UP ASHAs Unpaid for 6 Months, Officials Directed to Ensure Payment

Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh (UP) deputy chief minister (CM) Brajesh Pathak instructed nodal officers to pay honorarium and incentives to Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) by the seventh of every month and warned of strict action if the payment is delayed for even one day. 

Pathak, also the health minister, said that these workers play a crucial role in providing health services. It is the government’s responsibility to take care of their interests, he said. “Honorarium should be released by the 7th of every month. If there is any problem with payment, the concerned employee should be informed in writing.” 

ASHAs are provided a Rs 2,000 monthly and performance-based incentives of Rs 3,000-Rs 5,000 under the state and the National Health Mission (NHM). However, the health workers have alleged not receiving more than Rs 2,000. 

The Yogi Adityanath government had ensured the payment of incentives by the 5th-10th of every month. However, the workers, unpaid for six months, said that incentives are paid only after they protest.

“Along with an additional honorarium of Rs 500 per month from January 1, 2020, to March 31, 2022, CM Yogi Adityanath promised to double our usual pay from Rs 750 to Rs 1,500 monthly. With Rs 1,500 monthly paid by the Central government, ASHAs were supposed to receive nearly Rs 6,700 monthly considering all allowances,” Rekha Verma, an ASHA union leader, told Newsclick.

“But it has been three years since the CM’s promise. It too was an empty promise,” she added. 

According to Verma, ASHAs are not social workers but employees. “The 45th Indian Labour Conference had recommended that scheme workers such as ASHAs should be recognised as workers in May 2013. They should have a minimum pay scale and PF, ESI and pension benefits.”

ASHAs’ honorarium hasn’t been paid in the last four to six months. “They are on the brink of starvation,” she said.

Another ASHA Rashmi alleged that health workers are sexually harassed. “There is no system for stopping such incidents and complaining so that quick justice can be served,” she said.

Savitri Pandey, an ASHA in Barabanki, told Newcslick, “It’s a stunt by the health minister. The reality is that we get Rs 2,000 and that’s not enough. We collect data for the government, but it is neither interested in recognising us as employees nor giving us minimum wages.” 

On several occasions, the foot soldiers of the government health schemes had gone on indefinite strikes across the state against unpaid honorarium. They have also demanded a Rs 21,000 salary and the status of government employees. 

Their demands include Rs 50 lakh insurance coverage to all frontline workers who died on duty; coverage of medical expenses for treatment of COVID-19 for the entire family; additional COVID-19 risk allowance of Rs 10,000 per month and payment of dues.