Haryana gives highest honorarium to Asha workers

Chandigarh, February 17, 2022: The Haryana Government led by Chief Minister, Manohar Lal is working tirelessly on its motto of inclusive growth and ensuring equal facilities for all in the state. Haryana government is providing better remuneration in various fields which is highest in the country. In this series, Haryana government is also on top in giving best remuneration to Asha workers as compared to other states. Asha workers of Haryana are being given the highest honorarium by the state government in the entire country from the state budget. There is a demand for Haryana model of ASHA workers to be implemented in Punjab and other states as well. A spokesperson of the government said that the Haryana Government is very serious about the legitimate demands of the Asha workers, which are being considered sympathetically.

According to the spokesperson, at present, a total of 20,001 Asha workers in the state of Haryana are registered on the Asha Pay-App, who, as per the rules of the Government of India, under the National Health Mission, will be given “performance based incentive only after doing various activities”, however, the Haryana Government has made a provision of Rs 154.45 crore for additional honorarium for Asha workers from the state budget as follows:

1. Fixed Honorarium of Rs.4000 Monthly.

2. Additional honorarium of 50% of monthly amount earned on work-based basis (except 08 regular activities) under National Health Mission.

3. Additional honorarium of Rs.750 for 7 core work based activities.

4. Rs. 3.00 lakh for financial assistance of the family after the death of Asha worker.

Giving information, the spokesperson said that 5,033 (25.16%) Asha workers have been given honorarium of more than Rs. 10,000 per month, from March to November 2021. Out of which 38 Asha workers have been given more than Rs. 18,000 per month, 318 Asha workers from Rs. 18,000 to Rs. 14,000 and 4,677 Asha workers have been given Rs. 14,000 to Rs. 10,000 per month. Similarly, the remaining 14,968 ASHAs have been given Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 6,000 per month, out of which the number of Asha workers taking Rs. 6000 per month is only 20 in the entire state.

Apart from this, during the COVID-19 period (continuously from March 2020 till now) an additional Rs. 1,000 per month is being given to the Asha workers from the budget of the Government of India and if any Asha worker dies due to the infection of COVID-19, a provision of Rs. 53 lakh has also been made in the state for the financial assistance of his family, out of which Rs. 50 lakh is being given by the Government of India and Rs 3 lakh by the Haryana Government.

So far, four Asha workers have died in the state due to COVID-19 infection and out of these, financial assistance of Rs.106 lakh (Rs.53 lakh per Asha worker) has been provided to the families of two Asha workers. The remaining two cases are still in the process, out of which assistance amounting to Rs. 3 lakh has been provided by the state government and Rs 50 lakh per Asha worker will be made available to them after approval as per the guidelines of the Government of India.

On the other hand, the National Health Mission (Haryana) has been the first in the country to provide Asha workers with Android based smart phones, CUG SIM with 30 GB data and unlimited talk-time. Apart from this, “ASHA PayApp” has been created for timely monthly honorarium payment and transparency to Asha workers, through which Asha workers are making monthly honorarium-claim very easily and they can make their own monthly honorarium claims.. Along with this, the monthly honorarium payment of Asha workers is continuously monitored by the State Headquarters.

It is noteworthy that Asha workers provide health facilities to the people of the society, but there was no scheme for their health and welfare in the state, that is why Haryana Government, in view of their commendable work, decided to give them the benefit of AB-PMJAY. Under which facility will be provided to Asha workers and their family members to get treatment up to Rs. 5 lakh per year in hospitals registered by the Haryana Government.

According to the order of the Health Minister and Additional Chief Secretary (Health), a proposal is being sent to the Government of India to increase the honorarium of different activities of Asha workers under the Project Implementation Plan 2022-24 of the National Health Mission and if the proposed honorarium is approved, then in the coming time, each Asha worker will get additional honorarium of about Rs 1000 per month.