Thiruvananthapuram, April 2 (IANS) A day after her meeting with Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda, Kerala Health Minister Veena George announced that she will hold a meeting with the protesting Asha workers on Thursday as their indefinite protest before the State Secretariat here entered its 52nd day on Wednesday.

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.

Soon after George’s invite for possible conciliation talks was sent out to the Asha workers, Wayanad Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi, who has been supporting the cause of the hapless workers, took to social media to reiterate her backing for the protesters.

"ASHA workers, the backbone of Kerala's healthcare system, have been forced to protest due to the lack of attention to their plight. Despite caring for every village, home, and family in need, they have been abandoned by the very system they have upheld. We will not remain silent. We stand in solidarity with our ASHA sisters, recognising their sacrifices, resilience, and selfless service. Their fight is our fight," the Congress leader asserted.

During Priyanka Gandhi’s visits to her constituency, she has, on several occasions, expressed her full support to the workers and called both the state and the Centre to ensure their demands are met.

On Thursday, even though it will be the third round of conciliation talks that is going to be held, this will be the first time that the trade union wings of the CPI-M and the Congress is being invited.

On both previous occasions, the talks failed with the rival parties sticking to their stand, but on Thursday, hopes have emerged that there could be a possibility that the state government might give an assurance to the protesters that their demands will be addressed positively.

With the 24th CPI-M Party Congress having begun in Madurai on Wednesday, the CPI-M-led Left government of Pinarayi Vijayan is now under duress, and the national leadership wants these protests to end at the earliest, for the working class party could take a beating if it continues.

--IANS

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