Maharashtra government hikes stipend for anganwadi workers

MUMBAI: Maharashtra government has hiked the stipend for anganwadi sevikas and attendants by Rs 950 and Rs 500 respectively.

For mini-anganwadi sevikas the stipend has been increased by Rs 550. Their existing stipend from the state government is Rs 450.

State Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar told PTI that the existing stipend from state government for anganwadi sevikas is Rs 1,500 while for attendants it is Rs 500.

The Centre's share for anganwadi sevikas is Rs 3,000 and for attendants it is Rs 1,500. For mini-anganwadi sevikas, the Centre's share is Rs 2,250. The total stipend for anganwadi workers is Rs 892.4 crore annually, the minister said.

State Women and Child Welfare Minister Pankaja Munde said a provision of Rs 228 crore has been made in the supplementary demands passed in the ongoing monsoon session.

The hike in stipend is with retrospective effect from April 2015, she said.

Munde said the previous government (Congress-NCP combine) had announced a hike in stipend in April 2014 but did not make budgetary provision for the same.

"We will give last year's hike as well for which provision will be made through supplementary demands," she added.

There are 97,475 approved posts of anganwadi sevikas, while presently there are 95,341 sevikas in service. There are 97,475 approved posts of anganwadi attendants while there are 92,023 attendants in service.

Similarly, there are 11,175 approved posts of mini-anganwadi workers while the total workers in service are 9,898.