ASHA Workers Protest in Shivamogga and Hassan, Demand ₹15,000 Honorarium, Oppose SAMASTA Duties
ASHA workers in Shivamogga and Hassan demand a ₹15,000 honorarium and support for SAMASTA data entry, citing device and privacy concerns.
Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) workers staged protests in Shivamogga and Hassan, seeking a monthly honorarium of ₹15,000 and relief from the responsibility of handling the SAMASTA application.
The State government introduced SAMASTA to digitise public health data and assigned ASHA workers the task of entering the information.
Workers seek support for digital data entry
The workers alleged that they had not been provided good-quality mobile phones or tablets for using the application.
They also said the government had stopped paying the monthly ₹280 rent that was earlier given to workers who used their personal phones for the work.
The protesters demanded a support price for entering data on SAMASTA.
They said the use of the application on their personal phones had also raised concerns about the compromise of their privacy.
Many ASHA workers are unfamiliar with smartphones and have found the application difficult to manage, according to the source.
The workers said they struggled to type in both Kannada and English while handling the application.
They said the additional digital work had increased their burden and rejected any attempt to link SAMASTA duties to the incentives they are entitled to receive.
“We are not opposed to advanced technology. However, forcing us to maintain daily digital records without basic infrastructure is unacceptable,” the protesters said.
Their objection, therefore, was focused on the conditions under which the digital work was being assigned, including the lack of devices, the stoppage of phone rent and the difficulty of entering records.
Demand for higher honorarium
The workers said ASHA workers in Kerala, Maharashtra, West Bengal and Haryana receive more than ₹15,000 as honorarium.
They also said promises made by the State government to increase the honorarium had remained unfulfilled.
In Hassan, district president Mamatha and working president Pushpalatha led the protest.
The workers staged the protest at Hemavathi Statue Circle and submitted a memorandum to the Chief Executive Officer of the Hassan Zilla Panchayat.
In Shivamogga, district secretary Chandrakala led the protest.
The report was published on October 05, 2026 06:26 pm IST.
Source: The Hindu
Frequently asked questions
Why did ASHA workers protest in Shivamogga and Hassan?
They protested to demand a monthly honorarium of ₹15,000 and relief from handling the SAMASTA application.
What concerns did the workers raise about SAMASTA?
They said they lacked good-quality devices, faced difficulty using the application, had privacy concerns, and were burdened by additional digital work.
What support did ASHA workers seek for SAMASTA data entry?
They demanded a support price for entering data and the restoration of the ₹280 monthly rent for using personal phones.
Where was the protest held in Hassan?
The protest was held at Hemavathi Statue Circle, where workers submitted a memorandum to the Chief Executive Officer of the Hassan Zilla Panchayat.
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