Tripura to give allowances to female domestic workers, transgenders, AIDS patients

Agartala: The Left Front government in Tripura on Tuesday announced monthly allowances for female domestic workers, transgenders, leprosy and AIDS patients and anganwadi workers.

Tripura chief minister Manik Sarkar said after a cabinet meeting that the state government had implemented 20 schemes to provide allowances to different categories of people, benefiting 107,060 people every month."In today's (Tuesday) cabinet meeting, we decided to extend allowances ranging from Rs.350 to Rs.500 per head to women domestic workers, transgenders and leprosy and AIDS workers," Sarkar told the media.This will put an additional burden of Rs.2.33 crore on the state exchequer.The council of ministers also decided to give monthly allowances of Rs.500 and Rs.350 to anganwadi workers and helpers respectively after they retire at the age of 60.The chief minister said that one-time lump sum payment of Rs.50,000 and Rs.30,000 would be given to anganwadi workers and helpers respectively in case they do not opt for monthly allowances.This financial benefit would also be extended to the legal heirs of anganwadi workers and helpers dying in harness on completion of a minimum five years in service.There are around 10,000 anganwadi centres in Tripura, with each having one anganwadi worker and one anganwadi helper.IANS