The North News
Chandigarh, October 3
The Punjab government has announced maternity leave benefits for Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) and their facilitators, aligning with provisions of the Maternity Benefits Act, 1961. Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema, who also chairs the Cabinet Sub-Committee on employee issues, confirmed that the notification had been issued on Thursday. Under the order, ASHA workers and facilitators will now receive a fixed monthly honorarium while on maternity leave. Any future amendments to the Act will also automatically apply to them. The ASHA Workers Te Facilitators Nirol Union, which had long demanded this reform, expressed gratitude to the minister for addressing their concerns. The announcement came during a series of meetings between Cheema and representatives of five employee unions at the Punjab Secretariat.
Union leaders presented a range of demands relating to working conditions, pay and recognition. Cheema directed officials from the concerned departments to act immediately on legitimate demands. He also asked departments to prepare detailed proposals for issues linked to the Finance Department and submit them for prompt consideration. Reiterating the government’s commitment, the minister assured the Janglaat Workers Union, ASHA Worker Te Facilitator Nirol Union, Adarsh School Teaching and Non-Teaching Mulazam Union, ETT TET Pass Adhyapak Association (Jai Singh Wala), and the Beruzgar PSTET Pass Art & Craft Sangharsh Union leaders that dialogue would continue and further meetings would be scheduled to resolve outstanding issues.
