Women Health Volunteers who submitted petitions at Thoothukudi Collectorate on Monday.
| Photo Credit: N. RAJESH
Women Health Volunteers (WHV) under the ‘Makkalai Thedi Maruthuvam’ scheme submitted petitions at the weekly grievance redressal meeting held at Kanniyakumari and Thoothukudi Collectorates on Monday, demanding wage hike and disbursement of pending wages.In their petitions, volunteers from both the districts stated that they have been provided with a salary of only ₹5,500 for the past five years, despite working for more than 8 hours a day.The volunteers noted that they were initially appointed for two hours work per day, however their workload has now increased significantly.The petition further highlighted that a government order issued under the previous government on March 7, 2026, provided a wage hike for 42,000 contract workers under the National Health Mission (NHM), effective from May 1.Following this, the Makkalai Thedi Maruthuvam Workers’ Association staged demonstrations on March 12 and 13, and subsequently held talks with the previous Health Minister, NHM Director and Principal Secretary. During these talks, it was stated that WHV would also be given an increment.However, after the new government assumed office, no such revision was implemented. The volunteers have now urged the government to increase their wages to ₹15,000.Additionally, WHV in Kanniyakumari district have sought the release of pending wages for the past two months, while those in Thoothukudi district have demanded clearance of dues for the past four months.They urged the government authorities to reduce their workload and to issue a written directive to District Health Officers in the districts. Published - June 22, 2026 07:36 pm IST
