THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Thousands of ASHA workers from across the state gathered at the secretariat on Monday, intensifying their agitation with a large-scale blockade. Led by the Kerala ASHA Health Workers Association (KAHWA), the demonstration demands an increase in honorarium and retirement benefits, among other demands. Despite weeks of protests, the government has yet to address their concerns.
The protest began at 10.30 am. Workers from various districts gathered at the Secretariat, blocking roads and main gates. As the police sealed off the secretariat premises, protestors lay down on the road and blocked it.
Asha workers accuse the government of attempting to derail their movement by announcing training programs in multiple districts, including Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Alappuzha, Kottayam and Thrissur, on the same day as the Secretariat blockade. They claim the health department’s directive for mandatory attendance at these sessions is a strategic move to weaken participation in the strike.
Speaking at the protest site, KAHWA state president V KSadanandan condemned the government’s actions and said that using administrative pressure to disrupt the strike instead of addressing the workers' demands is unfair.
Meanwhile, MP Santosh Kumar has issued a rights violation notice against Union Minister J P Nadda and presented documents in the Rajya Sabha to counter the Centre’s claims on fund allocations to the state’s healthcare sector. He said that the central government owes the state Rs 100 crore from the 2023-24 dues and disputed the claim that Rs 660 crore had lapsed.
He added that the required utilisation certificate had been submitted on November 16, 2024 and dismissed the centre’s argument of non-compliance.
With the protest gaining strength and the government remaining unyielding, ASHA workers have decided to continue their agitation until their demands are met. The standoff has now drawn wider attention, with many people from different fields taking part in the protest and expressing their solidarity to the ASHA workers.