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Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi speaks in Rajya Sabha during the Winter Session of the Parliament, in New Delhi. (Source: Sansad TV/ANI)
Highlighting the “distress of women workers implementing critical government programmes”, Congress MP Sonia Gandhi Tuesday urged the government to double its contribution to the compensation of ASHA and anganwadi workers.
Raising the issue during the Zero Hour in RS, Gandhi spoke of the conditions of ASHA workers, anganwadi workers and helpers, and community resource persons under the National Rural Livelihood Mission.
“… Across the country, ASHA workers undertake immunisation, mobilisation, maternal health, and family welfare, yet they remain volunteers with low honorarium and limited social security. Anganwadi workers are similarly paid a meagre base honorarium of Rs 4,500 and Rs 2,250 per month by the Union Government,” she said.
Apart from the low pay, she said there were nearly 3 lakh vacancies in the Integrated Child Development Services. “… Even when filled, these posts fall short of population norms due to the lack of updated census figures since 2011,” she said. She also urged that one additional ASHA worker be appointed in every village with a population of over 2,500 and number of anganwadi workers be doubled.
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