The BJP on Monday portested near Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s residence demanding that the Delhi government release incentives and allowances due to ASHA workers.
Delhi BJP president Adesh Gupta termed “regrettable” for the Capital that the same ASHA workers keeping Delhi healthy were on the street today demanding their rights.
Mr. Gupta and LoP Ramvir Singh Bidhuri led the demonstration. Mr. Gupta alleged that the funds allotted by the Centre to the Delhi government in 2018 for distribution to ASHA workers were yet to be distributed. “From 2018 till now ASHA workers haven’t been given any allowances nor have their incentives been enhanced. The Central government gave ₹1,000 to ₹10,000 per worker as honourarium but the Kejriwal government hasn’t yet given them this amount,” Mr. Gupta alleged.
“The Kejriwal government is making tall election promises in other states but is hardly bothered about these workers. I urge him to arrange at least ₹19,000 as honorarium for them otherwise we won’t allow any Vidhan Sabha session,” Mr. Bidhuri said.
In a related development, Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor wrote to Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal to direct the Delhi government to immediately nominate a Lokayukta. “The office of Lokayukt is lying vacant since the last Lokayukt retired in December 2020 and the Arvind Kejriwal government is not taking interest in filling the vacancy which is important to ensure transparency in administration,” Mr. Kapoor stated.
