Hyderabad: ASHA workers protest intensified in Hyderabad after hundreds of frontline health workers laid siege to the DMHO office in Koti over three months of unpaid salaries.
The workers said they had not received wages for the past three months and were facing severe financial distress. Therefore, they demanded immediate release of pending dues.
Police attempted to stop the protesters from entering the office premises. Consequently, a scuffle broke out between the two sides.
ASHA workers protest turns tense at DMHO office
During the ASHA workers protest, police tried to disperse the demonstrators and remove them from the premises. In the commotion, one worker fainted and collapsed, triggering panic among colleagues.
Fellow workers raised alarm, while police shifted her in an ambulance to a nearby hospital for treatment. Meanwhile, union leaders accused the police of behaving harshly with women workers who were staging a peaceful protest.
The protesters also placed additional demands before the government. They urged the State to enhance budget allocations during the Assembly budget session and increase the minimum honorarium to Rs 18,000.
In addition, they demanded immediate implementation of the Rs 1,500 incentive hike announced by the Centre. The workers warned that they would intensify the agitation if authorities failed to address their demands.