The Health Minister, T Harish Rao, announced that the government will pay the telephone bills of 27,000 ASHA workers starting this month. He attended a program where 1,560 ASHA workers were inducted in Hyderabad, Ranga Reddy, and Medchal districts. These workers will help strengthen government healthcare services at the field level.
During the program, the minister distributed appointment letters to the workers and mentioned that the government had already granted paid maternity leave to all ASHA workers in June. Over the past few years, the government has consistently increased the salaries of ASHA workers. Currently, they receive a monthly salary of Rs. 9,750, while their counterparts in BJP and Congress governed states only receive Rs. 4,000-5,000.
The minister highlighted that the salaries of ASHA workers in Telangana are the highest in the country. He also criticized BJP-ruled states, especially Gujarat, for paying a monthly salary of only Rs. 4,500 to healthcare workers. He mentioned that before Telangana became a separate state, ASHA workers were even arrested for demanding better salaries under Congress rule. In contrast, the ruling party in Telangana has consistently increased their salaries.
Furthermore, he accused Congress leaders of inciting second Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANMs) to protest and boycott their duties internationally. He emphasized that all field-level workers, including second ANMs, are well compensated in Telangana compared to other states.
