The BJP government on Tuesday, December 1, launched its flagship scheme named ‘Orunodoi’ ahead of the assembly elections in Assam next year.
The scheme was announced in the state budget with an annual outlay of Rs 2,400 crore. It was rolled out with 20 lakh families in 29 districts as beneficiaries.
Under the scheme, the state government would transfer Rs 830 per month to the account of one of the female members of the families.
Sarbananda Sonowal, chief minister of Assam launched the scheme along with Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
‘This scheme aims not only to provide financial benefits, but several objectives of public welfare are associated with this. Food security is one of the objectives of the Orunodoi scheme. ₹ 830 has been provided so that the beneficiary can buy medicines of ₹ 400 every month. 5 kg of lentils can be purchased at ₹ 200. ₹ 80 can be spent on buying sugar. The remaining ₹ 150 will be spent in buying fruit,’ said Himanta Biswa Sarma.
The Chief Minister thanked Sarma and his team for their hard-working efforts to implement the scheme, reported NDTV.
The government in a statement said, ‘This marks a shift in the approach to poverty alleviation programme in Assam, where the government does not decide how money should be spent for the poor, but where substantial cash transfer to households enables them to make informed decision to spend money on health and nutrition.’
The basic requirements of health and nutrition of a household were kept in mind while the government designed this programme.
The scheme will benefit the poor households as it will support the family to buy medicines worth ₹400 per month, subsidy worth 50 per cent of 4 kg pulses worth ₹200, subsidy worth ₹80 for sugar and subsidy worth ₹150.
The medical and nutritional support will have a consolidated inflow of ₹830 per month to a family.
Ensuring timely credit of the right subsidy amount to the beneficiary directly or to a nominated female head of the household is another feature of this programme.
The government said that the female head of the household who have missed opening bank accounts can approach the nearest banking facility or a banking correspondent to open their bank accounts under Jan Dhan Yojana.
The application process for the scheme started in September this year and preference have been given to households having widow, unmarried women and differently-abled people.
Households having four-wheeler, tractor, TV and fridge are not eligible for the scheme
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