"Govt's attitude against demands of Asha workers, WCPOS": Congress' Ramesh Chennithala

Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], April 18 (ANI): Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala on Friday visited the protest site of the ASHA workers and Women Civil Police Officer (WCPO) rank holders and criticised the government's "attitude" towards the protesters' pressing demands.
This comes after ASHA workers and Women Civil Police Officers (WCPOS) rank holders staged a protest in front of the Secretariat, demanding better remuneration, retirement benefits, and timely appointments before the expiry of the WCPO rank list.
After visiting the protesters, Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala spoke to ANI and said, "The government's attitude is against these demands. The government needs to take urgent steps and recruit at least 100 people so women can get an opportunity to work as CPOS..."
Following the protests by ASHA and Anganwadi workers, women police rank holders have also been protesting.
Candidates from the Women Civil Police Officer (CPO) rank list, of which less than 30 per cent have been appointed, staged a protest in front of the Secretariat.
According to reports, out of over 900 candidates on the Women CPO rank list, only around 200 have received appointment recommendations so far.
ASHA workers in Kerala are on an indefinite strike over several demands, including better pay and improved working conditions.
The opposition is demanding a fair resolution for the protesting ASHA workers, while the government maintains that the protest was politically motivated and that the state was already providing more benefits than the central government.
Earlier last month, opposition in the Kerala Legislative Assembly raised the issue of ongoing protests by Anganwadi and ASHA workers.
The Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) workers were protesting in Kerala against the Left Democratic Alliance (LDF) government, demanding a monthly honorarium of Rs 21,000 per month and a retirement benefit of Rs 5 lakh.
On International Women's Day, they organised a massive demonstration in front of the Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram, joined by women from across Kerala and various women's organisations, further intensifying the agitation.
In an attempt to pacify the workers, the Kerala Health Department decided to release two months' pending dues and relax certain eligibility criteria for honorarium payments.
However, ASHA workers refused to back down, insisting on a substantial salary hike. (ANI)