Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi launched a sharp critique against the central government in the Rajya Sabha on December 16, 2025, highlighting the severe challenges faced by millions of women frontline workers across India.
Gandhi Highlights Systemic Exploitation
During her address, Gandhi specifically pointed to the difficult conditions endured by ASHA workers, Anganwadi workers and helpers, and community resource persons working under the National Rural Livelihood Mission. She argued that while these government schemes were originally designed to empower women, they have paradoxically led to the exploitation of the very workforce that implements them.
The senior Congress leader emphasized that these essential workers are left overworked and severely underpaid. She brought the nation's attention to their low honorariums and the glaring lack of comprehensive social security benefits, which leaves them financially vulnerable.
Impact on Public Health and Welfare Services
Gandhi directly linked the poor working conditions to a decline in the quality of critical public services. She noted that the large number of vacancies within the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) is negatively affecting service delivery to mothers and young children across the country.
This staffing crisis, combined with the excessive burden on existing workers, threatens the foundation of India's primary healthcare and early childhood care systems, which are crucial for the nation's long-term human development indicators.
A Call for Urgent Government Action
Concluding her remarks, Sonia Gandhi issued a clear call to action for the ruling dispensation. She urged the Centre, in close coordination with state governments, to immediately address the crisis through a multi-pronged approach.
Her demands included:
- Filling all vacant positions in the ICDS and related schemes promptly.
- Ensuring timely payments of honorariums and wages to workers.
- Substantially raising the remuneration for these frontline roles.
- Expanding the overall workforce to manage the workload effectively.
Gandhi stressed that strengthening this sector is not just a welfare issue but is crucial for India's long-term development. The well-being of these workers, she asserted, is directly tied to the effectiveness of the country's social safety nets and public health infrastructure.
