On his 74th birthday, September 17, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch the Subhadra Yojana, a financial assistance scheme for women in Odisha. The scheme aims to provide Rs 10,000 annually to women beneficiaries between the ages of 21 and 60.
Massive Launch Event Planned
The Odisha government, led by Mohan Charan Majhi, is organizing a grand event in Bhubaneswar’s Janata Maidan for the launch. Women from across the state will gather, and the program will be broadcast live at the panchayat and block levels.
Eligibility and How It Works
Under the Subhadra Yojana, over 1 crore women will receive Rs 10,000 annually, divided into two instalments of Rs 5,000. These payments will be made on Rakhi Purnima in August and International Women’s Day in March. Eligible women must have an Aadhaar-enabled bank account, and e-KYC is mandatory. More than 50 lakh women have already registered.
Who Qualifies?
Women from economically disadvantaged backgrounds are eligible. However, government employees, income tax payees, and those receiving Rs 18,000 or more annually from other government schemes are excluded.
Financial Details
The state has allocated Rs 55,825 crore for the scheme over five years. For the current financial year, Rs 10,000 crore has been set aside to support the program.
Political Impact
The Subhadra Yojana was a key election promise by the BJP, which helped the party win 20 of the state’s 21 Lok Sabha seats. The scheme is seen as a direct challenge to the BJD’s Mission Shakti, which had been successful in mobilizing women voters for years.