Lok Sabha Question No. 2216 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-12
Subject: AWCs in Maharashtra
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Shri Balya Mama Suresh Gopinath Mhatre

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN & CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO: 2216

TO BE ANSWERED ON 12.12.2025

## AWCS IN MAHARASHTRA

## †2216. SHRI BALYA MAMA SURESH GOPINATH MHATRE:

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

- (a) the  number  of  Anganwadi  Centres  (AWCs)  approved  and  currently  functional  in urban areas of Maharashtra;
- (b) whether  the  services  of  AWCs  are  inadequate  in  densely  populated  areas  such  as Bhiwandi, if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the Government proposes to open new AWCs in areas like Bhiwandi, if so, the  details thereof; and
- (d) whether Anganwadi  workers  in  Maharashtra  have  been  demanding  increase  in honorarium  and benefits of pension and gratuity since long and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

(a) to (d) Out of a total 1,10,631 operational Anganwadi Centres in the State of Maharashtra,  a total  of  19,795  are  operational  in  urban  areas.  Further,  a  total  of  786  Anganwadi  Centres  are operational in Bhiwandi in State of Maharashtra in which 445 Anganwadi Centres are in rural areas and 341 Anganwadi Centres are in urban areas.

To  ensure  effective  delivery  of  services  under  Mission  Saksham  Anganwadi  and  Poshan  2.0, Relocation guidelines have been issued requesting States and UTs to revisit and rationalize the location of AWCs as per their requirement so as to optimally serve the intended beneficiaries.

Under  PM-JANMAN  (Pradhan  Mantri  Janjati  Adivasi  Nyaya  Maha  Abhiyan),  in  PVTG (Particularly  Vulnerable  Tribal  Groups)  Areas  2,500  Anganwadi  Centres  (AWCs)  have  been approved for construction including 178 Anganwadi Centres in the State of Maharashtra.

Further,  Mission  Saksham  Anganwadi  and  Poshan  2.0  is  a  Centrally  Sponsored  scheme.  The Central Government is responsible for policy and planning and the State Governments and UT Administrations are responsible for day-to-day program implementation including recruitment for implementation of the scheme.

Through sustained  engagements and meetings at regular intervals,  States  and  UTs  have  been requested to optimize coverage of beneficiaries including child beneficiaries and ensure efficient implementation of the scheme.

Anganwadi Workers (AWWs) and Anganwadi Helpers (AWHs) 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 local community for which they are paid monthly honorarium.

Honorarium is given to AWWs and AWHs which is increased from time to time. From 1 st October, 2018, Government of India has enhanced the honorarium of AWWs at Anganwadi centres (AWCs) from Rs.3,000/- to Rs.4,500/- per month and AWHs from Rs.1,500/- to Rs.2,250/- per month as per the defined cost sharing ratio between the Centre & States/UTs. In addition, States/UTs are also paying additional monetary incentives/top ups to these functionaries from their own resources which vary from State to State. Besides, performance linked incentive of Rs.500/- is provided to AWWs and Rs.250/- per month to AWHs.

Under  Mission  Saksham  Anganwadi  and  Poshan  2.0,  AWWs  have  been  technologically empowered  with  the  provision  of  smartphones  for  efficient  monitoring  and  service  delivery. Poshan Tracker which is a mobile phone application that has digitized physical registers used by Anganwadi workers. This improves the quality of their work while simultaneously enabling them for real-time monitoring of all activities going on in the Anganwadis.

To incentivize and encourage the AWWs and 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. Leave: 20 days annual leave and paid maternity absence of 180 days, paid absence on abortion/ miscarriage once for 45 days.
- 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. 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.
- v. 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.
- vi. Annual Healthcare coverage of Rs. 5 Lakhs under Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya  Yojana  (AB-PMJAY)  to  all  Anganwadi  workers  and  helpers  in  pursuance  to budget announcement in FY 2024-25.

*******