The government will soon increase the honorarium awarded to anganwadi workers following a proposal from the Ministry of Women and Child Development, according to government sources.
The Expenditure Finance Committee under the Ministry of Finance on Friday approved a proposal from the Ministry of Women and Child Development to hike the honorarium.
Current pay
Currently, the Centre pays a monthly honorarium of Rs. 3,000 to anganwadi workers, Rs. 2,250 to workers at mini anganwadis and Rs. 1,500 to anganwadi helpers in the prescribed cost-sharing ratio with the States, as per the last revision in 2011.
The Ministry’s proposal now awaits a nod from the Union Cabinet. “The government may take a decision on increasing the honorarium for anganwadi workers and helpers,” a senior official of the Ministry said on the condition of anonymity.
Long-pending demand
The official added that this had been a long-pending demand of the Ministry.
Anganwadi employees are frontline health workers under the government’s Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS).
They are responsible for providing supplementary nutrition, immunisation, referral services, health check-ups, pre-school non-formal education, and health and nutrition education to 10 crore beneficiaries of the scheme at 14 lakh anganwadi centres across the country. There are nearly 28 lakh anganwadi workers and helpers in the country.
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