Thiruvananthapuram: After 265 days of a continuous day-and-night protest outside the Kerala Secretariat, ASHA workers have announced the conclusion of their current mode of agitation. The Kerala ASHA Health Workers Association (KAHWA), which has been leading the protest, said their campaign will now shift to the grassroots level in the districts.

The protest, demanding an increase in their honorarium to ₹21,000 and post-retirement benefits of ₹5 lakh, has involved various forms of demonstration, including hunger strikes and symbolic acts such as head shaving.

KAHWA State General Secretary M A Bindu said the agitation had already yielded significant gains. “Through our sustained efforts, the central government raised our fixed incentive to ₹1,500 and decided to provide ₹50,000 to ASHA workers who complete 10 years of service. Meanwhile, the state government increased our honorarium by ₹1,000,” she said.

Bindu added that the state, which had been “stubbornly” refusing to hike the honorarium, was recently compelled to not only approve the increment but also announce the clearance of all arrears. The government has also constituted a committee to study the requirements of ASHA workers.

“Since we were able to achieve these results during our 265-day-long protest, we will end the current sit-in at the Secretariat tomorrow (November 1). However, we will continue our agitation until our demands are fully met, now at the district level,” Bindu told reporters.

She further announced that a large protest rally will be held in front of the Secretariat on 10 February 2026, marking one year since the commencement of their agitation, to press for the fulfilment of all demands.

S Mini, KAHWA’s State Vice President, described the increment of ₹1,000 in the honorarium as “a big victory” for the workers, highlighting the success of their prolonged struggle.