Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced a major honorarium hike and a new health insurance scheme for the state's anganwadi workers and helpers at a felicitation event held at the GIC ground in Ayodhya on Tuesday. He raised the monthly honorarium for anganwadi workers from Rs 8,000 to Rs 12,000, while helpers (sahayikas) will now receive Rs 6,000 a month, up from Rs 4,000.
The Chief Minister recalled that before his government came to power in 2017, anganwadi workers were paid just Rs 3,000 a month, which was later raised to Rs 8,000 and now stands at Rs 12,000. Helpers' pay has similarly risen from Rs 1,500 to Rs 4,000, and now to Rs 6,000 a month.
In a third major announcement, the Chief Minister said anganwadi workers, helpers and their families will now be covered by cashless health insurance worth up to Rs 5 lakh a year. The cover will provide financial relief for treatment of serious illnesses at any empanelled hospital, government hospital or medical college.
The event also saw Rs 500 transferred directly into the bank accounts of more than 2.51 lakh anganwadi helpers across the state for an additional saree, taking the total disbursement to around Rs 29 crore. The Chief Minister noted that while a saree allowance already existed, an additional saree has now been added to the provision.
Yogi Adityanath also lauded the contribution of anganwadi workers during the Covid-19 pandemic, saying they and ASHA workers went door to door across villages without regard for their own safety and played a crucial role in the fight against the outbreak.
Thousands of anganwadi workers and helpers from districts including Ambedkar Nagar, Amethi, Barabanki, Sultanpur, Basti and Gonda attended the event, where the Chief Minister also distributed appointment letters to newly recruited workers. The announcements are being seen as a significant step toward the economic empowerment of the state's nearly three lakh anganwadi workers and helpers.