Frontline health workers who help women access entitlements under these schemes mentioned that their own incentive payments are often late or never arrive.
Women in Gujarat struggle to claim benefits under two key maternity schemes, the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY) and Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY), because of documentation hurdles, technical failures and rejected applications, a new survey of frontline workers has found.
The survey was carried out by Anna Suraksha Adhikar Abhiyan-Gujarat, the state unit of the Right to Food Campaign. It interviewed 28 ASHA workers, Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANMs) and Anganwadi workers in nine districts between June and July 2026 – four of the districts are in tribal areas Dahod, Panchmahal, Sabarkantha and Banaskantha. The other districts are Morbi, Bhavnagar, Vadodara, Surendranagar and Patan, The Indian Express reported.
Notably, frontline health workers who help women access entitlements under these schemes mentioned that their own incentive payments are often late or never arrive.
“The findings reveal that women face multiple hurdles in accessing entitlements under PMMVY and JSY. These include missing or outdated Aadhaar cards, problems with bank accounts, discrepancies in names across documents and difficulties in obtaining the required paperwork. At the same time, frontline workers responsible for facilitating access to these schemes reported delays in their incentive payments and, in some cases, non-payment,” Sejal Dand of Anna Suraksha Adhikar Abhiyan-Gujarat told IE.
According to the latest data shared by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) in Gujarat stood at 51 in 2021-23, 55 in 2020-22 and 53 in 2019-21. MMR signifies the number of maternal deaths per one lakh live births.
Paperwork is the biggest hurdle
Thirteen of the 28 respondents (46%) named missing or outdated Aadhaar cards as a major problem. Twelve each (43%) pointed to bank account issues, absent documents and mismatched names across records.
Workers also cited failed OTPs, weak internet connections, server outages and portal errors as reasons for their inability to help access benefits for women. Ten (36%) said families’ limited knowledge of the schemes also held women back, while seven (25%) said migration made it harder to complete applications.
Rejections despite a manageable form
Opinion on the application itself was split. Thirteen workers (46.4%) found the PMMVY form easy to fill, whereas nine (32.1%) found it hard. On the online process overall, 16 (57%) rated it easy or very easy, and 12 (43%) rated it as difficult or very difficult. Meanwhile, 81%, said a single application could be finished within an hour.
The survey, however, suggests that speed in filling the form does not translate into smooth approval. Thirteen workers (46%) said one or two of their applications were turned down each month. Five (18%) reported three to five monthly rejections, and one worker said more than five were rejected. Eight (29%) had no rejections.
Workload
Most respondents handled between six and 10 pregnant women a month. Six (21.4%) supported 11 to 20 women, and five (17.8%) supported over 20. Three (10.7%) worked with fewer than five.
The report concludes that launching schemes and moving applications online does not guarantee that eligible women actually receive their money. It urges authorities to remove documentation barriers, give families correct information, make rejections more transparent and pay frontline workers on time. It also calls for better funding, infrastructure and staffing at Anganwadi centres.
The campaign’s wider demands include extending the PM POSHAN scheme, formerly the Mid-Day Meal scheme, to every student in secondary and higher secondary schools in Gujarat, and adding eggs and milk to supplementary nutrition at all Anganwadi centres. In Gujarat, eggs in school meals have long been a contested issue since the state is largely seen as vegetarian.
It also seeks renewed focus on the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), new Anganwadi centres in remote areas, regular status for Anganwadi workers and helpers, fair pay, and social protection comparable to that of state government employees.
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