Not aware of seeking appointment, says Union Health Minister J P Nadda, to meet her next week

NEW DELHI: Union Health Minister J P Nadda said that he was not aware of Health Minister Veena George seeking an appointment to meet him. He said that he will be meeting her next week. Veena George had gone to Delhi the other day after the talks with the ASHAs failed. She did not get permission to meet him. The letter to meet him was given on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The letter from the minister’s office was first given on Tuesday and then on Wednesday. However, permission was not obtained. Veena George said permission was not granted may be because the minister is busy and that she would go to Delhi as soon as consent is obtained. K C Venugopal had asked him questions about the ASHA workers' strike in the Lok Sabha. The union minister then invited UDF MPs to his chamber for a comprehensive discussion.

Meantime, in the wake of the failure of the talks and the government not accepting their demands, the ASHA workers had started a hunger strike from yesterday. The 39-day-long day and night strike in front of the secretariat has entered its third phase.

Kerala ASHA Health Workers Association State General Secretary M A Bindu and ASHA workers Sheeja R and Thankamani are on a hunger strike. The strike, which started at 11 am on Thursday, was inaugurated by former head of the state disaster management center and public activist K G Thara. The ASHA workers alleged that the government was cheating them.

Meanwhile, Minister M B Rajesh said the reason for the failure of the talks was the insistence and stubbornness of the ASHAs.