West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has announced a series of financial enhancements aimed at women, including a pay hike for ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist) workers and an increase in the Lakshmir Bhandar scheme, a move seen as an effort to bolster support ahead of upcoming elections.
The announcement includes a raise in the remuneration for nearly two lakh ASHA and Anganwadi workers and Anganwadi helpers. Effective April 2024, ASHA and Anganwadi workers will receive an additional ₹750 per month, while Anganwadi helpers will see their monthly pay increase by ₹500. Following the raise, Anganwadi workers will receive ₹9,000 monthly, helpers ₹6,800, and ASHA workers ₹5,250.
Prior to the announcement, ASHA workers in West Bengal had been protesting for better pay and benefits, demanding an increase in their monthly honorarium from ₹5,250 to ₹15,000 and compensation of ₹5 lakh for ASHA workers who die while on duty. They have also sought recognition as healthcare employees and the immediate release of all dues.
In addition to the ASHA worker pay increase, the Lakshmir Bhandar scheme is set to receive a boost. Under the revised scheme, women beneficiaries will be entitled to an additional ₹500 per month starting February 2026. The Lakshmir Bhandar scheme provides financial assistance to women from economically weaker families, with beneficiaries aged 25 to 60 years receiving between ₹1,000 and ₹1,200 per month. As of now, more than 2 crore 11 lakh women are benefiting from this scheme. For beneficiaries belonging to Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST), the amount is ₹1,200 per month, while women from other categories receive ₹1,000 per month. The government has allocated an additional budget of ₹12,000 crore for the smooth implementation of this scheme.
These financial initiatives are being viewed in political circles as a strategic move to appeal to women voters before the upcoming Assembly Elections in 2026. The timing of the announcement of the ASHA worker pay hike coincided with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's women-centric event in Barasat.
West Bengal's Finance Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya highlighted the government's commitment to women's empowerment, noting that 2.21 crore women have received assured income support under the Lakshmir Bhandar scheme, with an annual allocation of ₹26,700 crore and cumulative expenditures exceeding ₹74,000 crore. The state government has launched 94 social welfare schemes since 2011 to ensure life-cycle protection.