Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday, 1 March, directed the implementation of a gratuity scheme for ASHA workers, who serve as vital community health workers under the National Rural Health Mission.
Published Mar 01, 2025 | 6:40 PM ⚊ Updated Mar 01, 2025 | 6:51 PM
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has long been an advocate for ASHA workers. In 2018, his government provided them with smartphones, prioritised eligible candidates for Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM) appointments, and extended several benefits.
Synopsis: Andhra Pradesh has announced several benefits for ASHA workers even as Kerala tried to suppress a strike , raising several demands, by the accredited social health activists with an iron fist.
Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) in Andhra Pradesh are set to receive gratuity and maternity leave benefits, marking a significant milestone in their welfare.
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday, 1 March, directed the implementation of a gratuity scheme for ASHA workers, who serve as vital community health workers under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM).
With this decision, Andhra Pradesh becomes the first and only state in India to extend gratuity benefits to ASHAs.
According to an official statement, ASHA workers completing 30 years of service will be entitled to a gratuity of up to ₹1.5 lakh.
Recognising the long-pending demands of ASHA workers, Naidu approved this initiative during a health department review meeting. No other state or Union Territory has implemented a similar gratuity scheme, the release noted.
Andhra Pradesh’s initiative came even as the government in Kerala was trying to crush ASHA workers’ protest with an iron fist. ASHA workers in Kerala have been striking work for days, raising several demands.
Additionally, ASHA workers in Andhra Pradesh will now have their 180-day maternity leave counted as working days.
Previously, they received no salary during maternity leave, but under the new policy, those availing maternity leave will be entitled to benefits of up to ₹60,000.
This decision will positively impact 37,017 ASHA workers in rural areas and 5,735 in urban areas. It aligns with the promises made to ASHA workers during the recent Assembly elections.
The chief minister has also instructed officials to review the salaries, post-retirement benefits, and other perks provided to ASHAs in different states.
Naidu has long been an advocate for ASHA workers. In 2018, his government provided them with smartphones, prioritised eligible candidates for Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM) appointments, and extended benefits such as ration cards, NTR healthcare services, and an increased retirement age of 60 years.
He also made them eligible for old-age pensions post-retirement.
Currently, ASHA workers in other states receive varying monthly salaries: Uttar Pradesh: ₹750, Himachal Pradesh: ₹2,000, Rajasthan: ₹2,700, West Bengal & Delhi: ₹3,000, Haryana & Karnataka: ₹4,000, Kerala: ₹5,000, Sikkim: ₹6,000, Telangana: ₹7,500.
In contrast, Andhra Pradesh ASHA workers receive ₹10,000 per month, the highest in the country.
Health Minister Satyakumar Yadav hailed the decision as “historic.”
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
