In addition, the Chief Minister has raised the wages of anganwadi helpers by Rs 500 per month. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee declared a salary increase of Rs 750 per month for ASHA and anganwadi workers in the state on Wednesday. The announcement was made by the Chief Minister via a video message on Facebook. “I am delighted to announce that starting from April 2024, our ASHA and anganwadi workers will receive an increased remuneration of Rs 750 every month,” she stated.
This raises the monthly income of Asha and anganwadi workers from Rs 8,250 to Rs 9,000. Additionally, the CM augmented the compensation of anganwadi helpers by Rs 500 monthly. “Previously, anganwadi helpers received Rs 6,000 monthly. With this adjustment, their pay rises to Rs 6,500 per month,” she announced.
The CM’s declaration preceded the Lok Sabha elections and just before Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rally in Barasat, North 24 Parganas district. During the rally, he criticized the Trinamool Congress (TMC), accusing them of subjecting women to “a reign of terror” and asserting that “the women of Bengal will put an end” to the party’s “mafia raj.”
ASHA workers form an exclusively female group of community health workers established by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in 2006. Anganwadis are centers for child and maternal care established under the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS). Typically, each anganwadi is operated by a team comprising an anganwadi worker and a helper, both of whom are women.
In the 2024-25 state Budget, the TMC government introduced a Gender and Child Budget aimed at promoting the welfare of women and ensuring the comprehensive development of children. The budget allocates Rs 21,380 crore for 100% women-specific schemes and Rs 74,891 crore for schemes with a dedication of 30% to 99% toward women’s welfare.
