Lok Sabha Question No. 3464 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-03-21
Subject: Financial Benefits to Anganwadi Workers
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Adv Gowaal Kagada Padavi, Adv. Adoor Prakash

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN & CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3464

TO BE ANSWERED ON 21.03.2025

## FINANCIAL BENEFITS TO ANGANWADI WORKERS

3464.  ADV. ADOOR PRAKASH:

ADV GOWAAL KAGADA PADAVI:

Will the Minister of Women and Child Development be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Government  has  examined  the  judgement  of  the  Gujarat  High Court to treat Anganwadi Workers (AWW) as regular and permanent employee instead of identifying them as semi-government employee, if so, the time-frame fixed in this regard and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (b) whether the Government proposes to enhance the honorarium of the AWWs to at least Rs. 30,000/- or more, if not, the reasons therefor;
- (c) whether  the  Government  is  aware  that  AWWs  are  getting  a  paltry  sum  of amount as honorarium and are not entitled  to any other  benefits,  if  so,  the details thereof; and
- (d) the steps taken by the Government to provide additional benefits to the AWWs?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT (SHRIMATI SAVITRI THAKUR)

- (a)    The Ministry has examined the judgement of the Hon'ble Gujarat

High Court and decided to challenge it.

- (b)    No such proposal is currently under consideration.

(c) & (d) Anganwadi Workers and Anganwadi Helpers are 'honorary workers' from the local community who voluntarily come forward to render their services in the area of child care and development to help the community for which they are paid honorarium. Government of India increases the honorarium of AWWs/AWHs from time to time. From 1st 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.  Details are placed at Annexure .

With  a  view  to  incentivize  and  encourage  the  Anganwadi  Workers  (AWWs)  and Anganwadi Helpers (AWHs), various initiatives have been undertaken including the following:

(i)   Promotion : Under  Mission  Saksham  Anganwadi  and  Poshan  2.0,  promotional opportunities for Anganwadi Workers have been enhanced. 50% posts of Anganwadi Workers are to be filled by Anganwadi Helpers with 5 years of experience and 50% posts of Supervisors are to be filled by promotion of Anganwadi Workers with 5 years of experience subject to fulfilment of other criteria.

(ii)   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 worth Rs.2.00 lakh  (covers life risk, death due to any reason) in the age group of 18 to 50 years and under 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) in the age group of 18-59 years.

(iii)  State Governments and UT Administrations have been requested to encourage eligible AWWs and 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.

(iv)   Retirement  date:  States  and  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.

(v)   It has been announced in the interim budget FY 2024-25 to extend healthcare annual coverage of Rs. 5 Lakhs under Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) to all Anganwadi workers and helpers.

Government has issued orders for upgradation of all mini-AWC to regular AWCs. This would add an Anganwadi Helper in these Mini Anganwadi Centres across the country to share the burden of Anganwadi Worker.

Besides under Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0, IT systems through the Poshan Tracker App have been leveraged to reduce the workload which has digitized & automated nine physical registers out of eleven prepared and used by AWWs.

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## Annexure

Statement referred to in reply to Parts (c) & (d) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No.  3464  to  be  answered  on  21.03.2025  regarding  Financial  Benefits  to Anganwadi Workers asked by Adv. Adoor Prakash and Adv Gowaal Kagada Padavi.

