The Bihar cabinet has significantly raised the stipend given to anganwadi workers and doubled the monthly honorarium of top panchayat representatives ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.
In addition, the cabinet approved the establishment of a new information technology policy to attract investors in state’s IT industry and a distinct sports department to assist athletes.
“The cabinet has approved a substantial increase in the monthly honorarium of panchayat representatives and stipend paid to anganwadi workers (sevikas and sahaayikas) in the state,” Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) S Siddharth told reporters after the cabinet meeting on Monday.
According to Siddharth, the ACS of the Cabinet Secretariat, mukhiyas will now receive a monthly honorarium of Rs 5,000 instead of Rs 2,500, and their deputies’ honorarium was increased to Rs 2,500 from Rs 1,200.
“Similarly, sarpanchs and deputy sarpanchs will now get Rs 5,000 per month and Rs 2,500 per month respectively,” he further added.
“This is a 100 per cent hike in the honorarium of these panchayat representatives. This decision will benefit a large number of (more than 2.50 lakh) panchayat representatives in the state,” he said.
Not just this the monthly honorarium of ward members have been increased from Rs 500 to Rs 800 putting an extra burden of Rs 339 crore annually on the state exchequer. Nearly 2.30 lakh anganwadi workers (sevikas and sahaayikas) in the state have also been given a hike in monthly stipend.
“Now, sevikas will get Rs 7,000 from Rs 5, 950 monthly stipend and sahaayikas Rs 4,000 from Rs 2,975 per month. This will put Rs 286 crore of additional burden on the state exchequer,” he added. The next Lok Sabha election will take place in the upcoming few months.
