Port Blair, Feb 02: In a letter address to the Union Home Minister & Minister of Cooperation Government of India, New Delhi, Mr. Vishal Jolly National Executive Member BJP mentioned that the hardships being faced by the ASHA workers of A & N Islands, working under the Directorate of Health Services, A & N Administration.
Mr. Vishal Jolly highlights some major points:
1. That there are altogether around 400 Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA workers) who are working diligently throughout the year and performing all works that are being assigned to them by the District Health Societies under the National Rural Health Mission and National Urban Health Mission.
2. The services of ASHA workers are utilized for various purposes from door to door community activities to supplying/distributing medicines, etc to needy people. They play one of the most vital roles in creating awareness & implementation of various schemes of the Government of India. Their works were appreciated by the Administration and they work for more than 08 hours a day.
3. The ASHA workers serve as an important link between the Government’s healthcare system and the communities they serve. They provide healthcare to pregnant women and help them in raising their child. In a way they are serving the future of Bharat.
4. Despite working hard with perfection, they are getting a meager fixed incentive of Rs. 2000/- from the Centre and Rs. 500/- from the UT Fund. Apart from that, they get some honorarium of around Rs. 500/- which makes the total per month wages to Rs. 3000/- only, which is too meager considering the present day inflation levels. With this amount, they cannot run their families by any stretch of imagination.
5. Apart from the responsibilities conferred upon them by the Health Department, their services are also utilized for carrying out various surveys in other matters also.
6. The A & N ASHA Karmachari Sangh, affiliated to Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, A & N Islands have represented & demanded before the Chief Secretary, A & N Administration for increasing of their incentives etc, a copy of which was handed over to me which is enclosed herewith for the kind perusal. They have given details of various works the ASHA workers perform daily and the wages or incentives they get monthly.
7. I feel pity on each ASHA worker who after working round the clock gets an incentive which is not only too less but also much lower than the Minimum Wages as notified by the A & N Administration.
8. The work done by each of the ASHA workers was highly appreciated by one and all during the COVID pandemic. Without caring for their lives, they kept on performing the duties assigned to them and worked diligently.
9. They should be recognized as “workers” and not as “volunteers” or honorary workers, considering the nature & hours of work they perform.
10. It has been learnt that in other UTs and States, the incentive/remunerations are ranging from Rs. 10,000/- to Rs. 15,000/- and admittedly the average cost of living in the Islands is much higher than other UTs/States.
Therefore, Mr. Vishal Jolly earnestly requests goodself to empathetically look into & positively consider their following demands:-
• By increasing incentives and paying them a consolidated amount of at least Rs, 15,000/- a month to each & every ASHA worker.
• By sheltering them under Health & Life Insurance Coverage.
• By granting them social security benefits including PF and Retirement benefits.
