Kerala MPs raised the issue of ASHA workers’ crisis in Parliament. MP K.C. Venugopal demanded that ASHA workers receive a salary of ₹21,000 instead of the current ₹7,000, along with other retirement benefits. He also criticized trade union leaders for insulting the protesting ASHA workers during his speech in Parliament.
MP Shashi Tharoor emphasized that the ongoing ASHA workers’ protest in Thiruvananthapuram highlights the poor conditions of public health workers. He called for financial security for ASHA workers. Speaking in Malayalam, MP V.K. Sreekandan blamed both the central and state governments for the crisis. MP Kodikunnil Suresh submitted an urgent motion notice in the Lok Sabha regarding the issue.
In the Rajya Sabha, former National Commission for Women Chairperson Rekha Sharma demanded that pending dues be paid to ASHA workers and that they be provided with a fixed monthly salary and pension.
None of the central ministers present in Parliament responded to the issue. However, the protest, which has been ongoing in Thiruvananthapuram for a month, has now gained national attention due to the intervention of Kerala MPs.
