Several ASHA workers were detained near the Telangana Legislative Assembly on Friday after attempting to stage a protest demanding a fixed monthly salary of Rs 18,000, job security and provident fund and Employees’ State Insurance benefits.
The workers were stopped by police as they tried to proceed towards the Assembly in small groups and were later taken to a police station, Telangana Today reported. The protest focused on the workers’ demand for revision of their pay and implementation of assurances they say have remained pending.
The demand for a fixed monthly honorarium has been raised repeatedly by ASHA workers in Telangana. Their latest mobilisation comes days after thousands of workers took part in a ‘Chalo Assembly’ protest in Hyderabad on September 8. Several workers and union leaders were detained during that demonstration as police attempted to disperse the gathering.
The workers are seeking a fixed monthly payment of Rs 18,000 instead of the existing arrangement referred to in the report as an honorarium. They are also demanding job security and access to PF and ESI benefits. The demands place pay, employment continuity and social-security coverage at the centre of the ongoing dispute.
According to the report, unions have accused the Telangana government of failing to fulfil assurances made to the workers. The latest detention occurred while the State Assembly session was under way, with the unions warning that their agitation could intensify if the demands are not addressed before the session concludes.
The protests have been held in Hyderabad as well as other parts of Telangana, indicating that the dispute extends beyond a single gathering near the Assembly. The repeated mobilisations have also brought the workers’ demand for a fixed honorarium back into public view after earlier demonstrations and negotiations failed to resolve the issue, according to the report.
Friday’s action followed an attempt by the workers to avoid moving as one large group. They proceeded towards the Assembly in smaller groups but were stopped by police and taken to a police station. The report did not provide the number of workers detained, identify the police station or specify how long they were held.
The report also did not include a fresh response from the Telangana government, details of any written assurance, or an official explanation for the detentions. The immediate next step announced by the unions is a possible escalation of the agitation if their demands remain unresolved before the ongoing Assembly session ends.
