Broken Promises: Thousands of ASHA Workers Storm Freedom Park Ahead of State Budget
BENGALURU – Tensions reached a boiling point at Freedom Park as thousands of Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) launched a massive state-level protest, accusing the Karnataka government of reneging on critical financial pledges. With the 2026 state budget on the horizon, the frontline healthcare workers are demanding the immediate fulfillment of “honorarium guarantees” promised by the ruling administration.
ಬೀದಿಗೆ ಬಂದ ಆರೋಗ್ಯ ಸಂಜೀವಿನಿಯರು: ಇಲಾಖೆಯ ‘ತರ್ಕಬದ್ಧಗೊಳಿಸುವಿಕೆ’ ಮತ್ತು ತಾಂತ್ರಿಕ ಲೋಪಗಳ ವಿರುದ್ಧ ಸಂಘಟಿತ ಹೋರಾಟ.
A Legacy of Unmet Guarantees
The unrest stems from a series of high-level assurances that protesters claim have vanished into thin air. State General Secretary of the Karnataka State United ASHA Workers Association, K.D. Nagalakshmi, reminded the gathered crowd of a pivotal meeting in January 2025.
“During our four-day protest last year, the Honorable Chief Minister personally assured our office bearers of a monthly guarantee of ₹10,000. While honorariums for Anganwadi and mid-day meal workers were increased, ASHA workers were inexplicably excluded from the March 2025 budget,” Nagalakshmi stated.
She further highlighted that despite the Congress party’s election manifesto promising to hike the state honorarium from ₹5,000 to ₹8,000, fourteen months have passed without an official order. “We have attended numerous meetings with ministers and officials, yet the results remain zero,” she added.
Systematic Neglect and Administrative Hurdles
The protest also drew sharp criticism toward both State and Central policies. K. Somashekhar, State President of AIUTUC, accused the government of “forgetting its words.” He slammed the continued reliance on the RCH (Reproductive and Child Health) portal, which workers claim is riddled with glitches that prevent them from receiving their hard-earned incentives.
“The RCH portal, which doesn’t exist in this form elsewhere in the country, is being used to deny workers their due. The government promised to include Central hikes in the state pay, but we have seen nothing but betrayal,” Somashekhar remarked.
Condemning “Rationalization” Tactics
Adding to the frustration is a new departmental move to “rationalize” the workforce based on population—a step leaders say violates Central guidelines. K. Somashekhar Yadagiri, President of the Association, condemned the move as a strategy to terminate workers under the guise of administrative logic.
“This attempt to cut ASHA positions is an illegal maneuver not seen in any other state. It has triggered immense outrage among workers who have served as the backbone of rural health for years,” Yadagiri noted.
Key Demands for the 2026 Budget
The Association has submitted a comprehensive list of demands to be addressed in the upcoming budget:
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Consolidated Pay: A fixed monthly honorarium of ₹15,000 (combining State and Central shares).
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Immediate Hike: An interim increase of the state share to ₹8,000, as per the election manifesto.
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Retirement Security: A lump-sum retirement benefit modeled after the West Bengal system.
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Health Safety Net: The creation of a Corpus Fund to cover medical expenses for ASHA workers suffering from serious illnesses.
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Administrative Relief: Immediate release of pending incentives for TB surveys and the ‘Guarantee Scheme’ surveys (₹1,000 per worker).
As the protest continues, the ball is now in the government’s court to decide whether it will honor its past signatures or face a prolonged shutdown of rural healthcare services.
