Yoganand Reddy, paediatrician and thinker, has urged the Union and State governments to positively respond to the genuine demands/issues of Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) and resolve them at the earliest.
Speaking after inaugurating a district-level convention of ASHA workers, organised by the Karnataka State Samyukta ASHA Workers Association, here on Wednesday, Dr. Reddy saidthat “due to the efforts of ASHA workers, the number of institutional deliveries was on the rise and maternal and infant mortality rates were on the decline. The Union and State governments, instead of merely appreciating their (ASHA workers) contribution in this regard at national and international conferences, should try to respond to their genuine issues. Not responding to their plight and also not paying them equal pay for equal work on the one hand and not regularising their services on the other was anti-democratic.”
Terming the mass struggle in Bengaluru in December last year as an eyeopener as the government had responded to some of the demands, he said that in the event of the governments continuing to ignore their demands, ASHA workers would be forced to intensify their agitation.
K. Somashekar, State secretary of the All India United Trade Unity Centre (AIUTUC), criticised the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre of snatching away the rights of workers and adopting anti-labour policies and supporting corporate houses. “Under the present circumstances, a change in government would not solve our problems but we will have to launch a united struggle to get our rights,” he said.
K. Nagalakshmi, secretary of the association, highlighted the problems being faced by ASHA workers and also submitted a charter of demands.
M.N. Manjula, State vice-president of the All India Mahila Samskrutika Sanghatane, A. Devadas, Eeramma and Geeta were among the district unit office-bearers present. Earlier, a procession was taken out by ASHA workers to highlight their plight and also urge the governments to concede their genuine demands.