BHUBANESWAR, ODISHA: Ahead of the 2024-25 fiscal state budget, the BJP government is poised to finalize the details and eligibility criteria for the Subhadra Yojana, a flagship women's welfare scheme named after Devi Subhadra.
According to sources, the scheme will provide a Rs 50,000 cash voucher to one eligible woman per family, aged between 21 and 59 years. Exclusions include families with government or semi-government salaried employees and income tax payers. Beneficiaries are likely to include divorced, widowed, or abandoned women who are local residents and have a self-declared income of not more than Rs 1.5 lakh.
The funds are intended for expenditures that enhance women's socio-economic status, such as education, healthcare, and entrepreneurial ventures, with certain restrictions on encashment for specific items. The scheme is planned to run for five years, with beneficiaries receiving Rs 10,000 annually.
"Detailed guidelines, including eligibility criteria and exclusions, will be notified soon, and a window will be opened for applications from eligible beneficiaries," sources told The New Indian Express.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has announced that the scheme will launch on September 17, coinciding with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's birthday. The first cabinet meeting of the new BJP government, held on June 12, had approved the Subhadra Yojana, a key election promise.
The Women and Child Development department was tasked with preparing the scheme guidelines and estimating the required budget. The scheme will commence after cabinet approval, with funds allocated in the upcoming state budget, sources said.