New Delhi/Thiruvananthapuram, April 1 (IANS) On the 51st day of the ongoing protests by the Asha workers in front of the Kerala state Secretariat, state Health Minister Veena George finally met Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda in Delhi on Tuesday.

Speaking to the media soon after meeting Nadda, George said the meeting was positive.

"I had raised the demands of the protesting Asha workers first, and he heard it. The Centre gives 60 per cent of the incentive while the state puts in 40 per cent of the total Rs 3,000, while the entire honorarium (Rs 7,000) is paid by the state. We have been demanding an increase in the incentive, and the Minister said the Centre is seriously looking into it," she said.

"There is a balance that Kerala has to get for the fiscal 2023-24, and we were told that it has lapsed. There were issues with it with regard to rebranding, as the Asha scheme is of the Centre. The Union Minister has said he will look into it also," George said.

This meeting had raised huge interest as after a conciliation meeting that George held with the protesting Asha workers last month, she informed them that she is leaving to Delhi and will meet Nadda.

However, even though she reached Delhi, she failed to get an appointment, but it later surfaced that she reached Delhi to meet a visiting Cuban delegation. This became a big controversy, and the protesters fumed that she told them a lie that she would meet Nadda to discuss their issues.

Meanwhile, reacting to the statement of George after her meeting with Nadda, the protesting Asha workers said there has been no positive outcome to the meeting.

"All know that the Centre’s share is only towards the incentive, while the honorarium is being paid by the State. We have been demanding an increase in that. So this meeting, for all practical purposes, has failed. We will continue with our protests," a protester said.

On Monday, the protest took a new turn when all the protesting workers cut their hair to express their ire against the Kerala government.

The Asha workers are demanding an increase in their honorarium from Rs 7,000 to Rs 21,000 per month, besides a lump sum benefit of Rs 5 lakh each when they superannuate at the age of 62.

On Tuesday, the Congress trade union wing, the INTUC, announced that they have joined the protests too.

Meanwhile, George said that the INTUC leaders have expressed a desire for a fresh round of conciliation talks."I have said to them that talks will be held in three days' time," she said.

--IANS

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