Now Reading: ASHA and Anganwadi workers are rural India’s governance face: report
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ASHA and Anganwadi workers are rural India’s governance face: report
ASHA workers and Anganwadi didis have become the first point of contact between the state and rural India, delivering healthcare, nutrition and welfare services to remote households, according to a Times of…
The Story in Brief
ASHA workers and Anganwadi didis have become the first point of contact between the state and rural India, delivering healthcare, nutrition and welfare services to remote households, according to a Times of India report. Vimla Kumari, an ASHA worker in Madhya Pradesh, starts her day at 5 am, visiting homes to counsel pregnant women, ensure vaccinations, and coordinate emergency transport to hospitals. Shyama Devi, an Anganwadi worker, runs a centre for children, monitoring growth, distributing food, and counselling mothers on nutrition.
The report highlights that these frontline workers track pregnancies, identify malnutrition, promote institutional deliveries, and maintain detailed records, often walking kilometres when vehicles are unavailable. Their work, the report notes, quietly shapes healthier mothers and better-nourished children in rural communities.
The Indian Opinion
The easy applause for 'women-led development' hides a hard truth: ASHA and Anganwadi workers are neither recognised as government employees nor paid a regular salary, yet they are expected to perform medical, nutritional and administrative duties without basic security. The government's own data shows many still wait months for honorariums. If the Centre truly believes these women are the 'face of governance', it must fix their wages and working conditions. A concrete test will be whether Budget 2025 includes a dedicated fund for their social security.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
