THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The talks held by ASHA workers, who are on indefinite strike in front of the secretariat, with Health Minister Veena George have failed. The ASHA workers said that no issues including honorarium were discussed. With this, the ASHAs will decide to go ahead with the hunger strike.

The ASHAs also clarified that no new suggestions or considerations were discussed in the discussion with the minister. The meeting with the Health Minister came after the failure of the discussion with the National Health Mission Coordinator at 12.30 pm today.

The NHM authorities demanded to give them time and withdraw from the strike as the government does not have money,. "The ASHAs will not accept the demand to withdraw from the strike. They will intensify the hunger strike from tomorrow," said Mini, leader of the strike committee.

"The government is not even ready to discuss the demand to increase the honorarium to Rs 700. The orders of other states regarding retirement benefits were shown to the director. They were not ready to discuss that either. The authorities say that the previous order to dismiss the workers at the age of 62 has been frozen. But there is no notification about that," said Mini.