Wages to Anganwadi Workers

Wages to Anganwadi Workers

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
LOK SABHA

STARRED QUESTION NO: 109
ANSWERED ON: 09.02.2018

Wages to Anganwadi Workers

PARAYAMPARANBIL KUTTAPPAN BIJU

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

(a) the average wages paid to Anganwadi workers since 2014, State and year-wise;

(b) whether their wages are indexed to inflation and if not, the reasons therefor;

(c) the steps taken to ensure that they receive minimum wages;

(d) whether 1/3rd workers did not receive salaries on time during 2014 and 40 per cent used personal finances to fund Anganwadi Centres (AWCs) and if so, the reasons for delays in payment of wages, State and year-wise, since 2014; and

(e) the steps taken to ensure that AWCs receive adequate funding and workers are paid their salaries without delays?

ANSWER
MINISTER OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
(SHRIMATI MANEKA SANJAY GANDHI)

(a) to (e): A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

Statement referred to in reply to Part (a) to (e) of Lok Sabha Starred Question No.109 for 09.02.2018 by Dr. P.K. Biju regarding ‘Wages to Anganwadi Workers’.

(a)&(b) The Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Scheme (now renamed as Anganwadi Services under Umbrella ICDS Scheme) envisages the Anganwadi Workers(AWWs) & Anganwadi Helpers (AWHs) as “ honorary workers” from the local community who come forward to render their services, on part time basis, in the area of child care and development. Being honorary workers, they are paid monthly honoraria as decided by Government from time to time. The Government of India has enhanced the honorarium of AWWs and AWHs at Anganwadi Centres (AWCs) by ?1,500/- & ?750/- per month raising it to ?3000/- & ?1,500/- per month respectively w.e.f. 01.04.2011. The honorarium of AWWs at Mini-AWCs has been enhanced to ?2,250/- per month w.e.f. 04.07.2013. Since these functionaries are paid fixed honorarium, their honorarium is not indexed. Besides this, most of the States/UTs are also giving additional honorarium to AWWs and AWHs out of their own resources for any additional work assigned to them from time to time. The Government of India releases funds consistently for regular disbursement of honorarium of AWWs/AWHs. The details of additional honorarium being paid by respective States/UTs are at Annex-I.

(c) Since the Anganwadi Workers and Anganwadi Helpers are honorary workers under the Integrated Child Development Services Scheme, they are not entitled for minimum wages. In a ruling of 07.12.2006 in Civil Appeal No.4953-4957 of 1998 – State of Karnataka & Ors. Vs. Ameerbi & Ors. the Hon’ble Supreme Court has also held that Anganwadi Workers do not hold any civil post and Minimum Wages Act is also not applicable to them.

(d) The incidences of 1/3rd workers having not received their remuneration on time during 2014 and 40 percent of them having used their personal finances to fund Anganwadi Centres(AWCs) have not come to the notice of the Government. However, any specific grievances on delay in payment of honorarium received from an individual ICDS functionary is forwarded to the concerned States/UTs for taking corrective measures from time to time.

(e) From time to time, States/UTs have been requested for the timely payment of honorarium to AWWs and AWHs. The States/UTs .receive adequate funding since a provision of ?15,245.19 crore has already been made during the current financial year as against the budgetary provision of ?14,000/- crore during the previous year. To ensure that AWWs/AWHs receive timely payment, States/UTs have been asked to remit their honorarium directly to their bank accounts.

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