Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday announced a 50% increase in the honorarium of anganwadi workers and helpers, along with ₹5 lakh annual cashless health insurance for their families. The announcement came ahead of ‘Poshan Maah’, beginning Wednesday, during an ICDS felicitation programme in Ayodhya.
The state has around 2.91 lakh anganwadi workers and helpers. Under the revised structure, the monthly honorarium of anganwadi workers will rise from ₹8,000 to ₹12,000, while helpers will receive ₹6,000 instead of the existing ₹4,000.
Adityanath said all anganwadi workers, helpers and their families would be eligible for cashless medical treatment of up to ₹5 lakh annually at empanelled government hospitals and medical colleges.
He also announced that workers would now receive three sarees a year instead of two. Smartphones will also be provided to help convert anganwadi centres into smart centres and facilitate digital work.
The CM addressed nearly 12,000 workers and helpers at the ICDS event in Ayodhya Dham, with ministers, MPs, MLAs and anganwadi personnel from all 75 districts participating virtually. He also handed over appointment letters to newly recruited workers and helpers.
Describing anganwadi centres as the starting point for building a healthy nation, Adityanath referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 2018 comparison of anganwadi workers with Mata Yashoda. He said young children first interact with anganwadi workers after their mothers and stressed that a healthy childhood was essential for creating a healthy, capable and self-reliant India.
The CM also spoke about the changes in honorarium since 2017. At that time, anganwadi workers received ₹3,000 a month and helpers ₹1,500. The amounts were subsequently linked to performance and increased to ₹8,000 and ₹4,000 respectively. The latest decision will further raise their monthly payments.
Adityanath said 1.28 lakh smartphones had already been distributed during the first phase to enable real-time data entry. The government has also allocated an additional ₹20 crore for providing the third saree at a cost of ₹500 each.
Following the announcement, the state government issued a government order approving the revised honorarium. Additional Chief Secretary (Women Welfare and Child Development) Leena Johri issued the order. The new rates will come into effect from September 2026, with the enhanced amount to be paid from October.
According to the government order, the increase takes into account the expanding responsibilities of anganwadi workers and helpers, including early childhood care and education, nutrition-related services, increased dependence on digital platforms and coordination among various government schemes.
The CM also criticised governments that were in power before 2017, alleging that anganwadi centres were then in poor condition, lacked drinking water and did not have adequate seating facilities, forcing children to bring their own mats. He further alleged that funds released by the Centre for nutrition programmes were diverted.
“The Centre gave money, but there was an insensitive government in the state. It did not buy anything for these anganwadi centres, and funnelled these funds to mafias. Thus, anganwadi centres had remained deserted,” he said.
Speaking about Ayodhya’s development, Adityanath said the city had undergone a major transformation over the past decade. He pointed to four-lane roads, the upgraded railway station and the international airport named after Maharishi Valmiki. He also highlighted the doubling of the railway line, redevelopment of Ram Ki Paidi and Ayodhya’s emergence as a solar city.
The CM accused the Samajwadi Party and Congress of opposing the Ram Temple as well as infrastructure projects such as roads, the railway station and airport. He said the opposition had not stopped either the Ram Temple movement or Ayodhya’s development and added that Ram Lalla was now seated in the grand temple as the city continued to transform.
Before the event, Adityanath visited departmental stalls, distributed ‘poshahar’ to women and conducted an ‘annaprashan’ ceremony for children. High-performing anganwadi centres and girls who participated in the Everest Base Camp campaign were also honoured.Agriculture Minister Surya Pratap Shahi, Women Welfare Minister Baby Rani Maurya, MoS Pratibha Shukla, Mayor Girishpati Tripathi and senior government officials attended the programme.
Adityanath reviews new Trust setup
Adityanath’s visit to Ayodhya also marked his first interaction with the CEO-led team of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust since the appointment of its new chief executive.
Air Marshal (Retd) Jeetendra Mishra, the newly appointed CEO, received the chief minister at the Ram temple on Tuesday. After offering prayers to Ram Lalla, Adityanath held an informal meeting with members of the Trust, including Treasurer Mahesh Bhagchandka and Mishra.
The meeting came after the Trust reorganised its management following the donation controversy.
According to sources, the CM discussed the newly introduced two-tier administrative system, financial management, security arrangements, pilgrim facilities and coordination with government departments. He is also understood to have stressed the need for greater transparency, stronger security and better facilities for the increasing number of devotees visiting Ayodhya.
Mishra formally assumed charge on September 8 and arrived in Ayodhya on Tuesday morning. Before Adityanath reached the temple, he chaired a meeting with Trust staff to review the existing administrative setup, including finance and accounts, internal audit, IT and digital monitoring, human resources, project management and pilgrim services.
Trust sources said Mishra told employees that he intended to establish a professional and transparent system in which all departments would function through a unified chain of command. This, he said, would reduce the need for trustees to become involved in routine administrative matters.
Mishra was appointed CEO at the Trust’s September 2 meeting in Ayodhya. He had also visited the city from September 3 to 5 to familiarise himself with the operations before formally taking charge.
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