The Kerala Cabinet’s decision to increase the monthly honorarium given to Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) by ₹1,000 has been met with displeasure by the Kerala ASHA Health Workers Association (KAHWA), which is leading a strike by the ASHA section outside the secretariat demanding better remuneration.
However, the increase in honorarium which has taken place on the 263rd day of the ASHA strike is too insufficient for the ASHAs to call off the strike, KAHWA leaders said here.
In a statement here, KAHWA said the ASHAs demanded to be paid at least the state’s minimum daily wage for government employees, which is ₹700. By announcing a paltry hike of ₹33 per day, the government has actually heaped more insults on ASHAs, it said.
The main demand of KAHWA is that the monthly honorarium for the ASHAs should be ₹21,000 and that they should be given a one-time pension of ₹5 lakh as well as pension benefits.
All the 26,125 ASHAs in the state would get the benefit of increased honorarium – increased from the current ₹7,000 per month to ₹8,000 per month.
KAHWA also protested that the government did not even mention one of ASHA’s primary demands, pension benefits.
It has decided to continue the ongoing strike outside the secretariat with “renewed vigour”. The KAHWA state committee will meet again soon to decide on the next method of protest, KAHWA leaders said.
Published – 29 Oct 2025 21:02 IST
