Demand for Pending Salaries and Fair Wages
Kamal Kumar Biswas.TOD.Kushmandi
More than a hundred ASHA workers staged a protest on Wednesday in Kushmandi block of South Dinajpur district, demanding clearance of long-pending salaries and payment of fair remuneration, among other issues.The protest began with a rally from the Kushmandi Block Primary Health Centre, which later marched through various parts of Kushmandi town. Holding placards and banners, the protesters raised slogans, bringing the entire area to a standstill for some time.
The agitating ASHA workers alleged that their salaries have remained unpaid for the last four months, pushing them into severe financial hardship. They said it has become increasingly difficult to manage household expenses under such conditions.Speaking on the issue, Nivedita Laha Sen, District Secretary of the West Bengal ASHA Workers’ Union, said, “Our movement will continue until our rightful demands are met. We will withdraw the work stoppage only if the government sits for talks with us and provides a permanent solution to our problems.”She further alleged that the families of ASHA workers who died while on duty have not yet received the ₹5 lakh financial assistance promised by the government, leaving the bereaved families in extreme distress.
The protesters also claimed that the incentive package announced by the central government for ASHA workers has not yet been implemented by the state government. Warning of intensified agitation in the coming days, the ASHA workers said they would escalate their movement if their demands continue to be ignored.The protest has created considerable political and administrative concern across the Kushmandi block, highlighting growing unrest among frontline health workers in the district.
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