New Delhi, Sep 20 (IANS): At least 90 rural activists, who work under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM), called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi here on Thursday to thank him for the increase in their incentives, an official statement said.

Under the NRHM, the government provides villages with a trained female Accredited Social Health Activist or ASHA.

According to the release, the Prime Minister recalled his interaction with the ASHA and Anganwadi workers across the country via video conference and appreciated them for sharing their experiences and personal accounts.

"Today, ASHA activists shared some more accounts of how they had been instrumental in saving lives of poor mothers and children through timely intervention," it said.

The Prime Minister appreciated ASHA workers for their skill and dedication and recalled that even Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation had praised their efforts towards eradication of diseases such as Kala Azar, a severe parasitic disease.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on Wednesday gave its approval to the benefit package with effect from October 2018 (to be paid in November 2018). The package covers the expenditure till 2020.