Thiruvananthapuram | A section of ASHA workers in Kerala who have been protesting for the past 256 days demanding a hike in their honorarium and post-retirement benefits, on Wednesday intensified their agitation by marching to Cliff House -- the official residence of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

Till date, the protesting Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) workers had been carrying out a sit-in agitation on the footpath outside the state secretariat here.

The protestors, led by the Kerala ASHA Health Workers Association (KAHWA), faced several rounds of water cannons and many of them climbed on top of the barricades set up by the police to prevent them from reaching Cliff House.

They shouted slogans against the CM and the Left government for not meeting their demands of a hike in their state-paid honorarium from Rs 7,000 to Rs 21,000 and a post-retirement benefit of Rs 5 lakh.

A few hours later, the police intervened to disperse the protesters and arrested several of their leaders, including KAHWA state general secretary M A Bindu.

The protesters alleged that the police also took away their microphone and related equipment to prevent them from making speeches.

Many of the ASHA workers were seen lying down in front of a police jeep as it tried to move away with their microphone.

The police personnel had to physically carry away many of the women to allow the jeep to go through.

The protestors shouted "police go back" and accused them of acting against the interests of the common people.

Bindu, in a video message from inside the police bus, alleged that she was poked in the stomach with a lathi and then arrested from the site.

"They (police) are making arrangements to arrest others also," she added.

In August this year, a panel appointed by the state government to study their situation had recommended a hike of Rs 3,000 in their honorarium and proposed providing the ASHA workers with Rs 1 lakh as post retirement benefits.

In July, the Centre had decided to increase their fixed monthly incentive.

According to media reports, the Centre has approved a proposal to raise the fixed monthly incentive for ASHA workers from Rs 2,000 to Rs 3,500 during the recent 9th meeting of the Mission Steering Group (MSG). Reports also suggested that the Centre will enhance retirement benefits.