Delhi’s cabinet has approved a doubling of the monthly incentive paid to ASHA workers, raising the amount from Rs 3,000 to Rs 6,000 for all 6,725 workers operating in the capital’s community-level health system.
The decision was taken at a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Tuesday. The increase will apply to all ASHA workers working in Delhi, according to the announcement reported by Live Hindustan – NCR.
ASHA workers, or Accredited Social Health Activists, support the delivery of primary health services at the community level. The chief minister said they conduct door-to-door health awareness activities, encourage families to participate in vaccination programmes and assist with services related to pregnant women and new mothers.
Their work also includes participation in health and nutrition days, public health awareness programmes, surveys and community meetings. The government also highlighted their role in providing health services during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The revised payment is described as a monthly incentive rather than a regular salary. The government said the increase is intended to recognise the contribution of ASHA workers, strengthen their economic security and support continuity in their services. It also linked the decision to women’s economic empowerment.
The announcement places the payment revision within Delhi’s wider primary health delivery system, where community workers act as a link between households and public health programmes. Their responsibilities cover preventive health communication, vaccination mobilisation and support for maternal and postnatal care, making their work dependent on sustained engagement with residents across neighbourhoods.
The number of workers covered by the decision means the change applies across a sizeable frontline workforce. However, the announcement does not specify when the revised incentive will begin to be paid, whether arrears will be provided or how the additional financial requirement will be administered.
The chief minister said the government had been considering an increase in the honorarium for ASHA workers and that the issue was among its priorities. The cabinet’s approval establishes the revised monthly amount at Rs 6,000, with further implementation details still to be set out by the authorities.
