Pb: Allowance for ASHA workers

Chamkaur Sahib (Rupnagar): Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Thursday announced Rs 2,500 as fixed monthly allowance for ASHA workers and Rs 800 per month hike in the allowance of mid day meal workers in the state.

He made these announcements during a rally at his constituency here and said that these decisions will entail an outlay of Rs 124.25 crore.

Addressing a gathering which mainly comprised ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist) and mid day meal workers, Channi said fixed monthly allowance of Rs 2,500 for ASHA workers as against the earlier amount which they got on the basis of incentives, would be given to them. It would cost the state exchequer to the tune of Rs 60 crore, thus benefiting nearly 22,000 ASHA workers.

Likewise, the ASHA workers would also be now entitled for the facility of cashless health insurance scheme up to Rs 5 lakh which would be done by the state government free of cost to cover them against the probable risk of inflicting any infectious disease while performing their duties, according to an official release.