Lok Sabha Question No. 109 (STARRED), answered on 2018-02-09
Subject: Wages to Anganwadi Workers
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: PARAYAMPARANBIL KUTTAPPAN BIJU

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK  SABHA

## STARRED QUESTION NO. 109 TO BE ANSWERED ON 09.02.2018

## WAGES TO ANGANWADI  WORKERS

## 109. DR. P.K. BIJU

:

Will the Minister of WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) the average wages paid to Anganwadi workers since 2014, State and year-wise;
- (b) whether their wages are indexed to inflation and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (c) the steps taken to ensure that they receive minimum wages;
- (d) whether 1/3 rd workers did  not  receive  salaries  on  time  during  2014  and  40  per cent used personal finances to fund Anganwadi Centres (AWCs) and if so, the reasons for delays in payment of wages, State and year-wise, since 2014; and
- (e) the steps taken to ensure that AWCs receive adequate funding and workers are paid their salaries without delays?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT (SHRIMATI  MANEKA SANJAY GANDHI)

(a) to (e):  A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

*****

## Statement referred to in reply to Part (a) to (e) of Lok Sabha Starred Question No.109 for 09.02.2018 by Dr. P.K. Biju  regarding 'Wages to Anganwadi Workers'.

(a)&(b)    The  Integrated  Child  Development  Services  (ICDS)  Scheme  (now  renamed  as Anganwadi Services under Umbrella ICDS Scheme) envisages the Anganwadi Workers(AWWs)  &  Anganwadi  Helpers  (AWHs)  as  '  honorary  workers'  from  the  local community who come forward to render their services, on part time basis, in the area of child care and development.  Being honorary workers, they are paid monthly honoraria as decided by Government from time to time.  The Government of India has enhanced the honorarium of AWWs and AWHs at Anganwadi Centres (AWCs) by ₹ 1,500/- & ₹ 750/- per month raising it to ₹ 3000/- & ₹ 1,500/- per month respectively w.e.f. 01.04.2011.  The honorarium of AWWs at  Mini-AWCs  has  been  enhanced  to ₹ 2,250/-  per  month  w.e.f.  04.07.2013.  Since  these functionaries are paid fixed honorarium, their honorarium is not indexed. Besides this, most of  the  States/UTs  are  also  giving  additional  honorarium  to  AWWs  and  AWHs out  of  their own resources for any additional work assigned to them from time to time.  The Government of India releases funds consistently for regular disbursement of honorarium of AWWs/AWHs. The details of additional honorarium being paid by respective States/UTs are at Annex-I .

(c) Since the Anganwadi Workers and Anganwadi Helpers are honorary workers under the Integrated Child Development Services Scheme, they are not entitled for minimum wages. In a ruling of 07.12.2006 in Civil Appeal No.4953-4957 of 1998 - State of Karnataka & Ors. Vs. Ameerbi & Ors. the Hon'ble Supreme Court has also held that Anganwadi Workers do not hold any civil post and Minimum Wages Act is also not applicable to them.

(d) The incidences of 1/3 rd workers having not received their remuneration on time during 2014  and  40  percent  of  them  having  used  their  personal  finances  to  fund  Anganwadi Centres(AWCs)  have  not  come  to  the  notice  of  the  Government.    However,  any  specific grievances on delay in payment of honorarium received from an individual ICDS functionary is forwarded to the concerned States/UTs for taking corrective measures from time to time.

(e) From  time  to  time,  States/UTs  have  been  requested  for  the  timely  payment  of honorarium  to  AWWs  and  AWHs.  The  States/UTs  .receive  adequate  funding  since  a provision  of ₹ 15,245.19  crore  has  already  been  made  during  the  current  financial  year  as against the budgetary provision of ₹ 14,000/- crore during the previous year.  To ensure that AWWs/AWHs receive timely payment, States/UTs have been asked to remit their honorarium directly to their bank accounts.

*****

## Annexure-I

## Annexure to Lok Sabha Starred Question No.109 for answer on 09.02.2018

## Statement indicating additional monthly honorarium paid to AWWs/AWHs by the States/UTs from their own resources (as on 31.10.2017)

| S. No.   | States/UTs         | Additional honorarium given by States/UTs (In Rs.)   | Additional honorarium given by States/UTs (In Rs.)   |
|----------|--------------------|------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------|
| S. No.   | States/UTs         | Anganwadi Workers (AWW)                              | Anganwadi Helper (AWH)                               |
| 1.       | Andaman &Nicobar   | 3000                                                 | 2500                                                 |
| 2.       | Andhra Pradesh     | 1200                                                 | 700                                                  |
| 3.       | Arunachal Pradesh  | Nil                                                  | Nil                                                  |
| 4.       | Assam              | 1000                                                 | 500                                                  |
| 5.       | Bihar              | 750                                                  | 375                                                  |
| 6.       | Chandigarh         | 2000                                                 | 1000                                                 |
| 7.       | Chhattisgarh       | 1000                                                 | 500                                                  |
| 8.       | Dadra Nagar Heveli | 1000                                                 | 600                                                  |
| 9.       | Daman &Diu         | 1000                                                 | 600                                                  |
| 10.      | Delhi              | 6678                                                 | 3339                                                 |
| 11.      | Goa                | 3062-11937*                                          | 3000-6000                                            |
| 12.      | Gujarat            | 1750                                                 | 900                                                  |
| 13.      | Haryana            | 2500                                                 | 2250                                                 |
| 14.      | Himachal Pradesh   | 1450                                                 | 600                                                  |
| 15.      | Jammu &Kashmir     | 600                                                  | 340                                                  |
| 16.      | Jharkhand          | 1400                                                 | 700                                                  |
| 17.      | Karnataka          | 3000                                                 | 2000                                                 |
| 18.      | Kerala             | 2000                                                 | 2000                                                 |
| 19.      | Lakshdweep         | 1600                                                 | 1000                                                 |
| 20.      | Madhya Pradesh     | 2000                                                 | 1000                                                 |
| 21.      | Maharashtra        | 2000                                                 | 1000                                                 |
| 22.      | Manipur            | 100                                                  | 50                                                   |
| 23.      | Meghalaya          | Nil                                                  | Nil                                                  |
| 24.      | Odisha             | 1000                                                 | 500                                                  |
| 25.      | Puducherry         | 600                                                  | 300                                                  |
| 26.      | Punjab             | 2600                                                 | 1300                                                 |
| 27.      | Rajasthan          | 1724-1736*                                           | 1065                                                 |
| 28.      | Sikkim             | 2225                                                 | 1500                                                 |
| 29.      | Uttarakhand        | 3000                                                 | 1500                                                 |
| 30.      | West Bengal        | 1300                                                 | 1300                                                 |
| 31.      | Uttar Pradesh      | 1000                                                 | 500                                                  |
| 32.      | Nagaland           | Nil                                                  | Nil                                                  |
| 33.      | Mizoram            | Nil                                                  | Nil                                                  |
| 34.      | Tamilnadu          | 6750 (that includes pay- 2500, GP-500, &DA- 3750)    | 4275 (that includes pay- 1500, GP-400, &DA-2375)     |
| 35.      | Telangana          | 4000                                                 | 3000                                                 |
| 36.      | Tripura            | 2865                                                 | 1924                                                 |