In a move likely to benefit over 90,000 community health workers, the Chhattisgarh Government has proposed a 54% hike to the honorarium of the Anganwadi workers across the state, Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel announced in the State Assembly while presenting the budget for FY 2023-24.

Mr Baghel, who also holds the finance portfolio, said that the honorarium of the Anganwadi helpers will be increased from Rs 3,250 to 5,000.

Similarly, mini-anganwadi workers will now be paid Rs 7500 instead of the existing Rs 4,500, the Chief Minister informed.

The state government has made a budgetary provision of Rs 107.302 crores for the health sector, of which revenue expenditure has been pegged at Rs 99.5 crore, while the allocation for capital expenditure has been allotted Rs 7.8 crores, the budget document reveals.

The government plans to build four medical colleges across the state for a total investment of Rs 200 crores, according to the Chief Minister.

While the allocation under the National Health Mission is kept at Rs 1200 Cr.,  Primary Health Centers will get Rs 611 Cr, the CM said.

The allocation for the District Hospitals has been kept at Rs 524 Cr, while the Mukhya Mantri Haat Baazar Clinic Yojna has been given Rs 13 Cr.

Mukhya Mantri Vishesh Swasthya Sahyata Yojna has been allocated Rs 50 Cr and Rs 111 Cr has been allocated for Mitanin Kalyan Nidhi 111, the budget document revealed.

The allocation for the Community Health Centers is kept at Rs 356 Cr., while the Sub Health Centers will get Rs 197 Cr.

The allocation for Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana and Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission has been allocated Rs 164 126 Crore, respectively.