SHILLONG: Health minister, AL Hek said the ASHA workers in the state had not received their dues for 2018-19 and the government had sanctioned Rs 25,36,91,500 to clear their dues.
Replying to a supplementary question by Congress MLA, Mayralborn Syiem at the question hour in the State Assembly on Monday, Hek said the money had been sanctioned through DMHO and paid to the ASHA workers. He said the government was awaiting the sanction from the Centre for 2019-2020.
Syiem pointed out that Andhra Pradesh pays a fixed wage of around Rs 10,000 to the ASHA workers and Assam has also fixed an honorarium for ASHA workers and asked whether the State government could fix honorarium or monthly incentive for ASHA workers.
In response, Hek said no honorarium had been fixed to ASHA workers and the incentive depended on the work taken up by ASHA workers.
Congress MLA Charles Pyngrope asked about the status of Infant Mortality Rate (IMR). Hek replied that before 2011, IMR was 49 per cent which came down to 39 per cent and the Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) was 429 which was reduced to 262.