West Bengal has announced a major upgrade for its anganwadi network, including permanent government buildings for around 19,000 centres currently operating from rented premises and free electricity for all Integrated Child Development Services centres.
The measures were announced by chief minister Suvendu Adhikari at the ‘Angan Milan Seva’ programme in Panihati in North 24-Parganas district. The government said the steps were intended to improve working conditions for anganwadi workers and strengthen services for children, pregnant women and mothers.
According to The Statesman report, Adhikari said the state had already allocated funds to shift the 19,000 anganwadi centres into permanent buildings owned by the government. The announcement addresses a basic infrastructure gap in the delivery of early childhood care and nutrition services, with many centres currently functioning from rented premises.
“ There are around 19,000 anganwadi centres in the state that are currently functioning from rented premises. In the coming days, all these centres will be shifted to permanent buildings owned by the government. The state government has already allocated the necessary funds for this purpose,” Adhikari said, according to the report.
The chief minister also announced that electricity would be supplied free of cost to all ICDS centres in the state. The measure was presented as part of a broader effort to provide better facilities for children and anganwadi workers.
The government has also increased the monthly remuneration of anganwadi workers by Rs 5,000 from August, the report said. Workers have additionally been brought under the Ayushman Bharat health insurance scheme, under which they would be eligible for cashless treatment of up to Rs 5 lakh annually at around 38 government and private hospitals across the country.
Nutrition allocations at the centres have also been revised. The food allocation for children was increased by Rs 2 to Rs 8 per child. The allocation for pregnant women and mothers was raised from Rs 12 to Rs 14. The government said child development and maternal nutrition were receiving special attention as part of its long-term plan for the ICDS network.
Anganwadi centres are important delivery points for early childhood care, supplementary nutrition and maternal welfare. Their physical condition and access to basic services such as electricity affect how workers provide care and how families use the centres.
The programme was attended by BJP national president Nitin Nabin and West Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya. Nabin praised the role of anganwadi workers in early childhood development, saying their responsibilities extended beyond nutrition and basic care.
The state government’s announcements combine infrastructure upgrades with higher worker remuneration, health insurance and increased food allocations. The next stage will involve implementing the shift from rented premises to permanent government-owned buildings and extending free electricity to all ICDS centres across West Bengal.
