Lok Sabha Question No. 266 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-07-21
Subject: Increase in Honorarium of Anganwadi Workers
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Chandra Prakash Choudhary

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN & CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO: 266

TO BE ANSWERED ON 21.07.2023

## INCREASE IN HONORARIUM OF ANGANWADI WORKERS

- 266:   SHRI CHANDRA PRAKASH CHOUDHARY:

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

- (a) whether the Government has data regarding the performance of schemes run through Anganwadis and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether the Government has noticed that Anganwadi workers are the centre point of primary healthcare in the country and if so, the details of steps being taken for their welfare;
- (c) whether  the  Government  proposes  to  increase  honorarium  to  Anganwadi workers and if so, the details thereof; and
- (d) whether the State Government of Jharkhand has fully utilised the funds granted for the welfare of Anganwadi workers and schemes run through Angawadis in the State and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

(a)    IT systems have been leveraged to strengthen and bring about transparency in nutrition delivery support systems at the Anganwadi Centres. The 'Poshan Tracker' application was rolled out on 1 st  March 2021 as an important governance tool. The Poshan  Tracker  facilitates  monitoring  and  tracking  of  all  AWCs,  AWWs  and beneficiaries  on  defined  indicators.  Technology  under  Poshan  Tracker  is  being leveraged  for  dynamic  identification  of  stunting,  wasting,  under-weight  prevalence among children. 10.11 crore beneficiaries (pregnant women, lactating mothers and children up to 6 years) are registered under Poshan Tracker. 93.97% of beneficiaries have been Aadhar verified to ensure last mile tracking and delivery of services. Close to 22.87 lakh adolescent girls (14-18 years) from North east and Aspirational districts registered on the Poshan Tracker. Geo-mapping of approx., 10.5 lakh AWCs has been carried out in partnership with BISAG-N.

- (b)        Under  Anganwadi  Services,  health  services  are  provided  by  the  Health Department through Asha workers. For the welfare of Anganwadi  Workers/ Anganwadi Helpers (AWWs/AWHs), the following steps have been taken:
- (i) Honorarium: 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  to  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.

- (ii) Improvement  in  infrastructure: Under  the  revised  Scheme,  there  is  a provision  of  upgradation  of  2  lakh  Anganwadi  Centres  (AWCs)  as  Saksham Anganwadis with improved/upgraded infrastructure in Aspirational Districts @ 40,000 AWCs per annum upto 2056-26.  In 2022-23, 41,192 AWCs have been identified for upgradation with inter alia LEDs and smart learning and teaching aids.  Besides, the cost of drinking water facilities and toilets at Anganwadi Centres have been increased from  Rs.10,000/-  to  Rs.17,000/-  and  Rs.12,000/-  to  Rs.36,000/-  respectively.  For construction of Anganwadi Centres in convergence with MGNREGS, construction cost has  been  revised  from  Rs.7  lakh  to  Rs.12  lakh  per  unit.   Keeping  in  view  the importance  of  nutrition  and  Early  Childhood  Care  and  Education  (ECCE)  services delivery, it has been decided to upgrade all Mini-Anganwadi Centres to main/regular Anganwadi Centres with the availability of an Anganwadi Helper.
- (iii) Leveraging  IT  through  Poshan  Tracker :  Under  the  revised  Scheme,  IT systems have been leveraged to strengthen and bring about transparency in delivery support systems at Anganwadi Centres.  The 'Poshan Tracker' application was rolled out by the Ministry of Women & Child Development on 1 st  March, 2021 as an important governance  tool.   Anganwadi  Workers  have  been  technologically  empowered  with smartphones (approx 11 lakh). The mobile application has digitized and automated the physical registers used by AWWs which has also helped in improving their quality of work.
- (iv) Promotion  Avenues: 50%  posts  of  AWWs  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 fulfillment of other criteria.
- (v) Capacity Building : NeGD is regularly conducting field level trainings/workshops  directly  for  Anganwadi  Workers  regarding  use  of  the  Poshan Tracker Application.  Multiple rounds of trainings have been held both virtually and physically, in various districts across the country.
- (vi) Social Security Insurance Schemes :  This Ministry has provided insurance benefits 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.

Now, this Ministry has decided to provide insurance cover under PMJJBY and PMSBY to AWWs/AWHs through their bank accounts and the funds towards premium payment will  be  released  to  the  States/UTs  on  the  prescribed  cost  sharing  ratio  under Anganwadi Services (General component).

(ix) Insurance cover under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package : Anganwadi Workers and Anganwadi Helpers who have been 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.

(x) 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 on voluntary. The  age  of  entry  to  the  Scheme  is  18-40  years.  PM-SYM  is  a  voluntary  and contributory pension scheme on 50:50 basis where prescribed age-specific contribution shall be made by the beneficiary and the matching contribution by the Central  Government  for  availing  the  assured  pension  of ₹3,000/-  per  month  on attaining the age of 60 years. (c)      Government of India increases the honorarium of AWWs/ AWHs from time to time.  Lastly,  the  honorarium  of  AWWs/  AWHs  was  enhanced  on  01.10.2018.  At present  no  proposal  is  under  consideration  to  increase  the  honorarium  of  AWWs/ AWHs. (d)       The funds are released from Government of India to States/ UTs after adjusting

- the unspent balance/ excess expenditure of previous FYs.

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