
BHUBANESWAR: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Wednesday announced that the scope of the government’s flagship Subhadra scheme will be expanded beyond just the financial support of `50,000 to empowering the women beneficiaries with entrepreneurial skills and hand-holding.
Terming it as ‘Subhadra to Mudra’, Majhi and deputy chief minister Pravati Parida, at a session during the Utkarsh Odisha Conclave, called upon the beneficiaries to invest the assistance amount gainfully without spending them casually.
With this intent, the state government will now focus on skilling of Subhadra beneficiaries and teach them how to do business. They will be encouraged and trained to use their money in setting up small businesses, make products or render services so that they become financially independent. The government will provide all support to ensure market linkage for them, Majhi said.
Two MoUs were signed - one with Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Sambalpur and another with World Skill Centre - for research on ways to improve the Subhadra scheme and its impact, and skilling of Subhadra beneficiaries respectively.
Parida said besides providing financial support to the women, emphasis will also be on their digital and financial literacy, improvement in entrepreneurship and leadership skills. She announced Suna Subhadra, Kuha Subhadra, and Subhadra Setu initiatives under which beneficiaries can get their queries answered or grievances attended to by the department.
Under Subhadra Setu, beneficiaries attaining 21 years of age will be brought into the fold of the scheme. “This apart, adolescent girls who are currently enrolled under Advika scheme will be told about the Subhadra scheme so that they enroll for the scheme when they turn 21 and also mentor others about it,” she said.
Giving out the statistics of the scheme, principal secretary Shubha Sarma said 25 pc of the Subhadra beneficiaries are in the age group of 21-30 years while 32 pc are in 31-40 age group. Similarly, the percentage of beneficiaries in the 41 to 50 age group is 27 and that in 51 to 60 age group is 16.
She further informed that of the 80 lakh women who have received the first instalment of money, 22,148 have opted to collect it in the central bank digital currency format (digital coins).