New Delhi, Feb 22: The BJP on Saturday slammed the LDF government in Kerala for putting blame on the Centre for non-payment of ASHA workers’ honorarium and said the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has already released “much above and over” funds earmarked for the state.
The Kerala government is holding the the Centre “responsible” just to divert public attention from its own “inefficiency and incapability” to pay the outstanding honorarium of the Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) in the state, BJP national secretary and spokesperson Anil Antony said in a press press conference at the party headquarters here.
The BJP’s reaction came days after Kerala Finance Minister K N Balagopal said that the ASHA workers’ honorarium and incentive payments have been pending for some months as the Centre was not providing their due share in this regard.
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A large number of ASHA workers have been agitating in the state for the past several days, pressing various demands, including release of their pending incentives and honorarium.
Flaying the state government over the minister’s claim, Antony said, “In this matter, the BJP wants to set things right and make some clarifications. An amount of Rs 938.80 crore, out of allocation of Rs 913,25 crore for the fiscal 2024-25, has already been released to the state of Kerala in four installments by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare”.
Another amount of Rs 120.45 crore was released to Kerala, “which is much over and above the allocation earmarked for the fiscal 2024-25,” he said.
“The funds have already been released by the Centre for clearing the past dues. It is disappointing to see that the state government of Kerala is trying to divert attention from their own inefficiencies and incapability to pay the dues and salaries of the ASHA health workers by holding the Centre responsible for the situation,” the BJP leader said.
This is a clear message to the people of Kerala that only a “double-engine government” of the BJP is needed in the state to ensure its all-round progress and a ‘Visit Kerala’, he added. (PTI)
