Lok Sabha Question No. 2187 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-12-15
Subject: Increase in Honorarium of Anganwadi Workers
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Maddila  Gurumoorthy

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN & CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO: 2187

TO BE ANSWERED ON 15.12.2023

## INCREASE IN HONORARIUM OF ANGANWADI WORKERS

2187.  SHRI MADDILA GURUMOORTHY:

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

- (a) whether the Government has made any plan to increase the honorarium wages of the Anganwadi Workers;
- (b) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (c) whether the Government is planning to allocate separate benefits apart from the honorarium; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT (SHRIMATI SMRITI ZUBIN IRANI)

(a) to (d): Government of India increases the honorarium of AWWs/AWHs from time  to  time.  From  1 st   October,  2018,  Government  of  India  has  enhanced  the honorarium of AWWs at main-AWCs from Rs.3,000/- to Rs.4,500/- per month; AWWs at  mini-  AWCs from Rs.2,250/- to Rs.3,500/- per month; AWHs from Rs.1,500/- to Rs.2,250/- per month; and introduced performance linked incentive of Rs.250/- per month  for  AWHs  and  Rs.500/-  to  AWWs.  In  addition,  States/UTs  are  also  paying additional  monetary  incentives/honorarium  to  these  functionaries  from  their  own resources which vary from State to State. The additional Honorarium provided by the States  is  placed  at  Annexure.  At  present  no  proposal  is  under  consideration  to increase the honorarium of AWWs/ AWHs.

With  a  view  to  incentivize  and  encourage  the  Anganwadi  Workers  and Anganwadi  Helpers,  various  steps/initiatives  have  been  undertaken  including  the following:

- (i) Promotion : As per Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 Guidelines issued by the Ministry, promotional opportunities for Anganwadi Workers have been enhanced. 50% posts of Anganwadi Workers shall be filled by promotion of Anganwadi Helpers with 5 years of experience and 50% posts of Supervisors shall be filled by promotion of Anganwadi Workers with 5 years of experience subject to fulfilment of other criteria.

(ii) Leave : There is a provision of paid absence of 180 days to Anganwadi Workers for maternity leave, paid absence on abortion/ miscarriage once for 45 days. Also, 20 days annual leaves are permissible.

(iii) Uniform : There is a provision for set of two uniforms (saree/suit per annum) to AWW/AWH.

(iv) Social Security Insurance Schemes: Insurance benefits have been provided to Anganwadi Workers and Helpers under Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY) for life cover of Rs.2.00 lakh (covers life risk, death due to any reason) to AWWs/AWHs in the age group of 18 to 50 years and Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana for accidental cover of Rs.2.00 Lakh (accidental death and permanent full disability)/Rs.1.00 Lakh (partial but permanent disability) to AWWs and AWHs in the age group of 18-59 years.

The AWW/AWH who are not covered under PMJJBY or PMSBY are provided same amount as ex-gratia relief.

Now,  it  has  been  decided  to  provide  insurance  cover  under  PMJJBY  and PMSBY  to  AWWs/AWHs  through  their  bank  accounts  and  the  funds  towards premium payment released to the States/UTs on the prescribed cost sharing ratio under Anganwadi Services Scheme.

(v) Insurance  cover  under  Pradhan  Mantri  Garib  Kalyan  Package:  Anganwadi Workers and  Anganwadi  Helpers  engaged  with  the  Covid-19  related  tasks,  have been  provided  with  insurance  cover  of  Rs.50  lakh  under  "Pradhan  Mantri  Garib Kalyan Package" with certain conditions.

(vi) Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maan-Dhan (PM-SYM ): State Governments/UT Administrations  have  been  requested  to  encourage  eligible  AWWs/AWHs  to  get themselves  enrolled  under  the  Pradhan  Mantri  Shram  Yogi  Mandhan  (PM-SYM) Pension  Scheme,  which  is  a  voluntary  and  contributory  pension  scheme  for  the unorganized sectors in the country to ensure old age protection.

(vii) Retirement  date:  States/  UTs  have  been  requested  to  adopt  a  uniform retirement date i.e 30 th  April of each year with respect to Anganwadi Workers and Helpers to ensure proper human resource planning.

(viii) Government  has  issued  orders  for  upgradation  for  mini-AWC  to  Regular AWCs. Due to this, the honorarium of AWWs of existing mini AWCs, have increased to Rs.4,500/- p.m.

*****

## ANNEXURE TO PART (A) OF LOK SABHA UN-STARRED QUESTION NO. 2187 ON  INCREASE  IN  HONORARIUM  OF  ANGANWADI  WORKERS  DUE  FOR 15.12.2023

## Statement indicating additional honorarium given by the States/UTs to AWWs/AWHs from their own resources

| 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                     | 7000                                                 | 4750                                                 |
| 3.       | Arunachal Pradesh                  | Nil                                                  | Nil                                                  |
| 4.       | Assam                              | 2000                                                 | 1000                                                 |
| 5.       | Bihar                              | 1450                                                 | 725                                                  |
| 6.       | Chandigarh                         | 3600                                                 | 1800                                                 |
| 7.       | Chhattisgarh                       | 2000                                                 | 1000                                                 |
| 8.       | Dadra Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu | 1000                                                 | 600                                                  |
| 9.       | Delhi                              | 5178                                                 | 2589                                                 |
| 10.      | Goa                                | 5500-13500*                                          | 3750-6750*                                           |
| 11.      | Gujarat                            | 5500                                                 | 3250                                                 |
| 12.      | Haryana                            | 7286-8429*                                           | 4215                                                 |
| 13.      | Himachal Pradesh                   | 4600                                                 | 2450                                                 |
| 14.      | Jammu & Kashmir                    | 600                                                  | 340                                                  |
| 15.      | Jharkhand                          | 5000                                                 | 2500                                                 |
| 16.      | Karnataka                          | 6500-7000*                                           | 4000-4500*                                           |
| 17.      | Kerala                             | 2000                                                 | 2000                                                 |
| 18.      | Lakshadweep                        | 5500                                                 | 4750                                                 |
| 19.      | Madhya Pradesh                     | 7000                                                 | 3500                                                 |
| 20.      | Maharashtra                        | 3825                                                 | 2175                                                 |
| 21.      | Manipur                            | 1000                                                 | 600                                                  |
| 22.      | Meghalaya                          | 1500                                                 | 1000                                                 |
| 23.      | Odisha                             | 1000                                                 | 500                                                  |
| 24.      | Puducherry                         | 600                                                  | 300                                                  |
| 25.      | Punjab                             | 5000                                                 | 2850                                                 |
| 26.      | Rajasthan                          | 3891-4030*                                           | 2640                                                 |
| 27.      | Sikkim                             | 2225                                                 | 1500                                                 |
| 28.      | Uttarakhand                        | 3000                                                 | 1500                                                 |
| 29.      | West Bengal                        | 3750                                                 | 4050                                                 |
| 30.      | Uttar Pradesh                      | 1500                                                 | 750                                                  |
| 31.      | Nagaland                           | Nil                                                  | Nil                                                  |
| 32.      | Mizoram                            | 450                                                  | 500                                                  |
| 33.      | Tamil nadu                         | 3200-19700*                                          | 1850-10250*                                          |
| 34.      | Telangana                          | 9150                                                 | 5550                                                 |
| 35.      | Tripura                            | 150-5346*                                            | 93-3518*                                             |
| 36.      | Ladakh                             | 1300                                                 | 650                                                  |