**Executive Summary**
This document presents the Minister of Women and Child Development's response to questions regarding Anganwadi Centres (AWCs) in Maharashtra, particularly focusing on their functionality in urban areas, adequacy in densely populated regions like Bhiwandi, and the demands of Anganwadi workers for increased honorarium and benefits. The response details the number of operational AWCs, ongoing initiatives to improve service delivery, and various incentives and schemes for Anganwadi workers and helpers. The document was created in response to a question asked on 12.12.2025.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **AWC Statistics in Maharashtra:**
* 1,10,631 operational AWCs in Maharashtra, with 19,795 in urban areas.
* 786 AWCs operational in Bhiwandi (445 in rural, 341 in urban areas).
* **Improving Service Delivery:**
* Relocation guidelines issued to States/UTs to revisit and rationalize AWC locations.
* 2,500 AWCs approved for construction in PVTG areas under PM-JANMAN, including 178 in Maharashtra.
* Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 is centrally sponsored; Central Government handles policy/planning while States/UTs manage implementation.
* **Incentives and Benefits for AWWs/AWHs:**
* Designated as "honorary workers" from local communities, paid monthly honorarium.
* Enhanced honorarium rates effective from October 1, 2018 (AWWs: ₹3,000 to ₹4,500; AWHs: ₹1,500 to ₹2,250 per month), with additional incentives/top-ups from States/UTs and performance-linked incentives (₹500 for AWWs, ₹250 for AWHs).
* Technological empowerment via smartphones and Poshan Tracker app for efficient monitoring.
* Promotion opportunities: 50% of AWW positions filled by AWHs (5 years experience), 50% of supervisor positions by AWWs (5 years experience).
* Leave benefits: 20 days annual leave, 180 days paid maternity absence, 45 days paid absence for abortion/miscarriage (once).
* Inclusion in Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Mandhan (PM-SYM) Pension Scheme.
* Insurance benefits under Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY) (₹2.00 lakh life cover, ages 18-50) and Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (₹2.00 lakh accidental death/full disability, ₹1.00 lakh partial disability, ages 18-59).
* Request for uniform retirement date (April 30th) across States/UTs.
* Annual healthcare coverage of ₹5 lakhs under Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY), budget announcement in FY 2024-25.
**Impact Analysis**
**State Governments and UT Administrations**
* **Impact:** Responsible for day-to-day program implementation, including recruitment. Need to revisit AWC locations based on relocation guidelines.
* **Action Required:** Implement AWC relocation guidelines, encourage AWW/AWH enrollment in PM-SYM, adopt uniform retirement date, ensure efficient implementation of the scheme.
**Anganwadi Workers (AWWs) and Anganwadi Helpers (AWHs)**
* **Impact:** Affected by changes in honorarium, promotion opportunities, and availability of various schemes (pension, insurance, healthcare).
* **Action Required:** Utilize smartphones and Poshan Tracker app, consider enrolling in PM-SYM, understand eligibility and apply for available insurance and healthcare schemes.
**Beneficiaries of Anganwadi Centres**
* **Impact:** AWC location revisitation and rationalisation may improve access to services
* **Action Required:** No action required
Key Entities Referenced
Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0: A centrally sponsored scheme focused on improving the Anganwadi system and addressing nutritional needs, covering policy, planning, and implementation.
Anganwadi Centres (AWCs): Child care and development centers providing services in local communities, staffed by Anganwadi Workers and Helpers, and central to the policy's scope.
Maharashtra: The specific state where the Anganwadi operations and worker demands are being addressed.
Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM-JANMAN): Initiative under which Anganwadi Centres are being constructed in Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG) Areas.
