Thiruvananthapuram: In its first Cabinet meeting after assuming office, the newly formed UDF government on Monday cleared two of its key election promises; free bus travel for women in KSRTC services and a hike in the honorarium of ASHA workers.
Announcing the decisions at a press briefing, Chief Minister V D Satheesan said women will be allowed to travel free in KSRTC buses from June 15. Detailed guidelines and modalities of the scheme will be announced later. The promise had figured prominently in the UDF’s election campaign and was part of the ‘Indira Guarantee’ commitments.
Making good on one of its major campaign assurances, the UDF government on Monday announced a Rs 3,000 hike in the monthly honorarium of ASHA workers in its very first cabinet meeting. The decision takes the honorarium of ASHAs from Rs 9,000 to Rs 12,000.
Chief Minister V D Satheesan said the increase marked only the first phase of the revision. Also, the retirement benefit they had sought will be announced shortly, he said.
“I had personally visited the protest venue and assured the ASHA workers, both during the agitation and after they decided to end the strike, that their demands would be taken up in the very first cabinet meeting. We do want to address all the demands they have raised.
But as everyone knows, we have financial limitations and fiscal constraints. As a first phase, we have decided to announce a Rs 3,000 increase in honorarium,” Satheesan said.
Welcoming the hike, leaders of the Kerala ASHA Health Workers Association (KAHWA) said the ASHAs are accepting the increase, while making it clear that their demand for a Rs 21,000 monthly honorarium remained unchanged.
“We are happy our struggle has brought another hike. It is the result of 266-day protest and the pressure created by thousands of ASHA workers across the state,” said KAHWA vice-president S Mini. They said the prolonged struggle had resulted in a total rise of Rs 5,000 in the honorarium.
ASHA workers had demanded that their monthly honorarium be raised to Rs 21,000 along with a Rs 5-lakh retirement package, timely wage payments and better service conditions.
The protest drew public attention through hunger strikes, mass marches, sit-ins, and symbolic demonstrations including workers tonsuring their heads after the agitation crossed 50 days.
