Pune, 7th March 2026: Around 2,000 ASHA workers working under the National Urban Health Mission with the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) have not received their honorarium for the past five months, creating serious financial difficulties for many of them.
These workers play a crucial role in the city’s public health system. Their responsibilities include visiting households to collect health information, registering pregnant women, creating awareness about vaccination, caring for newborns and mothers, and spreading information about infectious diseases.
They were also actively involved in health work during outbreaks such as COVID-19 and swine flu.
Despite their key role, the workers say they have not been paid for the last five months. Many of them come from low-income backgrounds, and the delay has made it difficult to manage daily household expenses. Repeated follow-ups with the civic administration have not yet resulted in a solution.
PMC Additional Commissioner Pavneet Kaur said, "The honorarium of ASHA workers is paid by the state government. However, the municipal corporation has not yet received the funds. We are continuously following up with the authorities, and the payments will be released once the funds are received."
ASHA workers say they work long hours but still struggle to receive even their modest monthly payment. One worker said, "I work nearly 12 hours every day, visiting homes to register pregnant women and assist with vaccination and other health work. However, we have not received our honorarium for the last five months. Even the allowance for work done during the municipal election voting day has not been paid yet."
Currently, ASHA workers receive an honorarium of around ₹9,500 per month. They usually work from early morning until evening and are expected to visit at least 50 households daily. Workers say the amount is already inadequate for the workload, and the delay in payments has worsened their financial situation.