Patna: The statewide indefinite strike has been called by the ASHA Sanyukt, Sangharsh Manch- a platform of several unions and association of workers continued on the 27th day as they protested statewide by blocking the rail.
The ASHA workers on indefinite strike have put forward 12 points demand and some of them are:
- Government employee status for ASHA workers;
- Minimum Rs. 18,000 monthly honorarium;
- 50 per cent reservation in nursing schools for eligible ASHA workers
- After training ASHA workers to be given exemption in age limit and appointed as ANMs;
- 50 per cent BCM (Block Community Coordinators) posts for eligible ASHA facilitators;
- ASHA workers should get benefit of all high level committee recommendations including work terms and conditions and honorarium;
- ESI (Employees’ State Insurance), EPF (Employees Provident Fund) and social security for all ASHA workers.
In different districts, the anger of ASHA workers came out against the Bihar government and declared that until their demands are addressed they are not going to end the strike. Since morning ASHA workers were on toes to protest. At Fatuha railway station the train was stopped due to which Patna-Mokama route was affected for half an hour. ASHA workers in large number protested blocking rail line in Darbhanga, Bhojpur, Muzaffarpur, Patna.
In Gopalganj at Sidhwalai station 55181- Thawe-Chhapra passenger train was stopped. Later the SDO reached out to protestors and requested them to clear the blocked after which train movement started. Likewise, at Arrha station, ASHA workers undertook gherao of the station blocking the train with sloganeering against the state government and health minister.
As matter of fact, there are 93,687 ASHA workers and earlier this year they were promised by in their monthly honorarium from the month of October. The declaration was, “Workers who drew an honorarium of Rs. 3,000 would get Rs. 4,500 and those who get Rs. 2,200 would get Rs. 3,500.”
Additionally, the PM Modi also assured that the workers would be brought under the social security schemes- Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Bima Yojana and Prime Minister Suraksha Bima Yojana. It is to be underlined that there is absolutely no assurance neither from state government and nor from the health minister.
