Bhubaneswar: Making a startling revelation on Subhadra Yojana in Odisha, Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida said 157 male applicants were found attempting to benefit from the welfare scheme exclusively meant for women. Speaking to mediapersons on Wednesday, Parida stated that the irregularities came the fore during the sorting of application forms, where Aadhaar-linked bank data exposed the misuse.
Many applications had identical names and spellings for both the applicant and their Aadhaar-linked beneficiary, raising red flags. In Odisha, may names are used both for men and women and even the spellings are confusing. That might have been the reason for such inclusions, she further stated.
"The fraudulent applications have been excluded from the scheme. It is strange to see that despite the clear mention that it is a scheme only for women, why would the men even apply for it,” said Parida.
The Subhadra Yojana currently has over one crore applications, with nearly 2 lakh still pending approval. A major portion of these pending cases involve migrant workers who have left the state for employment somewhere outside. Parida said such women are encouraged to apply as early as possible. "Financial aid under the scheme will reach eligible women, including those living outside Odisha, by the end of January," she informed.
In its fourth phase, the Subhadra Yojana will benefit over 20 lakh women. The government is prioritising efforts to include migrants and other last-mile beneficiaries, particularly in districts like Ganjam, Mayurbhanj, Sambalpur, Balangir, Koraput, and Angul where many women have been left out. “We are committed to ensuring no eligible woman is left behind," Parida added.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had inaugurated the scheme on September 17, 2024 and on that day, the first instalment of Rs 5,000 was sent directly to the bank accounts of around 25.11 lakh beneficiaries.
Subhadra Yojana, named after the sister of Lord Jagannath, was one of the major promises made by the BJP for women in its election manifesto in Odisha. The party came to power in June, 2024.
Under the scheme, all eligible women between the age of 21 and 60 years would receive Rs 50,000 over a period of five years between 2024-25 and 2028-29. The amount gets 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.
Among those who will be excluded from the scheme are women from economically well-off families, government employees, and income-tax payees. Even those wom who receive Rs 1,500 or more assistance per month (or Rs 18,000 or more per year) under any other government scheme will also not be included in the scheme.
Since there is no last date to register, the process will continue until all eligible beneficiaries have been registered.
As per official sources, Rs 55,825 crore has been earmarked by the government for the scheme for five years from 2024-25 to 2028-29 while for 2024-25, Rs 10,000 crore has been slotted.
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