Some ASHA workers get up to Rs 82,000 as incentives: Ampareen

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaNovember 16, 2023

Health Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh on Wednesday said ASHAs are adequately receiving their remunerations.

She said an ASHA worker from Kyrdem public health centre (PHC) has received over Rs 82,000 as performance incentives and regular honorarium during the past six months as per the official data regarding the remuneration being provided to the ASHA workers in over 7,000 villages across Meghalaya.

According to the official data, the majority of the ASHA workers were drawing monetary incentives ranging from 23,000 to 82,000 during the six months’ period from April 1 to September 30, 2023 based on bank payment credit date.

“I went through the remunerations of these receipts of payments that ASHAs have got in certain blocks…I am pleasantly surprised to see that these volunteers have been given adequate monetary remuneration,” Lyngdoh said.

Stating that the engagement with ASHAs was very clear from day one which was of a voluntary nature, she said there was no promise of any salary or no promise of anything beyond the activities that ASHAs is engaged with. 

The ASHA workers under the banner of Meghalaya ASHA Workers’ Union (MASHAWU) are staging their ongoing indefinite strike since November 7, as a mark of protest against the government’s apathy towards their demands which include enhancing of the honorarium from Rs 2,000 to Rs 5,000.

Lyngdoh however said there is a misconception that the state government has done nothing for the ASHAs and said, “My duty is to inform the public that is not true. Why would we do that?”

She informed that the government during 2021-2022 had spent Rs 91.2 crore for the monthly incentives of ASHAs.

Of this, the government had shelled out Rs 16.32 crore  for the fixed monthly incentive of ASHAs and  cleared the backlog of Rs 53 crore besides Rs 21.96 crore was the incentives under NHM.

“In 2022-23, the backlog is Nil. We are still investing Rs 16.98 crore for monthly incentives of Rs 2000 for ASHAs and incentives under NHM we have spent Rs 22.68 crore for ASHA alone. A total of Rs 40.5 crore,” she added.

Lyngdoh appealed to the ASHA workers to call off their agitations and come to the negotiating table.

“Asking for your rights is one thing but a disregard for your duties is something else. Do not push us, we want to continue to work with you. We are grateful for the work you do. If you need another dialogue with your minister, I am not a minister by default, it is the people who brought me to this office and it is my duty to hear you out,” she said.

She added, “If you want to come and talk, my doors are open. I am voted to this office by people, I am a people person I will meet you but don’t come with expectations that are beyond my capacity.”

“These (ASHAs) are volunteers who come with their own free will. The more days you stay away from your responsibilities as health facilitators in your village, the more displaced your village will be because you have taken up the responsibility, I don’t want to get to a stage where I will have to tell the PHCs please do something about and get somebody new because it is not done.

We respect them. Respect has to be mutual. Please no negative feelings here.”