Agartala, August 7:Over 100 ASHA workers in Tripura’s Kailashahar subdivision of Unakoti district have raised strong objections over non-payment of their honorarium for the past three months. The delay has sparked fears of disruption in essential grassroots healthcare services in the region.
On Wednesday, members of the ASHA Karmi Ekya Mancha submitted a deputation to the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of Unakoti, Dr. Shirshendu Chakma, seeking immediate disbursal of their dues. The deputation was led by ASHA leaders Piyali Chakraborty, Shilpi Deb, Manju Deb, and Jhuma Das, who also submitted a five-point charter of demands.
The demands include immediate payment of three-month pending honorarium, timely monthly disbursement of wages, the release of the state-declared ₹1,000 monthly incentive, and clearance of all outstanding dues in a single installment. They also urged payment of COVID-19 arrears, incentives for smart card and ABHA card distribution, and fulfillment of the government’s pre-poll promise to regularize ASHA workers with a fixed salary of ₹18,000 per month.
Speaking to the media, Piyali Chakraborty said while ASHA workers in other subdivisions have received their dues, Kailashahar’s workers continue to suffer due to alleged negligence by the CMO’s office. She warned that failure to release the payments by Monday will lead to intensified protests.
Dr. Chakma has assured the honorarium will be released by Monday and said other demands would be forwarded to higher authorities.
ASHA workers are the backbone of rural healthcare, particularly in remote and inaccessible areas. Any disruption in their services could severely impact maternal and child health, immunization, and disease prevention programmes across the region.
