Uttar Pradesh Government Raises Panchayat Assistant Honorarium, Ends Protests

LUCKNOW — The Uttar Pradesh government announced a series of welfare measures for Panchayat Assistants on Wednesday, including a 50 percent hike in their monthly honorarium and enhanced service security. Following the announcements, protesting assistants called off their agitation in Lucknow.

Under the decisions announced by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the monthly honorarium for Panchayat Assistants has been increased from ₹6,000 to ₹9,000. Panchayati Raj Minister Om Prakash Rajbhar briefed reporters about the concessions after holding discussions with representatives of the protesting staff.

The policy changes introduce strict service protections, removing the authority of village pradhans and panchayat secretaries to dismiss assistants directly. Going forward, any termination can only be executed through a committee headed by the district magistrate. Additionally, the administration will withdraw legal cases registered against Panchayat Assistants during their protests and reinstate previously removed personnel.

The administrative package also extends cashless medical treatment and maternity leave to female personnel. More than 57,000 Panchayat Assistants across the state are set to benefit from the revisions. Following cabinet approval, the revised monthly honorarium will be transferred directly to beneficiaries’ bank accounts via Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).