Sun Sep 28 06:32:47 UTC 2025: Okay, here’s a news article summarizing and rewriting the provided text:

**Headline: Maharashtra Healthcare Attendants Protest for Fair Wages, Recognition**

**Mumbai, September 28, 2025** – Hundreds of part-time women healthcare attendants (Anshakalin Stree Parichars) from across Maharashtra are staging an indefinite sit-in protest at Azad Maidan in Mumbai, demanding better pay and official recognition as Multipurpose Health Workers. The demonstration, which began on September 16th, highlights the plight of these essential workers who are paid a meager ₹3,000 per month – a wage that has remained stagnant since 2016.

Braving the late September heat and rains, the protesters are raising their voices in unison, demanding a minimum wage of ₹26,000 per month and an end to their exploitation. Despite their persistent efforts, no minister has addressed their demands.

These women, working in sub-centres and primary health centres (PHCs) across rural Maharashtra, often work full-time hours, sometimes overnight, assisting Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANMs) and handling a wide range of responsibilities. Their duties include assisting childbirths, conducting vaccination drives, performing door-to-door health surveys, providing patient care, and even carrying out COVID-19 related tasks. They are deployed at government run dispensaries and often walk for hours to reach these locations without any travel allowance.

“We are not flowers, we are sparks, we are the women of India!”, the protesters chant, expressing their frustration with the lack of recognition and fair compensation. The women have no job security, pension, provident fund, travel allowance, or health insurance. Many have been in service for decades, hoping for permanent status that has never come.

According to Mangala Arun Meshram, the State president of the Mahila Parichar union, there are 10,673 such attendants across Maharashtra. They are the backbone of Maharashtra’s public health system, yet the most neglected. They are demanding at least ₹26,000 per month and official recognition as Multipurpose Health Workers and not part-time attendants.

The women protesters sleep at railway platforms and return to Azad Maidan the next morning. They said that they will not leave until their demands are met because they have had enough of exploitation.

While the Labour Court acknowledged their exploitation in February 2023, the final decision rests with the government. State Public Health and Family Welfare Minister, Prakash Abitkar, stated that the matter is under discussion and positive steps will be taken.

Shalik Maulikar, vice-president of the All India State Pensioners’ Federation, emphasized that these women predate even ASHA and Anganwadi workers and have been exploited for years. The protest continues to draw attention to the urgent need for fair treatment and recognition for these essential healthcare workers.

Read More