3 months ago
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Hundreds of ASHA volunteers connected Friday (February 6, 2026) took to the streets successful Kolkata, dissatisfied with the ₹1,000 hike successful their honorarium announced successful the West Bengal interim budget.
The protesting Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) volunteers staged an impromptu sit-in extracurricular the Swasthya Bhavan – the State’s wellness section office successful Salt Lake — demanding an honorarium of astatine slightest ₹15,000 per month.
The Bidhannagar Police has enactment up barricades and deployed a ample fig of unit connected the streets starring to the Swasthya Bhavan, officials said.
An ASHA volunteer, who was portion of the demonstration, said, “What volition lone a ₹1,000 hike mean for america erstwhile we are paid a paltry sum? We request a minimum ₹15,000 per period remuneration.” Another unpaid said that a 17-member delegation is scheduled to conscionable the State’s wellness caput and reiterate their demands.
Last month, the pistillate assemblage wellness volunteers had blocked cardinal thoroughfares successful Kolkata’s Esplanade and Salt Lake, aft constabulary stopped their march to the wellness section headquarters.
The ASHA unpaid workers had besides staged protests astatine Swasthya Bhavan connected January 8 and January 12, seeking a gathering with elder wellness officials implicit their long-pending request for a fixed monthly wage alternatively of performance-linked allowances. Their demands besides see to not beryllium engaged successful enactment different than parent and kid support.
The Mamata Banerjee Government connected Thursday (February 6, 2026) announced a hike of ₹1,000 successful the ASHA workers' honorarium, which they claimed present stood astatine ₹6,250 per month. The State Government had besides declared a one-time outgo of ₹5 lakh successful lawsuit of decease successful harness and maternity permission for ASHA volunteers.