Ministry of Women & Child Development: The central ministry responsible for the policy and administration of Anganwadi services.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF WOMEN & CHILD DEVELOPMENT
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO: 2216
TO BE ANSWERED ON 12.12.2025
AWCS IN MAHARASHTRA
†2216. SHRI BALYA MAMA SURESH GOPINATH MHATRE:
Will the Minister of WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:
(a) the number of Anganwadi Centres (AWCs) approved and currently functional in
urban areas of Maharashtra;
(b) whether the services of AWCs are inadequate in densely populated areas such as
Bhiwandi, if so, the details thereof;
(c) whether the Government proposes to open new AWCs in areas like Bhiwandi, if so,
the details thereof; and
(d) whether Anganwadi workers in Maharashtra have been demanding increase in
honorarium and benefits of pension and gratuity since long and if so, the details thereof?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
(SHRIMATI SAVITRI THAKUR)
(a) to (d) Out of a total 1,10,631 operational Anganwadi Centres in the State of Maharashtra, a
total of 19,795 are operational in urban areas. Further, a total of 786 Anganwadi Centres are
operational in Bhiwandi in State of Maharashtra in which 445 Anganwadi Centres are in rural
areas and 341 Anganwadi Centres are in urban areas.
To ensure effective delivery of services under Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0,
Relocation guidelines have been issued requesting States and UTs to revisit and rationalize the
location of AWCs as per their requirement so as to optimally serve the intended beneficiaries.
Under PM-JANMAN (Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan), in PVTG
(Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups) Areas 2,500 Anganwadi Centres (AWCs) have been
approved for construction including 178 Anganwadi Centres in the State of Maharashtra.
Further, Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 is a Centrally Sponsored scheme. The
Central Government is responsible for policy and planning and the State Governments and UT
Administrations are responsible for day-to-day program implementation including recruitment for
implementation of the scheme.
Through sustained engagements and meetings at regular intervals, States and UTs have been
requested to optimize coverage of beneficiaries including child beneficiaries and ensure efficient
implementation of the scheme.Anganwadi Workers (AWWs) and Anganwadi Helpers (AWHs) are “honorary workers” from the
local community who voluntarily come forward to render their services in the area of child care
and development to help the local community for which they are paid monthly honorarium.
Honorarium is given to AWWs and AWHs which is increased from time to time. From 1st October,
2018, Government of India has enhanced the honorarium of AWWs at Anganwadi centres (AWCs)
from Rs.3,000/- to Rs.4,500/- per month and AWHs from Rs.1,500/- to Rs.2,250/- per month as
per the defined cost sharing ratio between the Centre & States/UTs. In addition, States/UTs are
also paying additional monetary incentives/top ups to these functionaries from their own resources
which vary from State to State. Besides, performance linked incentive of Rs.500/- is provided to
AWWs and Rs.250/- per month to AWHs.
Under Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0, AWWs have been technologically
empowered with the provision of smartphones for efficient monitoring and service delivery.
Poshan Tracker which is a mobile phone application that has digitized physical registers used by
Anganwadi workers. This improves the quality of their work while simultaneously enabling them
for real-time monitoring of all activities going on in the Anganwadis.
To incentivize and encourage the AWWs and AWHs, various initiatives have been undertaken
including the following:
i. Promotion: Under Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0, promotional
opportunities for Anganwadi Workers have been enhanced. 50% posts of Anganwadi
Workers are to be filled by Anganwadi Helpers with 5 years of experience and 50% posts
of Supervisors are to be filled by promotion of Anganwadi Workers with 5 years of
experience subject to fulfilment of other criteria.
ii. Leave: 20 days annual leave and paid maternity absence of 180 days, paid absence on
abortion/ miscarriage once for 45 days.
iii. State Governments and UT Administrations have been requested to encourage eligible
AWWs and AWHs to get themselves enrolled under the Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi
Mandhan (PM-SYM) Pension Scheme, which is a voluntary and contributory pension
scheme for the unorganized sectors in the country to ensure old age protection.
iv. Social Security Insurance Schemes: Insurance benefits have been provided to Anganwadi
Workers and Helpers under Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY) for life
cover worth Rs.2.00 lakh (covers life risk, death due to any reason) in the age group of 18
to 50 years and under Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana for accidental cover of
Rs.2.00 Lakh (accidental death and permanent full disability) /Rs.1.00 Lakh (partial but
permanent disability) in the age group of 18-59 years.
v. Retirement date: States and UTs have been requested to adopt a uniform retirement date
i.e 30th April of each year with respect to Anganwadi Workers and Helpers to ensure proper
human resource planning.
vi. Annual Healthcare coverage of Rs. 5 Lakhs under Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan
Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) to all Anganwadi workers and helpers in pursuance to
budget announcement in FY 2024-25.
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