Cooperation Minister S.T. Somashekhar has said that considering the services being rendered by Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) as Corona Warriors during the time of a pandemic, the Ministry of Cooperation has decided to distribute Rs. 12 crore incentive among them.
Speaking at a programme to distribute incentive cheques organised by the DCC Bank here on Friday, he said that the health activists are rendering a great service to the people during a time of health crisis.
He said that Chief Minster B.S. Yediyurappa has asked cooperative banks to help these women financially and encourage them to work for society.
He said that the Cooperation Department has given ₹ 52 crore to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund, and the cooperative banks have given ₹ 12.7 crore to these women.
The Vijayapura DCC Bank has also spent ₹ 15 lakh as financial aid to health activists.
The Minister said that each worker is being given ₹ 3,000 as incentive for putting their life in risk and working during the pandemic.
“Already, funds have been released to 19 districts, including Vijayapura,” he said.
Stating that the State has 41,500 ASHAs who are now being given incentive, he said that the government has advised ASHAs to form a cooperative association for their economic empowerment. “At the same time, the government has decoded to lend them up to ₹ 50, 000 at zero % interest,” he added.
He told ASHAs to focus on their health also while working to prevent the spread of the virus.
In his address, DCC Bank president and MLA Shivanand Patil said that the bank was giving incentive to 1,795 ASHAs in the district.
He added that the bank has also given ₹ 1 crore to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund to tackle the pandemic.
.