Delhi’s Cabinet has approved a doubling of the monthly incentive for ASHA workers from Rs 3,000 to Rs 6,000, benefiting all 6,725 community health workers employed across the capital. The decision was taken at a Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Tuesday.
The revised incentive will apply to every ASHA worker in Delhi, while other incentives currently available to them will continue unchanged, according to the report. The decision places the community health workforce at the centre of Delhi’s primary healthcare delivery system, particularly for households that depend on frontline workers for information, referrals and support.
ASHA workers conduct door-to-door health outreach, encourage families to participate in vaccination programmes and assist with services related to pregnant women and new mothers. They also support Health and Nutrition Days, health-awareness campaigns, surveys and community meetings in their assigned areas.
The Delhi government said an ASHA worker is generally connected to about 2,000 people, or approximately 400 families. At the current strength of 6,725 workers, the network provides a community-level link between residents and the formal public-health system across the city.
The workers also played a role in delivering health services during the Covid-19 pandemic, when community outreach and household-level communication became especially important. Their work involves regular contact with residents beyond hospitals and clinics, including families requiring information about preventive care, immunisation and maternal health services.
The Chief Minister described ASHA workers as an important link in Delhi’s primary healthcare system and said the higher monthly incentive recognised their contribution and was intended to strengthen their economic security. The government also said the increase would support continued engagement and service delivery.
The decision changes the fixed monthly incentive from Rs 3,000 to Rs 6,000 for the city’s entire ASHA workforce. The report did not provide a separate implementation date, budget allocation or details of how the revised payment will be disbursed. Other incentives, however, are to remain in place, according to the Cabinet decision as reported.
