BHUBANESWAR: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Thursday disbursed financial assistance to more than 4.57 lakh beneficiaries under the state government’s flagship Subhadra Yojana. However, what stood out was the chief minister’s effort to check in real-time, whether the scheme was working as intended.
Immediately after transferring over Rs 315 crore to the accounts of the beneficiaries at a state-level function here, he paused the proceedings and asked them if the Rs 5,000 instalment had been credited to their bank accounts and whether they had received confirmation messages on their mobile phones.
When several beneficiaries did not respond in the affirmative, the chief minister sought an explanation from officials on the dais on the reason behind the delay. Going further, he directed the officials to check the mobiles of the beneficiaries seated in the auditorium and find out whether there was a credit message from the bank. He also interacted with a beneficiary from Keonjhar district who received the third instalment under the scheme.
Adressing the gathering, he said Subhadra Yojana, with an annual outlay of Rs 11,000 crore, is the largest women-centric scheme in post-Independence Odisha. Under this scheme, over one crore eligible women aged 21 to 60 years are receiving Rs 10,000 per year in two instalments, amounting to a total of Rs 50,000 over five years. He emphasised that Subhadra is a living example of the government’s commitment to women empowerment. So far, more than Rs 15,000 crore has been disbursed in three instalments to the beneficiaries.
Majhi said the government aims to improve multiple aspects of women’s lives and is gradually becoming successful. “When a woman has money in her hands, her voice becomes stronger in the family and society. She can make decisions, plan for the future, and face challenges with courage. Subhadra aims to provide that confidence,” he added.
Stating that the government’s plan for women empowerment is not limited to Subhadra scheme alone, the chief minister said in the 2025-26 budget Rs 89,862 crore, about 30 per cent of the total budget, has been allocated for schemes linked with development of women. “The assistance provided under Subhadra has strengthened the financial backbone of women in the state and given a boost to their development,” he said.
Deputy chief minister Pravati Parida said Subhadra has taught women to start their own enterprises independently. With dignity, self-reliance and self-respect, we can build a prosperous and developed Odisha, she said.
During the event, the CM honoured five successful Subhadra beneficiaries and handed over assistance cheques to them.