Guwahati, Aug 1 (PTI): Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday asserted that his government’s flagship programme ‘Orunodoi’ has emerged as a dependable social security framework that empowers families, especially women.
He said that the scheme has also ensured financial inclusion for the beneficiary families as he launched Orunodoi 3.0 here.
Over 37 lakh women will receive a monthly amount of Rs 1,250 in their bank accounts under the scheme, which was launched by the BJP-led state government in 2020 as one of its core poverty alleviation programmes.
“Over the years, #Orunodoi has evolved beyond a welfare programme into a dependable social security framework that empowers families while ensuring financial inclusion,” Sarma said in a post on X after the launch.
“Today, we resumed the monthly financial assistance under Orunodoi 3.0 to over 37 lakh women, our first Budget announcement implementation and the first scheme kicked off after receiving the people’s mandate in May,” he added.
The chief minister said that the Orunodoi architecture has been strengthened by giving beneficiaries greater convenience and choice.
Aadhaar-based beneficiary verification to ensure that assistance reaches only genuine beneficiaries while eliminating duplication has been introduced, he said.
Further, dedicated Orunodoi Sarathis will be deployed in every Assembly constituency to assist beneficiaries with enrolment, grievance redressal and any other support they may require.
“But that’s not all, we have a comprehensive plan to expand the scheme and make it more robust. As promised to my mothers & sisters, the scope of Orunodoi will be expanded, and the amount will be gradually increased,” Sarma maintained. He added that it is been planned to allow beneficiaries to have access to interest-free small loans against their annual Orunodoi entitlement, with repayments adjusted from future monthly assistance.
“The annual borrowing limit currently stands at Rs 15,000, and beneficiaries will not have to pay any interest. Those who prefer may also avail loans through banks, with repayments seamlessly deducted from their monthly Orunodoi assistance,” Sarma added.
The chief minister affirmed the government’s commitment to “continuously strengthen Orunodoi, making it more accessible, more responsive and more empowering for every family it serves”.
