ASHA workers, in Bengal were stopped while travelling to the headquarters of the state health department for a planned march.
Police said the detentions were made as a “precautionary measure”.
The protesters are seeking a minimum monthly honorarium of ₹15,000 up from the current ₹5,250 and insurance coverage of ₹5 lakh in case of death while on duty.
‘Stopped Since Dawn’: ASHA Workers Detained While Marching for Higher Pay in Bengal
The ASHA workers, who have been on a ‘cease-work’ protest since December 23, were stopped while travelling to the headquarters of the state health department for a planned march. Police said the detentions were made as a “precautionary measure”.
Summary
Hundreds of Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) were detained across several West Bengal districts on Wednesday as they attempted to reach Swasthya Bhawan in Kolkata to press for long-pending demands, including a substantial hike in their monthly honorarium and insurance cover.
The ASHA workers, who have been on a ‘cease-work’ protest since December 23, were stopped while travelling to the headquarters of the state health department for a planned march. Police said the detentions were made as a “precautionary measure”.
A section of the protesters alleged that police erected barricades outside Sealdah and Howrah railway stations, where ASHA workers from multiple districts began arriving early in the morning. Several women were seen squatting on station platforms after being prevented from moving out.
“We have been stopped inside Howrah station since 6.30 am,” said an ASHA worker from Paschim Dinajpur.
Police also detained a number of ASHA workers near Swasthya Bhawan in Salt Lake, where some had managed to assemble in the morning to intensify their agitation. Security was tightened in and around the health department headquarters, and traffic movement in the area was regulated.
The protest follows earlier demonstrations at Swasthya Bhawan on January 8 and January 12, during which ASHA workers demanded a meeting with senior health officials over their primary demand for a fixed monthly salary instead of performance-linked incentives.
The protesters are seeking a minimum monthly honorarium of ₹15,000 up from the current ₹5,250 and insurance coverage of ₹5 lakh in case of death while on duty. They have said that multiple deputations submitted to the health department over the past weeks have gone unanswered.
West Bengal Minister of State for Health Chandrima Bhattacharya on Tuesday urged the protesters not to march to Swasthya Bhawan, citing law and order concerns.
On Wednesday, hundreds of ASHA workers in uniform laid siege to Salt Lake’s Sector V area, gradually coalescing outside Swasthya Bhawan as the day progressed. The agitation marks over two weeks of a sustained boycott of work.
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According to the Ministry of Women and Child Development, West Bengal had around 70,468 ASHA workers as of September 2024.
ASHAs form the backbone of the public health outreach system, responsible for spreading awareness on nutrition, sanitation and hygiene, counselling women on pregnancy and safe delivery, promoting immunisation and contraception, and caring for young children, including the prevention of common and sexually transmitted infections.
(With Inputs from PTI)
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