ASHA honorarium hike under scrutiny over budget funding gap

Thiruvananthapuram: State govt's announcement of a Rs 1,000 hike in the monthly honorarium of ASHAs has come under scrutiny after a close reading of 2026-27 budget documents revealed a significant funding gap.Finance minister K N Balagopal, in his budget speech, declared that honorarium for ASHAs (Accredited Social Health Activists) would be increased from Rs 8,000 to Rs 9,000 per month. However, actual allocation under the budget head ‘Allowance for ASHA Workers' (2210-06-112-98-34, Non-Plan) tells a different story.For financial year 2026-27, govt has earmarked Rs 250.80 crore for ASHA worker allowances. Based on official state govt data that puts the number of ASHA workers at 26,125, this allocation is sufficient only to meet the existing Rs 8,000 monthly honorarium for 12 months.A basic financial breakdown shows that paying Rs 9,000 per month to 26,125 workers would require an additional Rs 31.35 crore annually — funds that have not been reflected in the current budget allocation.Sources said that health dept has flagged this discrepancy and has sought an additional Rs 31.35 crore from finance dept to operationalise the hike announced in budget speech.Additional funding would now face procedural hurdles as election process is under way. Any fresh financial sanction at this stage would require prior approval from Election Commission, given the enforcement of model code of conduct. With the revised honorarium slated to take effect from this month, it is increasingly evident that financial burden of implementing the hike will fall on incoming govt, raising further questions over timing and feasibility of announcement.The inconsistency becomes more pronounced when central data is considered. According to National Health Systems Resource Centre under National Health Mission, number of ASHAs in Kerala stands at 26,448. If this figure is taken into account, the currently allocated Rs 250.80 crore would fall short of even sustaining the existing Rs 8,000 monthly honorarium across all workers for the full year.The divergence between the budget speech and actual fiscal provisioning raises critical questions about govt's financial planning and intent. Whether the hike was announced prematurely without securing budgetary backing, or if a supplementary allocation is being planned, remains unclear.For thousands of ASHAs — who form backbone of Kerala's primary healthcare system — the difference is not merely statistical but directly impacts their already modest earnings.Kerala has been witnessing sustained protests by ASHAs for over a year, with thousands mobilising across districts demanding a substantial hike in their monthly honorarium, timely payments and formal recognition as govt employees. The agitation, led by various ASHA unions, has repeatedly highlighted that the existing Rs 8,000 honorarium is grossly inadequate given their expanding role in primary healthcare delivery — from disease surveillance to field-level implementation of public health programmes. Despite multiple rounds of discussions and assurances from state govt, protests have persisted, turning into a politically sensitive issue amid mounting pressure to address wage disparities and improve working conditions.