Barricades were put up in front of the Swasthya Bhawan in Kolkata and police were deployed in large numbers at the Sealdah and Howrah railway stations. (File Photo)
Thousands of Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) protested near the West Bengal health department’s headquarters in Salt Lake and at Dharmatala in Central Kolkata on Wednesday after being barred from meeting top officials over their demands such as a minimum honorarium of Rs 15,000, a Rs 5-lakh insurance cover in the event of death on duty and a government job to a family member, and leave.
Traffic was disrupted in central Kolkata and Salt Lake Sector V as a result of the protest for long-pending demands.
Massive barricades were put up in front of the Swasthya Bhawan early in the morning, and police were deployed in large numbers at the Sealdah and Howrah railway stations to stop ASHA workers from reaching Sector V, where the health department headquarters is.
ASHA workers from several districts alleged that they were not allowed to board trains to reach Kolkata for the protest, and some others were allegedly detained while trying to board the trains.
ASHA workers protested at the Sealdah station for around six hours, after which they decided to head towards Dharmatala as they were not allowed to go towards Sector V. The police stopped the workers before they reached Dharmatala.
The workers tried to break the barricades, with one of them using a knife to cut ropes fastened by the police. The police later confiscated the knife. A scuffle broke out between the workers and the police when the former broke the barricades.
Indira Mukherjee, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Central Division, told reporters, “I will look into it. I have just got to know that a knife was recovered. The ASHA workers had no programme in the central division. They have not informed us about any programme.”
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In Salt Lake, ASHA workers intensified their protests, with many climbing on the barricades and insisting that they would not leave until their demands were met. The police pulled them down from the barricades.
The Bidhannagar police commissionerate kept an aerial watch on the situation using drones.
‘We get only Rs 5,000’
An ASHA worker from Burdwan said, “What can we do? We get only Rs 5,000. We are not being paid even that amount. How can we run our families?”
Another ASHA worker said, “Be it scorching heat, torrential rain, or biting cold, we are always out, in the middle of the night also. We did not want to come today. But we were told that senior health officials would meet us today. So we came, and now we are being harassed.”
ASHA workers previously marched to the Swasthya Bhawan on January 8, followed by another demonstration on January 12, demanding that they be allowed to meet senior health officials over their long-pending demand for a fixed monthly salary.
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West Bengal Minister of State for Health Chandrima Bhattacharya on Tuesday advised the protesters against marching to the Swasthya Bhawan, citing law and order concerns.
Tanusree Bose is a dedicated journalist reporting for The Indian Express from Kolkata. Her work focuses sharply on the complex administrative, political, and judicial developments across West Bengal, establishing her as an authoritative voice in regional news coverage.
Experience
Current Role: Reports for the prestigious national daily, The Indian Express, providing her content with a high level of Trustworthiness.
Geographical Expertise: Provides focused, in-depth coverage of West Bengal, demonstrating an intimate knowledge of the state's news and political nuances.
Core Authority: Her reporting portfolio highlights deep Expertise in crucial, often sensitive, beats, including:
State Politics and Governance: Covering the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), opposition strategies (BJP), and internal political controversies.
Judicial and Administrative Affairs: Closely monitoring key developments in the Calcutta High Court, particularly major rulings related to employment, education, and social issues.
Education Sector: Extensive reporting on significant controversies, such as teacher recruitment irregularities and administrative actions by the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (WBBSE).
Social & Electoral Issues: Covering public events, community tensions (e.g., religious/political gatherings), and election-related processes like the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll.
Tanusree Bose's consistent output and focus on high-stakes regional issues for a trusted media outlet underscore her status as a reliable and authoritative source for news from West Bengal. ... Read More
