CM gives away Subhadra aid to over 4.57L women

Bhubaneswar: CM Mohan Charan Majhi on Thursday disbursed financial assistance to over 4.57 lakh beneficiaries of the Subhadra scheme by releasing over Rs 315 crore through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).The beneficiaries included women who did not receive their first, second, and third instalments, as well as newly-registered beneficiaries for the 2025-26 financial year.With an annual outlay of Rs 11,000 crore, Subhadra is the largest women-centric scheme in post-Independence Odisha, Majhi said. Under the scheme, over 1 crore eligible women aged between 21 and 60 years will receive Rs 10,000 per year in 2 instalments for 5 years, amounting to total assistance of Rs 50,000 per beneficiary. Subhadra, he said, stands as a shining example of the govt’s commitment to the mothers and sisters of Odisha.Since the scheme’s launch in Sept 2024 assistance worth over Rs 15,000 crore was disbursed in 3 instalments. The 2 annual instalments are scheduled to be released every year on the occasions of Rakhi Purnima and International Women’s Day. Through this scheme, the govt aims to improve multiple dimensions of women’s lives, and the initiative is progressively achieving success, the chief minister said.“When a woman has money in her hands, her voice becomes stronger within the family and society. She can take decisions, plan for the future, and face challenges with courage. The Subhadra scheme aims to provide that confidence. Our goal is that no one should be left behind in the journey of development,” he said.The chief minister added that the govt’s commitment goes beyond the Subhadra scheme. In the current budget, a record provision of Rs 89,862 crore was made exclusively for women, which is nearly 30% of the total budget size.Speaking on the occasion, deputy chief minister Pravati Parida said the Subhadra scheme demonstrated that a woman can start her own enterprise through her own strength. The chief minister also felicitated 5 Subhadra beneficiaries, who successfully built their enterprises and handed over cheques to them.