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 asserting that it was not an "election freebie" but a manifestation of the regime's compassionate approach towards the women beneficiaries.
He emphasized that the scheme was not universal but was only for women who met specific criteria, making it a "controlled" scheme and not linked with the upcoming Assembly polls.
"Rs 3,600 crore directly into the bank accounts of 40 lakh women – and NO, this is not an election freebie," Sarma said in a post after attending the central launch programme here.
He said that through 'Orunodoi', one of the country's first beneficiary transfer schemes, eligible families are receiving monthly financial assistance since 2020.
Every month on the 10th, nearly 40 lakh women-led families receive Rs 1,250 to cover their basic expenses, Sarma said.
"To ensure that the #AssamElections2026 does not hamper this process, we have transferred Rs 9,000 together for 4 months of #Orunodoi & a Rs 4,000 Bihu bonus," he added.
The chief minister claimed that the results of Orunodoi have been felt on the ground and demonstrate how effective targeted poverty alleviation schemes can be.
"Millions of people have been pulled out of poverty, and, along with other schemes, a comprehensive safety net has been established to ensure they remain poverty-free," Sarma added.
Orunodoi is a flagship poverty alleviation scheme of the BJP-led state government, launched in 2020, under which one eligible woman beneficiary per family receives Rs 1,250 per month.
Sarma had announced earlier that payments for four months from January this year, along with an additional amount for Bohag Bihu celebration (marking the Assamese New Year in mid-April), will 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 benefits in this scheme. The transfer is limited to a certain category of women; it is a controlled scheme and not linked to elections," he said.
Sarma claimed that if it had been linked to the election, the coverage would have been universal.
"We have been providing Orunodoi with a lot of compassion. We have been doing this for six years now," he maintained.
"We are winning elections because of (PM) Narendra Modi ji and the BJP, not because of schemes. These are ongoing schemes. Perhaps, the Congress (ruling states) also have similar ones," the chief minister added.
The Chief Minister's Office (CMO), also in a post on X, said that it is a "historic step towards strengthening women-led households in Assam".
"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 joined the central event virtually through over 3,800 public programmes organised at Gaon Panchayats, Autonomous Council constituencies, Village Development Committees, and Urban Ward Committees.
