New Delhi: Amid the ongoing protest by ASHA workers, the Centre has strongly criticized the Kerala Government for the delay in disbursing their wages. The Centre accused the state administration of governance failure and inefficiency, emphasizing that the non-payment of ASHA workers’ salaries was entirely the state's responsibility.According to the Union Health Ministry, the central government allocated Rs 938.80 crore to Kerala, exceeding the initially sanctioned amount of ₹913.24 crore. Additionally, on February 12, an extra Rs 120.45 crore was disbursed to cover the most recent salary payments. The statement clarified that blaming the Centre for the issue was merely an attempt by the state government to conceal its own shortcomings.The Ministry highlighted that funds had been consistently allocated for ASHA workers and Anganwadi staff, with Rs 21,200 crore earmarked for welfare schemes like Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 last year and Rs 21,960 crore this year.The Centre's statement was released following a meeting between Union Minister Suresh Gopi and Health Minister JP Nadda, where concerns about Kerala’s financial mismanagement were discussed. The ministry asserted that Kerala was not being neglected and that no state faced discrimination regarding fund allocation. The additional Rs 120 crore, released as the fifth installment in February, was in addition to the Rs 913 crore previously disbursed in four separate installments.The Centre strongly condemned the CPM-led Kerala government for shifting blame instead of taking responsibility for its failures. It accused opposition-ruled states of deliberately obstructing welfare schemes to create political conflicts with the central government. The statement concluded that Kerala's allegations were a diversionary tactic aimed at covering up its inefficiencies.