ASHA, mid-day meal, other honorarium employees hold protest in Tarn Taran against unfulfilled promises

On the call of the Honorarium Workers’ Sanjha Morcha Punjab, ASHA workers, mid-day meal workers and other honorarium employees organised a state-level demonstration here on Saturday. The protest was held ahead of the Assembly by-election scheduled for November 11 in the constituency.

The protest was led by state leaders Mandeep Kaur and Lakhwinder Kaur, with thousands of workers from across Punjab participating. Leaders of the Joint Front — Shakuntala Saroy, Paramjit Kaur Mann, Mamta Sharma, Sarabjit Kaur (Faridkot), Ramanjit Kaur (Muktsar), and Bina Ghagga — also addressed the gathering.

In their speeches, the leaders strongly criticised the state government for failing to fulfil promises made to honorarium workers before the elections. They said workers continue to receive meager and “humiliating” honorariums, forcing them into economic hardship despite their crucial role in delivering health and nutrition services.

During the rally at Gandhi Municipal Park, the police reportedly attempted to lock the workers inside the park. In response, protesters broke out and marched towards the Aam Aadmi Party election office, raising slogans against Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s government.

Bina Ghagga alleged that the Mann-led government had gone back on all pre-election promises made to ASHA and mid-day meal workers. “Even after more than three years, not a single rupee has been added to our honorarium,” she said, adding that the stagnant pay has made survival increasingly difficult for their families.

Leaders of the Democratic Employees’ Federation, including Jarmanjit Singh and Harinder Dosanjh, also addressed the gathering. They demanded an increase in the honorarium, retirement benefits for workers and facilitators at the age of 62, and free insurance coverage of Rs 5 lakh, among other long-pending demands.