Shillong, Jan 7: Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) have taken a decision to launch an indefinite strike from Thursday demanding release of their pending incentives.
“We have taken a decision to suspend work until the government pays the incentives to the ASHAs in the whole state,” said Sonny Kharjana, adviser of the ASHA Workers’ Union, on Wednesday.
Earlier, the Union had threatened to launch a strike if the government failed to clear their unpaid incentives by December 19 last year.
“Some districts and some PHCs, CHCs, the ASHAs have not received incentives for the past 5-10 months. The ASHAs are getting only Rs 150 – Rs 200 as incentives,” she told reporters.
The National Health Mission (NHM) attributes the delay to a technical issue, having shifted the payment system from the ASHA App to a new platform. However, the Union is unclear about the exact problem.
There are over 7,000 ASHA workers in the state.
While the state government pays honorarium, the central government’s incentives are overdue, Kharjana stated.
