Hyderabad, Feb. 23 -- The Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA), who gathered at the Commission of Health and Family Welfare's office at Koti in Hyderabad, demanding a fixed honorarium of Rs 18,000 per month, were taken into custody and were not allowed to submit their representation to the Commissioner on Monday, February 23.

According to P Jaya Lakshmi, president of the Telangana ASHA Workers Union, which is affiliated to the Centre for Indian Trade Unions (CITU), said in a statement that from Monday morning itself, the police have been taking ASHA workers into custody from their homes across the state.

"Despite the restrictions imposed by the police, the ASHA workers managed to reach Hyderabad from all the districts. They reached...