Bengal ASHA workers cry foul as police, buses blocked; Road and rail protests erupt across state

Tension flared across several districts of West Bengal on Wednesday as ASHA workers alleged that they were deliberately prevented from reaching Kolkata for a scheduled protest and deputation at Swasthya Bhavan.

The programme was called by the West Bengal Ashakami Union to press for long-pending demands, including an increase in monthly allowance and better service conditions. From early morning, ASHA activists from North Bengal and South Bengal began their journey towards Kolkata.

However, protests erupted at multiple locations after workers complained of police obstruction and alleged pressure on bus owners not to provide transport.

In Bankura district’s Khatra subdivision, ASHA workers gathered in the Simlapal Road area, only to find that buses were allegedly unavailable after transport operators were “influenced,” according to the protesters.

Angered by the situation, the workers blocked the Pump More intersection in Khatra, bringing traffic on the Khatra–Bankura and Khatra–Simlapal roads to a standstill. Similar scenes were witnessed in the Barajora block, where ASHA activists blocked the Bankura–Durgapur state highway at Beliatore.

Vehicular movement was disrupted for hours, causing severe inconvenience to daily commuters and passengers. Police reached the spots and attempted to restore normalcy through negotiations, but traffic disruptions continued for a considerable time.

Railway stations also became flashpoints. A section of ASHA workers alleged that police prevented them from entering Durgapur station and stopped them from accessing the platforms.

Despite this, some protesters reportedly forced their way into the station and boarded a Howrah-bound train. ASHA activist Rina Roy, who managed to leave for Kolkata, said that while some had boarded trains, many of their colleagues were still stranded at Durgapur station.

Similar allegations surfaced from Belda station, while in Paschim Medinipur, protesters claimed that ASHA worker Shipra Ghoshal was detained from her residence in Sepoy Bazar, Keshpur.

It was also alleged that Papiya Das Adhikari, district secretary of the West Bengal ASHA Workers Union in Paschim Medinipur, was taken off a bus at Khakurda.

There were further claims that groups of ASHA workers were detained at Sealdah station and in Sector V, raising concerns about the right to protest and free movement.

Meanwhile, Minister of State for Health Chandrima Bhattacharya alleged a political motive behind the agitation, claiming ASHA workers were being “used politically.”

She reiterated that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is sympathetic to ASHA workers and urged them not to fall into what she termed a “political trap.”

She also questioned why ASHA workers’ incentive issues were not addressed in the Union Budget, despite the scheme being a centrally sponsored programme.

The opposition, however, hit back sharply. BJP chief spokesperson Debjit Sarkar alleged that in Bengal, any legitimate demand is met with police action.

ASHA workers, for their part, maintained that their movement is purely for rightful demands and accused the administration of attempting to suppress their democratic protest ahead of the Swasthya Bhavan march.