Lok Sabha Question No. 732 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-07-26
Subject: Honorarium for Anganwadi Workers and Helpers
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Shri K Radhakrishnan, Shri Amra Ram

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN & CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO: 732

TO BE ANSWERED ON 26.07.2024

## HONORARIUM FOR ANGANWADI WORKERS AND HELPERS

- 732 SHRI K RADHAKRISHNAN: SHRI AMRA RAM:

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

- (a) the date on which the honorarium for Anganwadi Workers and Helpers in the country was last revised;
- (b) the current rate of honorarium paid to Anganwadi workers and Helpers along with the criteria for payment of Honorarium;
- (c) whether the Government has taken note that Anganwadi Workers involved in the implementation of a large number of Government Programmes being run by different Ministries/Departments are not getting honorarium commensurate with their work load;
- (d) if so, whether the Government proposes to revise the honorarium at par with the workload and provide Minimum wages to Anganwadi workers, if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor; and
- (e) whether the Government proposes to appoint an additional worker in each of the  Anganwadies  so  as  to  divide  the  work  load  and  concentrate  more  on preschool education and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT (SHRIMATI ANNPURNA DEVI)

(a)  to  (d) Government  of  India  increased  the  honorarium  of  Anganwadi  Workers (AWWs)/Anganwadi  Helpers  (AWHs)  from  1 st   October,  2018.  At  present,  the honorarium of AWW at main Anganwadi Centres (AWCs) is Rs.4,500/- per month; AWW at mini-  AWCs is  Rs.3,500/-  per  month  and  AWH  is  Rs.2,250/-  per  month. Besides, performance linked incentive of Rs.250/- per month is provided to AWHs and Rs.500/-  provided  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.

State/  UTs  have been  requested  time  and again  through  sustained  engagements/ video  conferences/advisories  not  to  involve  Anganwadi  Workers/  Helpers  in  non scheme  related work so that their time could be utilized for the effective implementation of the scheme.

With a view to incentivize and encourage the  Anganwadi Workers and Anganwadi Helpers, various steps/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) to AWWs/AWHs 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. 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.
- iv. 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 (PMSYM) Pension Scheme, which is a voluntary and contributory pension scheme for the unorganized sectors in the country to ensure old age protection.
- v. 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.
- vi. 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.

(e) 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 so that the component of ECCE can be strengthened.

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

********