State allots Rs 250 cr to increase honorarium by Rs 1K for 2.08L anganwadi workers, helpers

Kolkata: Taking a step ahead the Mamata Banerjee government has allotted Rs 250 crore per annum from its exchequer to increase the additional honorarium by Rs 1,000 per month for each of the 2.08 lakh anganwadi workers and helpers.

Recently, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had announced increasing the honorarium of anganwadi workers and helpers. Though their regular honorarium is usually paid in 60 and 40 ratio by the Centre and the state government, the Bengal government has decided to bear the entire expenditure to give them the hike.

The state government has taken the decision to increase their honorarium as they play a crucial role in ensuring proper psychological, physical and social development of children by improving their nutritional and health status of children in the age group up to 6 years.

According to a senior state government official, the decision to bear the entire expense of increasing the additional honorarium by Rs 1,000 by the state government has been taken with the Chief Minister's humane approach towards the same. "There was a plea from the end of the anganwadi workers and helpers to increase the same. Without aimlessly waiting for the Centre, it is the state government that took the step of increasing their honorarium by allotting the necessary expense for the same from its own exchequer," the official said adding that it will act as an encouragement for the anganwadi workers.

There are around 1.07 lakh anganwadi workers in the state and 1.01 lakh anganwadi helpers.

The state government has issued a notification in this regard in December 29 stating that the decision has been taken "to enhance the additional honorarium by Rs 1,000 per month with effect from December 1, for each and every anganwadi worker and helper under both government run and NGO run ICDS centres of Bengal, to be paid exclusively from the state's own budget".

It is the state Women and Child Development and Social Welfare department that implements the project.

The total amount of additional honorarium for each worker and helper would increase to Rs 3,750 and Rs 4,050 per month respectively.