West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has announced a package of measures for Anganwadi workers and Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) centres, including free electricity, higher worker remuneration, increased food allocations and plans to shift thousands of centres from rented premises to government-owned locations.
The announcements were made at the ‘Angan Milan Seva’ programme in Panihati on Monday, according to a report by Sangbad Pratidin – Bengal. Bharatiya Janata Party national president Nitin Nabin and West Bengal BJP president Shamik Bhattacharya also attended the event, where Anganwadi workers were praised for their role in early childhood care.
Adhikari said Anganwadi workers had received a monthly increase of Rs 5,000 in August. He also said the workers had been brought under Ayushman Bharat, through which eligible beneficiaries would receive cashless treatment of up to Rs 5 lakh at 38 government and private hospitals, as stated in the report.
The Chief Minister also announced higher food allocations for children and pregnant women using ICDS services. The allocation for children has been increased by Rs 2 to Rs 8, while the amount for pregnant women has been raised from Rs 12 to Rs 14, according to the figures cited at the event.
The measures address two separate parts of the Anganwadi system: the workforce that delivers services and the centres where those services are provided. Anganwadi centres support early childhood care and nutrition services, making their staffing, operating costs and physical condition important to the functioning of the ICDS network.
Adhikari said 19,000 Anganwadi centres in West Bengal were currently operating from rented buildings. The government would provide them with permanent premises, he said, adding that funds had been allocated for the purpose. The report did not specify the total cost of the construction or acquisition programme, the implementation schedule, the locations of the proposed buildings or the number of centres to be covered in each phase.
The Chief Minister further announced that electricity would be provided free of charge at ICDS centres. The report did not provide details on whether the measure would cover existing electricity dues, future consumption, connection charges or all categories of Anganwadi premises.
Speaking at the programme, Nitin Nabin described Anganwadi workers as the “first teachers” of children and said that the country’s future was in their hands. His remarks highlighted the public role assigned to the workforce, while the announcements focused on pay, healthcare protection, nutrition support and the basic facilities available at centres.
The commitments now leave implementation details as the next administrative step. These include the process for delivering the revised benefits, identifying government sites for centres operating in rented buildings, releasing the allocated funds and operationalising the free electricity provision across the ICDS network.
