Lok Sabha Question No. 395 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-02-03
Subject: Honorarium/Incentives to ASHA Workers
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Anubhav Mohanty, Ghanshyam Singh Lodhi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 395 TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 3 rd  FEBRUARY, 2023

## HONORARIUM/INCENTIVES TO ASHA WORKERS

## 395: SHRI ANUBHAV MOHANTY: SHRI GHANSHYAM SINGH LODHI:

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

- (a) the number of ASHA workers enrolled in the country, State/UT-wise;
- (b) the details of the schemes implemented by the Government to support ASHA workers;
- (c) the details of remuneration/incentives being given to Anganwadi and ASHA workers during last five years, State/UT-wise;
- (d) whether the Government proposes to increase the honorarium/incentives of ASHA workers, keeping in view their job profile and if so, the details thereof alongwith the time by which the increased honorarium/ incentives are likely to be granted;
- (e) if not, the reasons therefor; and
- (f) whether Maternity leave is granted to ASHA workers and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (DR. BHARATI PRAVIN PAWAR)

- (a)    As per NHM-MIS report (as on 30.09.2022), State-wise details of total number of ASHAs under National Health Mission (NHM), except Goa & Chandigarh, is placed at Annexure-I .
- (b)  to  (f):  ASHAs  are  envisaged  to  be  community  health  volunteer  and  only  entitled  to task/activity based incentives. ASHAs receive a fixed monthly incentive of Rs. 2000 per month in the country, for routine and recurring activities. Additionally, they are provided performancebased incentives for a varied set of activities under various National Health Programmes. The Government has approved additional incentives for ASHAs in September, 2022.  The details of these ASHA incentives are available on the website of National Health Mission at the Uniform Resources Locator (URL) https://nhm.gov.in/New\_Update-202223/communization/ASHA/Orders\_and\_guidelines/ASHA-Incentives.pdf

States/UTs in their Programme Implementation Plans (PIPs) have also been given flexibility to provide a range of monetary incentives to the ASHAs details of which are placed at AnnexureII.

After  the  launch  of  the  Ayushman  Bharat  scheme with operationalization of Ayushman Bharat-  Health  and  Wellness  Centres  (AB-HWCs),  ASHAs  are  now  additionally  eligible  for Team Based Incentives (TBIs) along with ANMs based on monitored performance indicators (up to Rs. 1000 per month).

In the year 2018, the ASHA benefit package was introduced acknowledging significant contribution and commitment of ASHAs. The package providing coverage for:

 Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Beema Yojana (PMJJBY) with a benefit Rs. 2.00 Lakh in case of death of the insured (annual premium contributed by GOI).

 Pradhan  Mantri  Suraksha  Beema  Yojana  (PMSBY)  with  a  benefit  of  Rs.2.00  lakh  for accidental  death  or  permanent  disability;  Rs.  1.00  lakh  for  partial  disability  (annual  premium contributed by GOI).

In Addition, Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maan Dhan (PM-SYM) with pension benefit of Rs.  3000  pm  after  age  of  60  years  (50%  contribution  of  premium  by  GOI  and  50%  by beneficiaries) is also available for ASHA workers.

The Government has also approved a cash award of Rs. 20,000/- and a citation to ASHAs who leave the programme after working as ASHAs  for minimum of 10 years, as acknowledgement of their contribution.

The  Central  Government  has  announced  the  'Pradhan  Mantri  Garib  Kalyan  Package, under which, Insurance Scheme has been introduced for all health workers, including ASHAs. This insurance scheme provided an insurance cover of Rs. 50.00 Lakhs in-case of loss of life on account of COVID-19 related duty from April, 2020 to March, 2022.

As regards Anganwadi workers, as per the information received from Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD):

-  Union Government issues guidelines to the State Governments/ UT Administrations to improve  the  functioning  of  Anganwadi  workers  and  whenever  any  shortcomings  are noticed during the course of visits of the States, they are addressed through letters and review  meetings  to  remove  the  deficiencies  and  to  improve  the  implementation  of  the Scheme. Recently, Development Monitoring and Evaluation Office (DMEO) under NITI

Aayog  conducted  Sectoral  Evaluation  of  Schemes  of  MoWCD  including  Anganwadi Services.

-  Anganwadi Worker (AWW)/ Anganwadi Helper (AWH) are honorary workers and are paid a monthly honorarium as decided by the Government at the prescribed cost sharing ratio  between  Central  and  State  Governments.  Government  of  India  on  01.10.2018 enhanced the honorarium of AWWs at main- Anganwadi Centres (AWCs) from ₹3,000/to ₹ 4,500/-  per  month;  AWWs  at  mini-  Anganwadi  Centres  (AWCs)  from ₹ 2,250/to ₹ 3,500/- per month; AWHs from ₹ 1,500/- to ₹ 2,250/- per month.
-  Also, performance linked incentive of ₹ 250/- per month is  paid to AWHs and  ₹500/per month to AWWs. In addition, States/UTs  also pay additional monetary incentives/ honorarium to these functionaries from their own resources.

