Thiruvananthapuram, Mar 31: Kerala Labour Minister V Sivankutty on Monday vehemently criticised ASHA workers for cutting their hair and shaving their heads — in protest against alleged government apathy– suggesting that they should instead send their hair strands to the central government via union ministers from the state.
The minister stated that Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) should have staged their protest and hair-cutting demonstration before the Centre in New Delhi.
In a statement, Sivankutty, who also serves as the state’s General Education Minister, further alleged that local BJP representatives had infiltrated the protest.
Taking a dig at Suresh Gopi, he remarked that ASHA workers would not receive the demanded wage hikes even if the union minister distributed coats and umbrellas to them.
“It has been days since I sent a letter to the Union Labour Minister, requesting that scheme workers, including ASHAs, be granted worker status and made eligible for benefits under the Central Labour Act. However, I have not received any response so far,” he said.
Sivankutty also urged the union ministers from the state, Suresh Gopi and George Kurian, to pressure the Centre into approving the demands raised by ASHA workers.
He further countered claims that ASHA workers receive only Rs 7,000 as wages in Kerala, stating that the campaign was “baseless”.
According to him, ASHA workers, under stipulated conditions, are entitled to wages of up to Rs 13,200, including a telephone allowance, with Rs 10,000 being the state’s contribution.
Minister Sivankutty’s remarks came soon after dozens of ASHA workers intensified their protest outside the Secretariat on Monday, cutting their hair and some even shaving their heads in an emotional gesture of defiance against the government’s alleged “indifference” to their demands.
The protest entered its 50th day on Monday, with demonstrators escalating their agitation outside the administrative hub, marking a new phase in their prolonged campaign.
Emotional scenes unfolded as several ASHA workers from across districts gathered at the protest venue in the morning, cutting their hair en masse while raising slogans against the government.
In a display of desperation, one protester, overwhelmed with emotion, broke down in tears before taking the extreme step of shaving her head completely. (PTI)
