Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Minister V Sivankutty has criticised protests by Asha workers in front of the state secretariat today, asserting that such demonstrations should have been rightfully held in Delhi. He suggested that the cut hair from the protest should be sent to the central government via Kerala's Union ministers as a symbolic gesture.

Dozens of Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) ramped up their protest here, outside the Secretariat on Monday, marking the 50th day of their demonstration with a dramatic act of defiance.

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In a powerful show of solidarity several protestors shaved their heads and cut their hair, highlighting their anger at the government's lack of response to their demands.

Minister blames Centre

Speaking on the matter, the minister claimed that the protest was being influenced by local BJP representatives who had infiltrated the movement. He said that the protests will not benefit Asha workers, stating that gimmick acts, such as Union Minister Suresh Gopi handing over raincoats and umbrellas to the workers, would not result in any tangible benefits for them.

Sivankutty highlighted that despite sending letters to the Union Labour Minister demanding that Asha workers be granted the status of employees under central labour laws, no response has been received. He urged Union Ministers Suresh Gopi and George Kurian to exert pressure on the central government to address the workers’ demands.

Pointing out that the ASHA programme is a centrally sponsored scheme, the minister explained that 60% of the funding comes from the Centre, while the remaining 40% is provided by the state. The fixed incentive amount of ₹3,000 is split with ₹1,800 from the Centre and ₹1,200 from the state. Additionally, the Kerala government provides an honorarium of ₹7,000.

However, Sivankutty criticised the protesters for not demanding an increase in the central incentive, instead ‘bragging’ about the state’s honorarium. He described this as a double standard, pointing out that the honorarium was first introduced by the Left government and increased from ₹1,000 per month during the UDF government’s tenure to ₹7,000 under the LDF government.

Refuting claims that Asha workers only receive ₹7,000, the minister asserted that, based on specific conditions, workers can earn up to ₹13,200, including a telephone allowance, with ₹10,000 of this amount coming from the state.