Cultural activists hail hike in ASHAs’ honorarium

Thrissur: Cultural activists including metropolitan Yuhanon Mor Meletius, K P Kannan and Sarah Joseph on Monday welcomed UDF govt's decision to hike honorarium of ASHAs by Rs 3,000, terming it as a ‘good start'."Some of the other pronouncements like reducing number of escort vehicles of chief minister will send out good messages. Similarly decision to start a separate department for senior citizens is a welcome move, in a state like Kerala where proportion of aged population is increasing drastically," said Meletius, who is the metropolitan of Thrissur diocese of Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church."Govt has made it clear that ASHA honorarium will be hiked in two phases and this Rs 3,000 is not a final settlement. Also, govt has taken a very positive attitude towards the demand for granting of retirement benefits to ASHAs. But more importantly, these announcements have opened space for a dialogue between govt and ASHAs. The previous regime has been totally negating a dialogue with them and had been looking down upon them contemptuously," said noted academic and activist J Devika.Economist Kannan said the fact that new govt has taken up the problems of ASHAs and other sections like anganwadi workers is sending out a message of new politics. "The announced increase in wages is nominal, but the message is very big. Unfortunately, the so called pro-poor political party-led previous govt could not play it wisely," Kannan said.Gandhian and writer K Aravindakshan recalled that the decision of UDF leaders like Satheesan to align with the cause of ASHAs was one of the factors which tilted voters against LDF. "It is good that new govt is starting to implement what they had promised prior to the election," he said.Sarah Joseph said, "Agitation of ASHAs had made an indelible scar on the social conscience of Kerala, and it is certainly refreshing that new govt has recognised the criticality of problems of poor working women," she said.Meanwhile, Kerala school workers' association state secretary Sujobi Jose said hike in wages announced for mid-day meal workers is abysmally low and UDF regime is only trying to implement the wage hike announced by the previous LDF govt.