Odisha Deputy Chief Minister and Minister of Women and Child Development, Pravati Parida, announced that over 98 lakh women have already received benefits under the state’s Subhadra Scheme, with further assistance planned for March 6 and International Women’s Day on March 8.
“We have provided benefits of the Subhadra Scheme to more than 98 lakh women so far. Our target is to reach over 1 crore women,” said Parida. “On March 6, assistance will be provided to more than 1,70,000 women, and on March 8, we will distribute Rs 5,000 crore to 1 crore women.”
The Subhadra Scheme, aimed at empowering women across Odisha, was announced by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi in the state legislative assembly in August 2024. The state cabinet approved the scheme on August 22, 2024, with an outlay of Rs 55,825 crore for implementation from the financial year 2024-25 to 2028-29.
The initiative aims to transform the lives of over 1 crore women in the state, targeting eligible women aged 21 to 60 years. Under the scheme, each beneficiary will receive Rs 10,000 annually, paid in two instalments of Rs 5,000 each—one on Rakhi Purnima Day and the other on International Women’s Day. Over the course of five years, each woman will receive a total of Rs 50,000.
To ensure transparency and efficiency, the payments will be directly transferred to beneficiaries’ Aadhaar-linked single-holder bank accounts through the Aadhaar Payment Bridge System (APBS). Beneficiaries will also receive a Subhadra Debit Card.
Encouraging digital transactions is a key feature of the scheme. In each Gram Panchayat and Urban Local Body, the 100 women making the highest number of digital transactions will receive an additional incentive of Rs 500.
The scheme is focused on supporting economically disadvantaged women. Therefore, women from well-off families, government employees, or income tax payees are not eligible. Additionally, women already receiving Rs 1,500 or more per month or Rs 18,000 or more per year from other government schemes will also be excluded from Subhadra.
With the Subhadra Scheme, the Odisha government continues its commitment to women’s empowerment and economic upliftment, ensuring targeted assistance reaches those who need it most.
