Shillong, Nov 17: Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) workers staged a peace rally in protest against the state government’s delay in enhancing their honorarium.
Hundreds of ASHA workers braved rain and participated in the procession culminating at Malki ground.
President of the Meghalaya Accredited Social Health Activist Workers’ Union (MASHAWU) Marajune Myrsing told reporters that there will be no retreat and no surrender if the state government fails to come up with some kind of assurance to the issues of the ASHAs.
The ASHA workers have been demanding the state government to enhance their fixed honorarium from Rs 2,000 to Rs 5,000.
Asserting that ASHAs have the right to demand for their rights, Myrsing said, “The health minister has announced that the salary of ASHA workers is Rs 5,000 but she knows the state government is paying us only Rs 2,000 which is only Rs 66 per day.”
“Let me also remind the health minister that the state government has given us a fixed honorarium of Rs 2,000 after it has taken away the ABF/MBBS benefits, which were not cleared for the past many years,” she added.
Myrsing said the union will again meet on Saturday to decide its future course of action.
“I announce the peace rally in all districts has concluded today and from now onwards it will not be a peace rally but it will be a protest rally. I urge EC members to attend a meeting tomorrow to decide our future course of action,” she said.
Health care in over 7,000 villages has been affected due to the indefinite strike by the ASHA workers for the past ten days.
