Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Friday had announced in the Assembly that Subhadra will cover around one crore women, aged 21 to 60 years in the state.
The Odisha government has made the inclusion and exclusion criteria of its flagship pro-women initiative Subhadra Yojana flexible by allowing beneficiaries to avail the benefits whenever they become eligible during the next five years.
Unveiling the standard operating procedure (SOP) of the scheme in the state Assembly on Friday, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi had announced that Subhadra will cover around one crore women, aged 21 to 60 years in the state.
Official sources said if a woman, who is now 20-year-old and attains 21 years of age next year, will be eligible to avail the financial assistance and women who cross 60 years will be excluded. “Subhadra portal will be launched soon. There will be a window to apply for the scheme every year. Though it was planned to include one woman per family, the cabinet decided to extend it to all eligible women members. More than one per family if eligible can avail the assistance,” sources said.
Women beneficiaries, aged 21 years or more and less than 60 years as on July 1, 2024 can apply for the scheme by filling up the forms that will be available free of cost at Anganwadi centres, block offices and Jan Seva Kendras (common service centres). Though the government has barred women receiving financial assistance of Rs 1,500 per month or more or Rs 18,000 or more per annum under any state or central government scheme from availing Subhadra benefits, this exclusion criteria will not be applicable to widows/differently abled women and those with sickle cell anemia.
Deputy chief minister Pravati Parida said 1.08 crore women have been included in the list of beneficiaries. Women applicants can apply for the scheme through self declaration with approvals from their respective local MLAs, she said. “Widows and differently-abled women will be eligible even if they are included in other welfare schemes. Women artists and students, who are receiving allowances and scholarships will also get assistance under Subhadra. The first installment, which was proposed to be given on Rakhi Purnima, would be disbursed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his birthday on September 17,” said Parida, who is the Minister for Women and Child Development.
As per the SOP, women with family income of more than Rs 2.5 lakh and not covered under the national or state food security schemes are ineligible for Subhadra. Elected MP, MLAs and their family members, elected public representatives in ULBs or PRIs will be excluded, but women ward members and councillors will be considered for the scheme.
Employees, regular or contractual, in the state government and Centre, PSU, board or local body and those receiving pension after retirement are ineligible. Workers receiving honorarium and those engaged through outsourcing agencies would, however, be considered, if eligible. Similarly, elected and nominated or appointed representatives in any government or PSU or board, owners of more than five acre of irrigated land or 10 acre of non-irrigated land and four-wheeler cannot avail the scheme. However, owners of tractors, mini-trucks, small commercial vehicles and other similar light goods vehicles would be considered.
The scheme will be in-force till 2028-29 for which an outlay of Rs 55,825 crore has been made. The government has provisioned Rs 10,000 crore in the 2024-25 budget. The beneficiaries will get Rs 10,000 credited to their Aaadhaar-enabled bank account in two equal installments every year on International Women’s Day on Match 8 and Rakhi Purnima. A detailed guideline and application form will be released soon.
Article Credit: newindianexpress