| S.No.   | Name of States/UTs   | As reported by the States and UTs additional incentive/honorarium from their own sources (per month) in Rs.                                                                                           | As reported by the States and UTs additional incentive/honorarium from their own sources (per month) in Rs.                                                                                            |
|---------|----------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| S.No.   | Name of States/UTs   | Anganwadi Worker                                                                                                                                                                                      | Anganwadi Helper                                                                                                                                                                                       |
| 1       | Andhra Pradesh       | 7000                                                                                                                                                                                                  | 4750                                                                                                                                                                                                   |
| 2       | Bihar                | 2500                                                                                                                                                                                                  | 1725                                                                                                                                                                                                   |
| 3       | Chhattisgarh         | 5500                                                                                                                                                                                                  | 2750                                                                                                                                                                                                   |
| 4       | Goa                  | 5500 (0-10 years experience), 6000 (10-15 years experience), 8000 (15 to 20 years experience) 10000 ( 20-25 years experience) and 12000 (25 years and above experience)                               | 3000 (0-5 years experience), 3500 (5-10 years experience), 4000 (10 to 15 years experience) 4500 ( 15-20 years experience) , 5250 (20 to 25 years experience) and 6000 (25 years and above experience) |
| 5       | Gujarat              | 5500                                                                                                                                                                                                  | 3250                                                                                                                                                                                                   |
| 6       | Haryana              | 9500 ( AWWs above 10 years) 9000 (AWWs less than 10 years service/experience) 9000 (Mini AWWs) Rs. 1000 per month additional is paid to 4000 AWWs who is working in 4000 play schools (upgraded AWCs) | 5250                                                                                                                                                                                                   |
| 7       | Himachal Pradesh     | 5000 for Main AWC & 2950 for Mini AWCs                                                                                                                                                                | 3100                                                                                                                                                                                                   |
| 8       | Jammu & Kashmir      | 600                                                                                                                                                                                                   | 300                                                                                                                                                                                                    |
| 9       | Jharkhand            | 5000 (Main AWC) and 6000 in Mini AWC                                                                                                                                                                  | 2500                                                                                                                                                                                                   |
| 10      | Karnataka            | 6500                                                                                                                                                                                                  | 4000                                                                                                                                                                                                   |

|   11 | Kerala                            | Rs.8000/-for who has completed 5 years of service and Rs.8500/- for who has completed 10 years of service                                  | Rs.6250/- for who has completed 5 years of service and Rs.6750/- for who has completed 10 years of service                                 |
|------|-----------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|   12 | Madhya Pradesh                    | 8500 for Main AWC & 3750 for Mini AWC                                                                                                      | 4250                                                                                                                                       |
|   13 | Maharashtra                       | 5500 (Up to 10 Years experience) 5800 ( 11 to 20 years experience), 5900 (21 to 30 years experience), 6000 (31 years and above experience) | 3250 (Up to 10 Years experience) 3415 ( 11 to 20 years experience), 3470 (21 to 30 years experience), 3525 (31 years and above experience) |
|   14 | Orissa                            | 3000 for Main AWC & 1875 for Mini AWC                                                                                                      | 1500                                                                                                                                       |
|   15 | Punjab                            | 5000 ( Rs 500 increment per year).                                                                                                         | 3100 (250 increment per year)                                                                                                              |
|   16 | Rajasthan                         | 4554                                                                                                                                       | 3036                                                                                                                                       |
|   17 | Tamil Nadu                        | 10502                                                                                                                                      | 6596                                                                                                                                       |
|   18 | Telangana                         | 9150                                                                                                                                       | 5550                                                                                                                                       |
|   19 | Uttar Pradesh                     | 1500                                                                                                                                       | 750                                                                                                                                        |
|   20 | Uttarakhand                       | 4800-AWW & 2750-MINIAWW                                                                                                                    | 3000                                                                                                                                       |
|   21 | West Bengal                       | 3750                                                                                                                                       | 4050                                                                                                                                       |
|   22 | A&N Island                        | 7500                                                                                                                                       | 5750                                                                                                                                       |
|   23 | Chandigarh                        | 3600                                                                                                                                       | 1800                                                                                                                                       |
|   24 | Dadra & Nagar Haveli/ Daman & Diu | 1000                                                                                                                                       | 600                                                                                                                                        |
|   25 | Lakshadweep                       | 5500                                                                                                                                       | 4750                                                                                                                                       |
|   26 | Delhi                             | 8220                                                                                                                                       | 4560                                                                                                                                       |
|   27 | Puducherry                        | 1950                                                                                                                                       | 2125                                                                                                                                       |
|   28 | Arunachal Pradesh                 | 2000+ 1000 w.e.f 16.01.2024                                                                                                                | 2000+ 1000 w.e.f 16.01.2024                                                                                                                |
|   29 | Assam                             | 2000 forAWW & 1250 for Mini AWW                                                                                                            | 1000                                                                                                                                       |

|   30 | Manipur   | 1000                                 | 600                             |
|------|-----------|--------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
|   31 | Meghalaya | 3000 for Main AWC& 1500 for Mini AWC | 1000                            |
|   32 | Mizoram   | 450                                  | 250                             |
|   33 | Nagaland  | 0                                    | 0                               |
|   34 | Sikkim    | 7000                                 | 4500                            |
|   35 | Tripura   | 5946 (Maximum) & 3500 Minimum        | 4218 (Maximum) & 2750 (Minimum) |
|   36 | Ladakh    | 1300                                 | 650                             |

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