Bhubaneswar, Aug 23 (FN Representative) Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi informed the Odisha Assembly on Friday of the approval of the cabinet on the implementation of the Subhadra Yojana for women in the state. Making a statement in the Assembly, Majhi said, “I take this opportunity on this auspicious day to inform this august House about the approval of a path-breaking initiative for women’s empowerment, SUBHADRA, by the State Cabinet. He said, as decided by the State Cabinet in its meeting held on August 22 at Lok Seva Bhawan, the scheme has been approved for implementation from the financial year 2024–25 to the financial year 2028–29.
The Chief Minister said an outlay of Rs 55,825.00 crore has been made for this initiative. The SUBHADRA Yojana, he said, will transform the lives of more than one crore women in the state, as it will cover all eligible women aged 21 years or older and less than 60 years. Majhi said a total of Rs 10,000 per annum will be paid in two instalments of Rs 5,000 each on Rakhi Purnima Day and International Women’s Day (March 8). Thus, an eligible woman beneficiary will get Rs. 50,000 in total in five years. In order to ensure transparency in providing the assistance, the payment will be made directly to the beneficiary’s Aadhaar-enabled single-holder (DBT) Bank Account through the Aadhaar Payment Bridge System (APBS),the Chief Minister said. A SUBHADRA Debit Card will also be issued to the beneficiaries, he added. In order to encourage digital transactions, the Chief Minister said 100 beneficiaries with maximum digital transactions will be identified in each Gram Panchayat and Urban Local Body and an additional incentive of Rs 500 shall be given to each of them.
Stating that the state government is committed towards ‘Antyodaya’, Majhi said hence, women from economically well-off families, Government servants or Income Tax payers will not be eligible under this scheme. Besides, women who are receiving assistance of Rs 1,500 or more per month or Rs 18,000 or more per year under any other government scheme will also be ineligible for inclusion under SUBHADRA scheme, the Chief Minister clarified. He said, “To avail the benefits under this scheme, the women can apply by filling up the forms available free of charge at Anganwadi Centres, Block Offices, Mo Seva Kendras, and Jan Seva Kendras. A call center will also be set up for ‘SUBHADRA’. The Women and Child Development Department will establish a SUBHADRA Society for the implementation and monitoring of the program. Majhi told the Assembly that the state government is taking steps to launch “SUBHADRA” at the earliest. This far-sighted and far-reaching decision of the State Cabinet will fulfill the assurance made by the government to the people of Odisha, he stated. Majhi said, “In this august house, I seek your active cooperation for the successful implementation of SUBHADRA and to ensure that no deserving woman is left out.”