Odisha Subhadra Yojana: PM Modi Launches Flagship Scheme On His 74th Birthday

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the 'Subhadra Yojana', the flagship programme of Odisha's newly elected BJP government at the Janata Maidan on Tuesday, which also marks his 74th birthday. Under the scheme, which is expected to benefit over one crore women of the state, Rs 10,000 will be transferred to the bank accounts of female beneficiaries in two instalments every year.

Puri:Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday arrived in Odisha and launched the Subhadra Yojana, the state government’s scheme to transfer Rs 10,000 per year to eligible women beneficiaries in the state between the ages of 21 and 60 on his 74th birthday. It was cleared by the state cabinet last month.

He also visited Sabar Sahi slum in Gadakana in Bhubaneswar and inaugurated the houses of beneficiaries of PMAY-Urban. Accompanied by Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, Modi spent around 30 minutes with the beneficiaries of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Urban and interacted with them.

Subhadra Scheme:Every year, on Rakhi Purnima and International Women's Day (March 8), the state government, through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), will deposit Rs 10,000 into the beneficiaries' accounts in two instalments of Rs 5,000 each. This arrangement will last for five years, between the fiscal years 2024–25 and 2028–29.

Naming Of Scheme:The yojana is named after Goddess Subhadra, the younger sister of deity, Lord Jagannath, who is revered and adored in the state. Lord Jagannath is always depicted as part of a triad of deities that includes Subhadra and their oldest sibling, Balabhadra.

How the Scheme Will Work:The amount will be deposited directly into the beneficiary’s Aadhaar-enabled single-holder bank account. It is to be noted that the government has made e-KYC mandatory for the scheme. It will also offer a Subhadra Debit Card to the beneficiaries.

Additional Incentive:An extra incentive of Rs 500 will be given to the 100 beneficiaries with the most digital transactions in each gram panchayat and urban local body region.

Who Cannot Avail Scheme:The scheme will not be available to women from wealthy families, or paying income taxes and female government workers. Women who receive support from any other government programme for at least Rs 1,500 per month (or Rs 18,000 per year) would likewise not be eligible.

Security Checks For Programme: The BJP-led Mohan Charan Majhi government has planned a programme at Bhubaneswar’s Janata Maidan to launch the scheme where a huge gathering of women from across the state is expected. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Sunday, September 16, reviewed security and other related arrangements at the said venue.

Ahead of the launch, a high-level meeting was chaired here under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja, DGP and IGPs. All government departments have been asked to use the Subhadra logo while communicating and on their social media handles.

CM's Statement:The CM's office said, “For this, there will be a huge public meeting in Bhubaneswar. Given this, the state government has decided that all the schools and colleges of Bhubaneswar will be completely closed on that day and the government offices will be closed for the first half of the day”

Timing:On Tuesday, which also marks his 74th birthday, PM Modi will launch the Subhadra Yojana at the Janata Maidan between 12 noon to 1 PM, officials said.

Programme Schedule:PM Modi will first go to the Gadakana Basti where he will interact with the beneficiaries of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Urban (PMAY-U) from 11.15 AM to 11.45 AM. Next up, he will proceed to Janata Maidan at 11.55 AM to launch the 'Subhadra Yojana'.

The Subhadra project was the primary campaign promise made by the BJP before the Assembly and Parliament elections, which resulted in the party winning 20 of the 21 Lok Sabha seats in the state and ending 24 years of Biju Janata Dal (BJD) rule.

Other Launches:PM Modi will launch "Awas + 2024" and also lay the foundation stone for various railway projects worth Rs 2,871 crore on Tuesday. He is scheduled to leave for New Delhi from the Bhubaneswar Airport at 1.20 PM.

He will also offer sanction letters to 10 lakh beneficiaries from different states. Additionally, he will virtually take part in the Griha Pravesh celebrations of the 26 lakh PMAY (Gramin and Urban) beneficiaries from all over the nation.