet to decide whether they will continue with their demonstrations or not. After getting a positive response from the minister, they say will wait two days before taking a call.
During the ongoing pandemic, ASHA workers have been instrumental in conducting door-to-door surveys of people with SARI, ILI, cold, cough, fever, travel history, etc. They have also been helping with quarantining of people, collecting samples, screening at borders and airports, among other tasks.