Bhubaneswar: Calling it a “path-breaking” initiative for women empowerment in Odisha, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi Friday announced the standard operating procedure (SOP) for Subhadra Yojana.
The scheme entitles a financial assistance of Rs 10,000 annually for five years to over one crore women in the state, a source said.
Majhi made the announcement in the Assembly after the Cabinet approved the Subhadra Yojana scheme Thursday. The initiative is set to run from the 2024-25 fiscal through to 2028-29, with an allocated budget of Rs 55,825 crore, he said.
The yojana aims to significantly improve the lives of over one crore women by offering financial support. The scheme will be available to all eligible women aged between 21 and 60. Each beneficiary will receive Rs 10,000 per year in two installments of Rs 5,000 each — one on Rakhi Purnima and the other on International Women’s Day (March 8). Over five years, each eligible woman will receive a total of Rs 50,000, Majhi added.
To ensure transparency, funds will be deposited directly into the beneficiary’s Aadhaar-enabled bank accounts through the Aadhaar Payment Bridge System (APBS). Beneficiaries will also receive a Subhadra Debit Card. Additionally, in an effort to promote digital transactions, 100 beneficiaries with the highest number of digital transactions in each gram panchayat and urban local body will receive an extra incentive of Rs 500, the CM said.
Majhi emphasised the government’s commitment to “Antyodaya,” noting that women from economically well-off families, government employees, or income taxpayers will not be eligible for the scheme. Women receiving Rs 1,500 or more per month or Rs 18,000 or more per year from any other government scheme will also be excluded, he added.
How to apply?
To apply for the benefits, women can fill forms available for free at anganwadi centres, block offices, Mo seva kendras, jan seva kendras, and other locations. A call centre will be established for the yojana, the CM said.
The Chief Minister said the Women and Child Development Department will create a Subhadra Society to oversee the programme’s implementation and monitoring.
He expressed confidence that the scheme would fulfill the government’s promise to the people of Odisha and called for active cooperation to ensure no deserving woman is overlooked.
PNN & Agencies