CM KCR meeting with Asha Workers

Honourable Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao has announced that Asha workers who are rendering health services on the field for a salary of Rs 1,000 to Rs 1500 per month, will now get Rs 6,000 per month and hiked salary will be paid from this month to them. However, the CM said this hike is only the first phase of increase and by next Budget ASHA workers salaries will be hiked again to get them on par with Anganwadi workers. He also announced that among the ASHA Workers those who have eligible qualification they would be given preferences in the appointment as ANMs. He said ASHA workers will be made partners in protecting the health in the State and they will be paid comfortable salaries and turn them into Health protectors. The CM said officials would be instructed not to entrust ASHA workers with any other job other than the health related. ASHA workers will be pulled out of bonded labour and they would be treated with dignity.

On Friday ASHA workers came in large numbers from all over the State to Pragati Bhavan. The CM organised a lunch for all of them and later held a meeting. He had interacted with them heard about their problems. The ASHA workers said they are taking part in all the activities about the health of mother and child and they were also assigned other jobs. Despite doing jobs other than those allocated to them, the ASHA workers said they were paid a meagre salary of Rs 1,000 to Rs 1500 per month. They said they have made several appeals to the governments in the past but no one bothered. Later the CM addressed them.

“ASHA workers are made to do bonded labour work. This is not correct. They don’t have job chart. They are asked to do each and every job. ASHA workers are appointed to work for a couple of hours while doing a regular job. But in practice they are asked to do a full time job. Yet they are not paid proper salaries. They are not paid extra allowance for the work they are doing which outside their brief. Past rulers never bothered about them. Same is the case with Anganwadi workers. We have hiked the salaries of Anganwadi workers and did justice to them. We will also increase the salaries of ASHA workers so that they live with respect and dignity in the society. In the first phase we will ensure that each ASHA worker gets Rs 6,000 per month as salary. We will increase the salaries in the second phase and make them equal to Anganwadi workers. We will also give preference to eligible ASHA workers for the ANM posts. If they have other educational qualifications we will try to absorb them in Medical department,” the CM assured.

“People have no awareness on health. They are becoming victims to several diseases. As part of proper health, Mission Bhagiratha programme is launched. KCR Kits are given for the protection of mother and child. Rs 12,000 financial assistance is given to mothers before and after the delivery so that they need to go for work during the period. ASHA workers should become partners in these programmes. They should become health protectors. They should work like soldiers and every one should become a KCR. It is my responsibility to give you sufficient salaries and protection of public health is our responsibility. The CM Said.

The CM has instructed officials concerned to fix the work responsbilityt o ASHA Workers as to who should do what? In this programme Ministers C Laxmareddy, T Harish Rao, MP Smt. Kavitha, Government Advisor G Vivekanada, MLA Srinivas Goud, MLC Saleem, Principal Secretary (Medical and Health) Rajeshwar Tiwari, Commissioner Ms Vakati Karuna, Sandeep Sultania, Ms Smita Sabharwal and others participated. Asha workers thanked the CM for hiking their salaries and their happiness knew no bounds. The Entire Janahita venue resounded with Jai Telangana slogans. They said the CM had hiked their salaries to remove their sufferings. TNGOs Assocation honorary President