Wayanad: Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to increase the honorarium of Anganwadi workers and helpers in the country.

Priyanka also sought a hike in the honorarium of Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) in the country, a party statement said.

It said that in a letter to the PM, the Congress MP from Wayanad highlighted the "irreplaceable service" that Anganwadi workers, helpers and ASHAs were providing in implementing various government schemes, like helping with vaccination activities, collecting health information, supporting primary health centres and providing counselling.

She also pointed out that they were the backbone of the education and health services as well as the mid-day meal scheme for poor children, it said.

Besides that, Priyanka also mentioned that the Anganwadi workers, helpers and ASHAs worked long hours with limited resources in the most difficult environments, and now they were in a serious financial crisis.

She said in her letter that classifying them as volunteers was a "gross injustice, exploitation and belittling their invaluable service", according to the statement.

The Congress MP further said that the Anganwadi workers in Kerala have been protesting for months for justice in employment, recognition as government employees, increase in honorarium, pension benefits after retirement at the age of 62 years, paid leave for those suffering from diseases like cancer, and provision of quality mobile phones.

She urged the prime minister to seriously consider these demands of the Anganwadi workers and ASHAs, who work for the social security of crores of women and children in the country, the statement said.

PTI