Delegation of ASHA Workers call on Dr. Farooq Abdullah
Srinagar, 09 October: A delegation of Asha workers on Friday presented a memorandum of their grievances and demands to the Jammu & Kashmir National Conference President and Member of Parliament from Srinagar, Dr. Farooq Abdullah at his Gupkar residence in Srinagar.
Party Spokesperson said that a delegation of ASHA workers headed by President ASHA Workers Union Mtr Misra, and General Secretary Mtr Rifat called on party president at his Gupkar residence and acquainted him about the assortment of problems faced by the workers and presented him a detailed memorandum of their grievances and demands, requesting him to take up the issues faced by ASHA workers and facilitators with the concerned authorities for an early redressal.
It is pertinent to mention here that the delegation had sought the audience with Dr. Farooq Abdullah in view of the All India Day of Protest by ASHA workers union. The visiting delegation beseeched the Party President to take up their issues with the government of India to help them achieve their long pending demands. The party president gave a patient hearing to the visiting delegation and assured them to raise their concerns at appropriate forums.
The delegation, the Spokesperson said, consisted of ASHA workers and facilitators. “In spite of our selfless, dedicated service in particular over the past six months, the government is heading towards privatizing the public health system through measures like digital health mission. Instead of recognizing our work and regularizing us, the government forced us to work in quarantine centers without required safety gears and that many ASHA workers have also lost their lives in the line of duty. The announced insurance cover of Rs 50 lakhs didn’t reach the aggrieved workers,” reads the memorandum.
The Visiting delegation said that the number of ASHA workers and facilitators in Kashmir is in lakhs, and the failure of the government in addressing their long pending demands was pushing them to undue tribulations and suffering on one account or another. The demands of the visiting delegations, party Spokesperson said included: increased remuneration; doling out of pending wages, implementation of 45th and 46th ILC for regularization of ASHA workers; Payment of minimum wages of RS 21000 per month and pension of RS 10,000 per month; benefits of insurance cover to all frontline workers covering all deaths on duty and pension /jobs for the dependents of the workers and also coverage of treatment for COVID-19 for the entire family including other health allowances related to COVID-19 pandemic.
