Striking ASHA Workers Arrested All Over Telangana

Continuing their protest for the second month in a row, ASHA workers staged dharnas in front of all major bus depots on Friday.

The primary health workers who promote and support health initiatives in remote villages have been demanding a salary hike and regularisation of their services.

However, following no response from the government till date they blockaded all major bus depots in Telangana. At Kushaiguda in Hyderabad, ASHA Workers blocked the exit of the bus depot. Morning service buses were delayed as a result.
At Narketpalli depot in Nalgonda district, Bhadrachalam depot in Khammam and Miryalaguda RTC bus depot ASHA workers staged a dharna from early morning and stopped all buses exiting the depot. Police resorted to mild lathicharge and forcibly shifted them to police stations.
Similar protests by ASHA workers led by Confederation of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) were reported from Karimnagar, Adilabad, Medak, Mahbubnagar, Nizamambad and Warangal districts.
Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) workers are the first port of call for any health related demands of deprived sections of the population, especially women and children, who find it difficult to access health services in villages and hamlets where no organized health services are available.