Guwahati, March 10 Forty lakh families in Assam received Rs 9,000 each on Tuesday under the state government's flagship 'Orunodoi' scheme, with Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma emphasizing that the amount paid into the bank accounts of female beneficiaries was a reflection of the regime's compassionate approach.
He maintained that the scheme was not linked to the upcoming Assembly elections, pointing out that it was not universal but was intended only for women who met specific criteria.
"A historic step towards strengthening women-led households in Assam," the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said in a post on X after the central launch here, which was attended by Sarma.
"Reiterating the same, Hon'ble Chief Minister Dr. @himantabiswa transferred Rs 9,000 each to 40 lakh Orunodoi beneficiary families through Direct Benefit Transfer, further reinforcing financial security and dignity for women across the state," it added.
The CMO said that beneficiary women from across the state participated in the central event virtually through over 3,800 public programmes organized at Gaon Panchayats, Autonomous Council constituencies, Village Development Committees and Urban Ward Committees.
Orunodoi is a flagship poverty alleviation scheme of the BJP-led state government launched in 2020, under which one eligible female beneficiary per family receives Rs 1,250 per month.
Sarma had announced earlier that payment for four months from January this year, along with an additional amount for Bohag Bihu celebration (marking the Assamese New Year in mid-April), would be paid together in March, bringing the total amount to Rs 9,000.
Speaking to reporters after the launch, the chief minister maintained that the Orunodoi scheme was not linked to the elections.
"Unlike in other states, there is no mass transfer of benefit in this scheme. The transfer is limited to a specific category of women; it is a controlled scheme and not linked to the elections," he said.
Sarma claimed that if it were linked to the election, the coverage would have been universal.
"We have been giving Orunodoi with a lot of compassion. We have been doing it for six years now," he maintained.
"We are winning elections because of (PM) Narendra Modi ji and BJP, not due to schemes. These are ongoing schemes. Perhaps, Congress (ruled states) also have similar ones," the chief minister added.
