Kerala Assembly witnesses uproar over Asha workers protest issue

Thiruvananthapuram, March 4 (IANS) As the protest by the more than 26,000 Asha Workers entered the 23rd day, the Kerala Assembly on Tuesday witnessed heated exchanges between the opposition and treasury benches, forcing the Speaker to adjourn the House for the day after running through the listed business.

First-time Legislator Rahul Mamkoothathil sought leave for an adjournment motion on the plight of the Asha workers, who have been protesting in front of the State Secretariat, and the Pinarayi Vijayan government has been silent on it.

“The Left Democratic Front poll manifesto in 2021 had promised the Asha workers that they would be paid Rs 700. But the promise has not been fulfilled. On the contrary, there were arrears which recently have been cleared. Today, they get just Rs 232 daily. They are on protest demanding what the Left manifesto promised,” said Mamkoothathil.

“After the protests began, they have been facing repeated abuse by the CPI(M) leaders. Their protests are being described in unparliamentary words. Health Minister Veena George is rude. She told the protesters to come to her office when they arrived at her house for a discussion. You (George) will not be sitting in that chair for long. While the CITU (trade union of the CPI(M)) is protesting in other states demanding higher wages for their Asha Workers, here they are abusing the hapless workers,” said Mamkoothathil.

But journalist-turned-Minister George hit back by saying that Mamkoothathil is behaving like the SUCI leaders who are spearheading the ongoing Asha workers’ protest.

“It was the Left government which hiked the honorarium of the Asha Workers. It’s a lie that I refused to meet the Asha Workers. In fact, on the 15th February, I did meet the workers and discussed their demands. I have already taken legal steps against the baseless news that I refused to meet the protesters. There is no doubt that there should be a hike in the honorarium of the Asha workers,” said Minister George.

After Speaker A.N. Shamsheer refused leave to take up the adjournment motion, Leader of Opposition V.D. Satheesan got up and said the demand that the workers are asking is to honour what CM Vijayan said in the party’s poll manifesto.

“A decade back in this very same House, top CPI(M) legislator and CITU leader Elamaram Kareem demanded hiking the honorarium to Rs 10,000, and this very same Kareem is now showering abuses on the protesters. In Sikkim and Andhra Pradesh, the Asha Workers are paid Rs 10,000, and in Karnataka, the Chief Minister recently hiked it to Rs 10,000 and has also promised more,” said Satheesan. He said the Vijayan government should wake up from its deep slumber.

With Satheesan continuing to attack CM Vijayan, the Speaker intervened and asked him to wind up his speech, and if he did not, after the time ends, his mike would be switched off, and it was done.

After which, the entire opposition benches was up and directed their ire towards the Speaker and when the protests grew loud, he finished the listed business of the day quickly and adjourned the House. Later, outside the House, Satheesan said CM Vijayan should shed his tough stand and invite the protesters for a meeting to resolve the issue.

“This Speaker is behaving like a back-bench legislator in the treasury benches and is like a puppet to the government. He has said he will switch off the mikes when the time is over; if that is the case, we will boycott the proceedings when the time ends for the Minister and Chief Minister when they speak. So they will also have to adhere to the schedule,” added Satheesan.

State BJP president K. Surendran said the Centre is doing everything possible, and it’s the Vijayan government that is not doing anything and simply blaming the Centre.

“The funds are given by the Centre, and much like the lies being told by the Vijayan government about the MGNREGA, the same is being done with the Asha workers. The state unit of the BJP will be with the protesters,” said Surendran.

The Asha workers are demanding an increase in their monthly honorarium from Rs 7,000 to Rs 21,000 plus retirement benefits and the clearance of pending payments.

–IANS

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