Six out of 11 ASHA workers who had climbed atop an overhead water tank in Vikasnagar on Friday continued their protest on Sunday in support of their demand of a monthly salary of at least Rs 1,000 from the State Government.
As Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna was on tour of Vikasnagar on Sunday, the district administration organised a meeting with Chief Minister for them at the helipad in Vikasnagar. A delegation of ASHA workers met the CM on Sunday noon but failed to reach an agreement. Bahuguna said that Government has recently declared one time yearly bonus of Rs 5,000 for ASHA workers and if the Central Government releases Rs 500 per month for them, the State Government would release the same amount. ASHA workers under the banner of All India ASHA Workers Union had started their indefinite strike near the local hospital from Thursday.To pressurise the State Government towards meeting their pending demands, 11 ASHA workers climbed atop a water tank at health centre campus in Vikasnagar on Friday.
To talk with 11 ASHA workers climbed atop on water tank, police and district officers reached the site and tried to convince them to climb down without success.The union vice president Gulabi Negi said that as of now, six out of 11 protesters including Savita Chauhan, Prabha, Arvida, Aproz, Sushila and Kusum were atop the water tank. According to her, around 11, 000 ASHA workers have been working in the state without salary since 2006. The State Government had declared encouragement amount of Rs 5,000 for ASHA workers in the year 2011 but the government has not released total amount for them so far. Moreover, for redressal of their demands, the administration had organised a talk for protesters with Uttarakhand Health Minister but failed to reach an agreement.Negi said, "We have been demanding an increase in our salaries from a long time.
We want the chief ministry to give us a monthly salary of at least Rs 1,000."She said, "ASHA workers have been facing discrimination. If the government fails to fulfill the demands, we will intensify their agitation across the State."Vikasnagar SDM Arvind Pandey said, "We are trying our best to organise a meeting with the state government for redressal of their grievances. The protesters have not agreed to talks with government by Sunday evening."Critics said that ASHA workers may have genuine demands, but the method of their protests is inappropriate.