Karnataka Rajya Samyukta ASHA Karyakartheyara Sangha will be staging an overnight dharna at all district headquarters from Aug. 12 to 14, said AITUC District Secretary Chandrashekar Methi.

Addressing presspersons at Pathrakartara Bhavan here, he said that the dharna in Mysuru will be staged in front of Mahatma Gandhi statue at the Gandhi Square against the State Government’s failure to fulfil its promise to pay Rs. 10,000 salary for ASHA workers every month during the protest held at Freedom Park in Bengaluru earlier this year.

“In this year’s budget, it had been announced that an incentive of Rs. 1,000 would be given to Anganwadi workers and Mid-day meal workers including the ASHA workers. However, the State Government has removed ASHA workers. Moreover, there are about 42,000 ASHA workers throughout the State, working with a ratio of 1 ASHA worker for every 1,000 people. However, the Government has been mulling to remove about 15,000 ASHA workers with State facing financial crunch owing to guarantee schemes,” he added. The overnight dharna was being observed to pressurise the State Government to fulfil its promises including Rs. 10,000 salary to ASHA workers along with Rs. 1,000 incentive among others. Bhagya, Manila, Komala, P.S. Sandhya, Pavithra and Seema were present at the press meet.