West Bengal has announced a one-time financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh for the families of Anganwadi workers and helpers under the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) project who die suddenly while in service before completing 65 years of age.
The decision was communicated through a directive issued by the state’s Women and Child Development and Social Welfare Department. According to the directive, the benefit will apply from April 1 this year and cover Anganwadi workers and helpers working under both government-run and non-governmental organisation-run ICDS projects.
The assistance is subject to an age condition. A worker or helper must die unexpectedly before reaching the age of 65 for the family to qualify for the one-time payment. The directive does not indicate that the benefit applies to deaths after the worker or helper has completed 65 years.
The measure covers a section of the workforce involved in delivering ICDS services through local Anganwadi centres. The government directive identifies both Anganwadi workers and helpers as eligible categories, provided the death occurs during the period of service and before the specified age limit.
Families seeking the assistance will not receive it through an automatic payment process, according to the reported procedure. A proposal containing the name and relevant documents of the deceased worker or helper must be sent to the state government at Nabanna through the Additional District Magistrate concerned.
The administrative route places the initial responsibility for preparing and forwarding the proposal with the district-level authorities. The reported directive does not provide further details on the documents required, the timeline for processing applications or the department’s schedule for releasing the approved amount.
The announcement comes as a service-related support measure for families of Anganwadi workers and helpers attached to the ICDS network. Because the benefit is linked to sudden death while in service, eligibility will depend on the circumstances recorded in the official proposal and the supporting documents submitted through the district administration.
The state’s Women and Child Development and Social Welfare Department is the authority that issued the directive. The order takes effect retrospectively from April 1 of the current year, while applications are to be routed through the Additional District Magistrate to Nabanna for consideration.