*****

## Annexure-I

Details of ASHAs under National Health Mission (NHM)

| Sl. No.   | State /UTs            |   No. of ASHAs |
|-----------|-----------------------|----------------|
| 1         | Bihar                 |          93812 |
| 2         | Chhattisgarh          |          72007 |
| 3         | Himachal Pradesh      |           7964 |
| 4         | Jammu &Kashmir        |          12686 |
| 5         | Jharkhand             |          47291 |
| 6         | Madhya Pradesh        |          83371 |
| 7         | Odisha                |          49027 |
| 8         | Rajasthan             |          53598 |
| 9         | Uttar Pradesh         |         167899 |
| 10        | Uttarakhand           |          12018 |
| 11        | Arunachal Pradesh     |           4143 |
| 12        | Assam                 |          32670 |
| 13        | Manipur               |           4114 |
| 14        | Meghalaya             |           7079 |
| 15        | Mizoram               |           1091 |
| 16        | Nagaland              |           2038 |
| 17        | Sikkim                |            676 |
| 18        | Tripura               |           7663 |
| 19        | Andhra Pradesh        |          43767 |
| 20        | Gujarat               |          49825 |
| 21        | Haryana               |          24005 |
| 22        | Karnataka             |          41318 |
| 23        | Kerala                |          26448 |
| 24        | Maharashtra           |          69453 |
| 25        | Punjab                |          20139 |
| 26        | Tamil Nadu            |           5647 |
| 27        | Telangana             |          32854 |
| 28        | West Bengal           |          67053 |
| 29        | A &NIslands           |            422 |
| 30        | D &NHaveli Daman &Diu |            715 |
| 31        | Delhi                 |           8958 |
| 32        | Laddak                |            608 |
| 33        | Lakshadweep           |            110 |
| 34        | Puducherry            |            315 |
|           | Total                 |        1050784 |

Note: ASHAs exist in all States/UTs except Goa and Chandigarh.

Source: NHM-MIS as on 30 th  September, 2022.

## State-wise details of monetary incentives provided to the ASHAs

|   SN | Name of States    | State Specific Incentives for ASHAs from State Funds                                                                                                                                 |
|------|-------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|    1 | Andhra Pradesh    | Provides balance amount to match the total incentive of Rs.10, 000/PM/ASHA                                                                                                           |
|    2 | Arunachal Pradesh | 100% top-up, frequency of disbursement quarterly                                                                                                                                     |
|    3 | Assam             | Rs.1000/PM/ASHA from FY 2018-2019                                                                                                                                                    |
|    4 | Bihar             | Rs. 1000/PM/ASHA for defined indicators related to Immunization, Child Health, Maternal Health, and Family Planning, etc. (for achieving any four out of the six defined indicators) |
|    5 | Chhattisgarh      | 75% of matching- amount of incentives over the above incentives earned by an ASHA as a top- up onan annual                                                                           |
|    6 | Delhi             | Rs.3000/PM/ASHA for functional ASHA (against the 12 core activities performed by ASHA)                                                                                               |
|    7 | Gujarat           | Provides 50% top-up - frequency of disbursement quarterly                                                                                                                            |
|    8 | Haryana           | Rs.4000/PM/ASHA and 50% top-up (Excluding Routine recurring incentive) and Rs. 450/- additionallinked with performance of 05 Major RCH activities                                    |
|    9 | Himachal Pradesh  | Rs.2750/PM/ASHA                                                                                                                                                                      |
|   10 | Kerala            | Rs.6000/PM/ASHA                                                                                                                                                                      |
|   11 | Karnataka         | Rs.5000/PM/ASHA                                                                                                                                                                      |
|   12 | Manipur           | Rs. 1000/PM/ASHA recently declared by state FY 2021-22- modalities of payment still to be finalized                                                                                  |
|   13 | Madhya Pradesh    | 100% against 07 specified activities (JSY, HBNC, LBW&SNCUFollow-ups, Iron Sucrose follow-ups ofanaemic PW, Early Registration of PW, Full Immunization and Complete Immunization)    |
|   14 | Meghalaya         | Rs.2000/PM/ASHA                                                                                                                                                                      |
|   15 | Maharashtra       | Rs.3500/PM/ASHA from FY 2021-22                                                                                                                                                      |
|   16 | Odisha            | Rs.1000 /PM/ASHA from state fund launched on April 1st, 2018                                                                                                                         |
|   17 | Punjab            | Rs. 2500/PM/ASHA                                                                                                                                                                     |
|   18 | Rajasthan         | Rs. 3564/PM/ASHA                                                                                                                                                                     |
|   19 | Sikkim            | Rs. 6000/PM/ASHA                                                                                                                                                                     |
|   20 | Tripura           | Provides 100% top-up against 08 specified activities and 33.33% top-up based on other activities.                                                                                    |
|   21 | Telangana         | Provides balance amount to match the total incentive of Rs. 7500/month                                                                                                               |
|   22 | Uttarakhand       | Rs.5000/year and Rs. 3000/PM/ASHA with 10% top-up                                                                                                                                    |
|   23 | Uttar Pradesh     | Rs.1500/PM/ASHA linked with proportion of routine incentives to be paid to the ASHAs in the month                                                                                    |
|   24 | West Bengal       | Rs.4500/PM/ASHA                                                                                                                                                                      |

## Annexure-II