Chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday announced a hike in the remuneration of Bengal's nearly two lakh ASHA and anganwadi workers and anganwadi helpers from April, a little before Prime Minister Narendra Modi's women-centric event in Barasat.
These grassroots workers had been agitating for months for a remuneration hike.
"It is with immense pleasure that I announce that from April 2024, our ASHA and Anganwadi workers will receive an enhanced remuneration of Rs 750 every month. Additionally, we have decided to increase the monthly remuneration for our Anganwadi helpers by Rs 500," Mamata wrote in her X (formerly Twitter) handle on Wednesday morning.
Sources in the state administration said that with this hike, anganwadi workers would get Rs 9,000 a month, helpers Rs 6,800 and ASHA workers Rs 5,250.
The chief minister mentioned in her post that the decision to enhance the remuneration of ASHA and anganwadi workers and the anganwadi helpers had been taken despite the state facing financial constraints.
"Despite the financial constraints imposed on us, we are determined to spare no efforts in ensuring that our people lead happy and prosperous lives," she wrote on X.
Sources in the state administration said that these workers were carrying out an agitation demanding an enhancement of their remuneration for the past few months.
"These women have a tremendous influence on the rural populace as they keep track of the health of villagers as well as pregnant and new mothers along with newborn babies and infants. The ruling establishment wanted to woo them ahead of the Lok Sabha polls by announcing the hike in their remuneration hurriedly," said a senior government official.
Sources also said the announcement was done around 90 minutes ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Nari Shakti Vandan Abhinandan event in Barasat on Wednesday as Bengal's ruling party Trinamul felt Modi's programme had drawn the attention of several women in the backdrop of the ongoing Sandeshkhali controversy.
"The hikes were aimed to woo women who have a strong influence on rural people... No ruling party would like to go to polls with aggrieved workers who are the face of government services in the rural areas," said a source.
However, the "paltry hike" failed to satisfy a section of ASHA workers.
A Citu-backed union of ASHA workers openly said they were unhappy with the hike.
"We had demanded a salary of at least Rs 9,210 a month and healthcare facilities. This hike did not meet our expectations. We will not participate in additional government duties such as Duare Sarkar (camps) and different (welfare) fairs," said Sabina Yasmin, secretary of the West Bengal ASHA Health Workers' Union.
