Seerat-un-Nisa
Bandipora, Dec 17: Scores of Asha workers in Hajin area of North Kashmir’s Bandipora district on Wednesday staged a strong protest against the health department for delaying their salaries from the last six months.
Speaking with the Kashmir Despatch, one of the protesting Asha Worker said that many among them are line bread earners for their families who lost their husbands and are totally dependent on their salaries are now even struggling to fill the basic needs of their families.
“For the last six months we have been moving from pillar to post knocking on every door but nobody is listening to us. The high ranking officers sit comfortably on their seats and our pleas do not reach them.”
Another Asha worker who spoke to Kashmir Despatch on phone said that Asha plays a key role in health and works on the frontline every time.
She also said that authorities have stopped their salaries from the past 6 months and are continuously delaying it. “Since the past 6 months we have requested the higher ups to withdraw our salaries but no action has been taken yet. We are even struggling to pay the school fees of our children and buy basic daily needs items for our families.”
The protesters also mentioned that they hace reached BMO bandipora multiple times but he has only one statement to wander us from the spot that is ‘THERE IS AN TECHNICAL ISSUE’ .
The protesting workers appealed to DC Bandipora, CMO Bandipora to withdraw their salaries on priority so that their families can’t suffer more.
Meanwhile Chief medical officer Bandipora, Dr Ishtiyaq Ahmad, while speaking to Kashmir despatch said, “their demand is genuine but the choice they made was wrong and created problems for common masses and department as well.”
He admits the reason for delaying the salary of ASHA workers from the past 6 months was that for the first 3 months there was a budget and after that the department sent the bills to the treasury department for clearance but there occurred a technical fault which delayed it.
He assured that their salaries will be withdrawn on priority in the coming days.
