House panel flags ‘huge underutilisation’ of funds for maternity benefits scheme, backs hike in aid

The NFSA says every pregnant woman and lactating mother shall be entitled to maternity benefit of not less than Rs 6,000, the report said.

Under PMMVY, Rs 5,000 is provided in three installments to the mother as maternity benefit for the first child. A sum of Rs 6000 is provided for the birth of the second child, if the second child is a girl.

While the WCD has told the committee that eligible women may be receiving another Rs 1,000 under the National Health Mission’s Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY), taking the total to `6,000, the committee has noted that the NFSA was brought with the intention to ensure food security for pregnant and lactating women, and that it must not be linked to the JSY which is focused on institutionalisation of childbirth.

With this it has recommended that the PMMVY amount be increased to Rs 6,000 and increased periodically “indexed to food price inflation”.

Noting that the NFSA is “unequivocal that maternity benefit is due to every pregnant woman and not only to those pregnant with their first child and/or second girl child”, the panel has suggested that benefits be extended to all eligible pregnant and lactating women, “particularly women from BPL families.”

The incentive is meant to offer partial compensation for wage loss so that the mother can take rest before and after delivery, and to “promote health-seeking behaviour among pregnant women and lactating mothers.”

Earlier this week, Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi said in Rajya Sabha that the PMMVY scheme is severely underfunded and violates key provisions of NFSA.

The committee’s report noted that in 2023-24, the budget estimate for the scheme was `2,067 crore, which was reduced to Rs 1,500 crore at the revised estimate stage. The actual utilisation, it said, was only Rs 870.34 crore.

In 2024-25, the budget estimate of Rs 2,067 crore was reduced to `754 crore at the revised estimate stage, and the actual utilisation was only Rs 384.36 crore till December 31.

“The committee also notes that actual expenditure under the scheme as informed by the Ministry in another reply is Rs 569.11 crore as on December 31. The committee expresses its concerns over reduction of allocation at RE (revised estimate) stage and huge under-utilization of RE allocation,” the report added.

The report also observed that 82,065 posts of Anganwadi workers are vacant out of their total sanctioned strength of 13.97 lakh, while 1.31 lakh posts of Anganwadi helpers are vacant against a sanctioned strength of 13.14 lakh.

“The committee expresses its concerns over huge vacancies of around 2.13 lakh Anganwadi workers and Anganwadi helpers which is affecting the functioning of the Anganwadi centres…,” the report noted.

It also called for the enhancement of the honorarium paid to Anganwadi workers and helpers, pointing out that the amount being paid now is “below minimum wages prescribed” by the Centre.