Kolkata ASHA workers protested outside the Kolkata Municipal Corporation on Thursday, demanding payment of pending salaries, bonuses, incentives and mobile bills ahead of Durga Puja. The workers said several months of payments remain overdue despite assurances from officials that their arrears would be cleared.
The protest was organised by the West Bengal Urban Health Workers Contractual Union. According to a report by Sanmarg – Kolkata, the workers claimed that they had not received their salaries and other dues for several months, while continuing to perform their duties. They also alleged that their workload had increased even as payments remained pending.
The workers said their mobile bills had not been paid for the past eight months. For community health workers, mobile phones are part of the practical infrastructure through which field duties, communication and reporting can be carried out. The reported delay therefore affects not only household income but also the cost of remaining connected to the health system.
The protest comes before Durga Puja, when employees across institutions typically expect salary payments and other dues to be settled. The workers said they had previously approached the relevant authorities and were assured that their pending payments would be released within a week. They said that period passed without the promised payment, prompting them to demonstrate outside the civic body.
A delegation of the protesting workers met officials on Thursday. Officials reportedly said that payments covering two months of arrears and one month of additional dues would be made on Thursday evening. The assurance, however, did not resolve the workers’ concerns. They expressed doubt over whether the stated amount would actually be transferred and said that the commitment did not cover all of their outstanding claims.
The workers are seeking payment of all pending salaries, bonuses, incentives and mobile bills. They have also indicated that their protest will continue until the entire amount due to them is cleared.
The dispute places attention on the administrative arrangements behind urban health work. ASHA workers operate at the point where public-health programmes meet households and neighbourhoods, while their employment and payment systems can involve multiple administrative layers. When payments are delayed, the immediate impact is felt by workers and their families, but the functioning of field-level services can also become a concern.
For now, the next reported step is the officials’ assurance of payment for two months of arrears and one month of additional dues. The continuation of the protest will depend on whether those payments are made and whether the remaining salary, bonus, incentive and mobile-bill claims are settled.
