Asha workers lodge protest for better salaries in Bandipora

Bandipora,  Aug 7: Dozens of Asha workers staged a protest in the Sumbal area of north Kashmir’s Bandipora district on Monday and. demanded regular and increased salaries for their work.

“We have been working for sixteen years. For the first eight years, we were not paid at all. Later, the government gave us a thousand rupees and then raised it to two thousand,” said Shazia Begum, president of the Sumbal Sonawari Asha Workers Association.

Begum said that they are the frontline workers for most of the government schemes and they have to do regular house surveys. However, the salary they receive is not enough to meet their basic needs.

“We work hard to earn a living, but the amount we get is very low,” said Bano, another Asha worker.

She said that they also face public resentment for their frequent visits. “The government does not care about us,” she said, leading a group of Asha workers.

Bano said that the department has asked them to verify golden cards by going door to door, for which they will pay them two to three rupees. “Is this a joke? Are we children? This is injustice,” she asked.

Bano said that they have not received their incentives since Eid. She said that the incentives are also irregular and last year they had been paid nothing. They urged the higher authorities to intervene and resolve their issues.