Protesting ASHA workers in Kerala welcome Centre’s hike in monthly incentive

Thiruvananthapuram: ASHA workers in Kerala, who have been staging an indefinite protest seeking a hike in their state honorarium and post-retirement benefits, on Saturday welcomed the Centre’s decision to increase their fixed monthly incentive.

The union government's move is expected to benefit over 10 lakh ASHA workers across India. The Centre has approved a proposal to raise the fixed monthly incentive from ₹2,000 to ₹3,500 at the 9th meeting of the Mission Steering Group (MSG).

S Mini, state vice-president of the Kerala ASHA Health Workers Association (KAHWA), whose members have been protesting outside the Secretariat since February 10, called the move long overdue.

“We welcome the Centre’s decision. The fixed incentive had remained unchanged for 18 years since the launch of the scheme. We’ve conducted two Parliament marches raising this demand,” she said.

Mini said Kerala MPs had visited the protest site earlier this year and assured them that the matter would be taken up in Delhi. “These decisions are a result of that intervention,” she added.

She said the retirement benefit has also been increased from ₹20,000 to ₹50,000. However, the strike will continue until the state government raises its share of the honorarium.

ASHA workers in Kerala currently receive ₹7,000 as a state-funded honorarium, in addition to fixed incentives shared between the Centre and state in a 60:40 ratio. The striking workers are demanding an increase in the honorarium to ₹21,000 and post-retirement benefits of ₹5 lakh.

Meanwhile, BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar said the Centre has fulfilled its commitment by hiking the incentive and urged the state government to follow suit.

“While Kerala pays ₹7,000, Maharashtra pays ₹10,000 to ASHA workers. It is time the LDF government gave ASHA workers their rightful dues without politicising the issue,” he said in a statement.