(a) whether the Government has taken any initiatives to recognise Anganwadi, Aasha, Mid-day meal workers and Gram
Sevaks as Government employees and thus providing them pay and service conditions at par with Government employees;
(b) if so, the details thereof;and
(c) if not, the reasons therefor?
MINISTER OF STATE FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT (SHRI KODIKUNNIL SURESH)
(a) to (c) Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Scheme envisages the Anganwadi Workers & Helpers 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 the Government from time to time.
With regard to ASHAs, there is no proposal to recognize them as Government employees as they have been envisaged
as voluntary activists under National Rural Health Mission.
Under the Mid-day Meal scheme, 27.48 lakh, Cook-Cum-helpers (CCH) have been engaged for preparing and serving of the Mid-
day Meal to the elementary class children studying in Government, Government-aided, Local Body Schools, National Child
Labour Project Schools, Education Guarantee Scheme/Alternative & Innovative Education (AIE) Centers, Madrasas/Maqtabs recognised under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan. They work for about 3-4 hours in the schools for preparing and serving the Mid
Day Meal (MDM) etc. Since Cook-cum-Helpers under Mid Day Meal Scheme are engaged for limited hours on part-time basis for preparing and serving the MDM, they are not treated as Government employees. However, they are paid minimum honorarium of Rs.1000/- per month for preparing and serving MDM in the Schools, on sharing basis with States/UTs on existing sharing pattern. Few States viz. Uttarakhand, Kerala, Mizoram, Karnataka, Punjab etc. are paying more than Rs.1000/- per month
as the honorarium to Cook-cum-Helpers by providing additional funds from the State Government. The noon-meal workers of Government of Tamil Nadu are regular employees of the State Government.
There is no such category of workers as “Gram Sevak†under any Central Government Scheme, who has to be treated
as Government employees.