Protest by section of ASHA workers politically motivated: Minister Sivankutty

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala’s Minister for General Education, V Sivankutty, reiterated that the protest led by a section of ASHA workers in the state capital is politically motivated.

Commenting on the growing public focus on the ASHA protest pavilion in Thiruvananthapuram, he urged cultural figures to recognize the political implications behind the agitation.

The minister clarified that the ASHA scheme falls under the purview of the Central government, which has not officially recognised ASHA workers as formal employees. He pointed out that the Centre has continued to provide only the initial incentives, without any revisions over the years. In contrast, he claimed that Kerala offers the highest honorarium to ASHA workers in the country.

According to Sivankutty, when the LDF government assumed office in 2016, ASHAs were paid only ₹1,000. Since then, the honorarium has been increased to ₹7,000, with those providing commendable service earning up to ₹13,000 including incentives. Of this, 40% is funded by the state government.

The minister noted that the Health Minister had met with the Union Health Minister in September 2024, urging an increase in ASHA incentives. Prior to that, the state had also written to the Centre, seeking clearance of NHM arrears amounting to ₹636 crore for FY 2023-24. Kerala MPs were also requested to intervene.

Highlighting the limited participation in the strike, Sivankutty stated that 99% of the 26,125 ASHAs continue to perform their duties. Nevertheless, the government held multiple discussions with the striking group. A committee to address their concerns was formed following talks involving the Finance Minister and other trade unions such as CITU, INTUC, AITUC, and STU.

The government has withdrawn the OTP-based survey system, resolved issues in the leprosy survey, and continued providing honorariums and incentives till February. The retirement age order was also frozen, and efforts were made to extend insurance coverage to all ASHAs. The Centre has been requested to expand AYUSH-related incentives to all eligible workers.

Sivankutty confirmed that a new committee—comprising officials from the health, labour, finance, and NHM departments—will study the honorarium and broader concerns of ASHAs as part of a long-term resolution strategy.