Sonia raises concerns of Asha, Anganwadi workers in Parl

During the zero hour in the Rajya Sabha, Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi raised concerns over the alleged distress of women workers engaged in government programmes, including Asha workers, Anganwadi workers and helpers, and community resource persons under the National Rural Livelihood Mission.

“These schemes are projected as instruments of women’s empowerment, but the workers implementing them remain overburdened, underpaid and receive inadequate support, despite their critical role in public service delivery,” she said.

“ASHA workers undertake immunisation, family welfare, maternal welfare and mobilisation work across the country, yet they remain volunteers with low honorarium and limited social security. Anganwadi workers get a base honorarium of Rs 4,500 per month, while helpers are paid Rs 2,250 by the Centre, which does not reflect the scale and importance of their responsibilities,” she said.

She further highlighted that there are nearly three lakh vacancies in the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) scheme at various levels, resulting in lakhs of children and mothers being deprived of essential nutrition, health and care services.

Gandhi noted that even where posts are filled, staffing remains inadequate as population norms are still based on the 2011 Census, with no updated figures available for planning and expansion of services.

Urging the Centre to work closely with the states, she called for immediate steps, including filling all existing vacancies, ensuring timely payment of remuneration, and doubling the Centre’s contribution to the pay of frontline women workers.

She also sought the appointment of an additional ASHA worker in villages with a population exceeding 2,500 and the doubling of the number of Anganwadi workers to enable the delivery of early childhood education alongside nutrition and health services.

Gandhi said that strengthening, expanding and adequately supporting this predominantly women workforce should be seen as a long-term investment in India’s human development and social infrastructure.