Worried about the growing incidence of malnutrition and poor mother and child health in India, the Centre has proposed an increase of over 30 per cent in the honoraria of the healthcare workers. This increase in incentives is expected to boost the morale of the anganwadi workers, who serve as facilitators between healthcare services and women and children in rural set-ups.
The national mission steering group (NMSG) of the reconstructed Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) approved the increase in the honoraria of Anganwadi workers of mini Anganwadi centers (AWC) from Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,250.
“This will benefit the workers of a total 1,16,000 sanctioned mini-AWCs in the country. We have also endorsed a major village
contact initiative under ICDS restructuring to reposition AWC as a vibrant child- friendly early childhood development centre belonging to women and the community,” said Krishna Tirath, union minister for women and child development at the first meeting of the restructured ICDS on Thursday.