Chamkaur Sahib (Rupnagar), December 30: Giving a much awaited bonanza of Rs. 124.25 crore for Asha and Mid Day Meal workers as a new year gift, Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Thursday announced a fixed monthly allowance of Rs. 2500 for Asha workers against the earlier amount got by them on the basis of incentives, which would cost the state exchequer to the tune of Rs.60 crore thus benefitting 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 so as to cover them against the probable risk of inflicting any infectious disease while performing their duties.
Similarly, in a major relief to nearly 42,500 Mid Day Meal workers working in 19,700 government/aided schools across the state, CM Channi also announced to enhance their fixed allowance from Rs.2200 to Rs. 3000 per month, this hike would entail an expenditure of Rs. 64.25 crore on the state exchequer. Besides, CM Channi also announced all the Asha workers and Mid Day Meal workers working across the state would be now entitled for full maternity leave on the pattern of other women government employees on regular basis. CM Channi further declared that all the Asha workers and Mid Day Meal workers would now get the hiked fixed allowance from January 1, 2022 and in future they would be getting these allowances for 12 months instead of 10 months earlier.
