Around 40 lakh families in Assam received ₹9,000 each on Monday under the State government’s flagship Orunodoi Scheme, with Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma stating that the transfer reflects the government’s commitment to supporting women-led households.
The amount was transferred directly to the bank accounts of women beneficiaries through the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) during a central event held in Guwahati.
In a post on X, the Chief Minister’s Office described the initiative as a “historic step towards strengthening women-led households in Assam.” It said the transfer of ₹9,000 to beneficiary families would further reinforce financial security and dignity for women across the State.
Women beneficiaries from across Assam joined the programme virtually through more than 3,800 public events organised at Gaon Panchayats, Autonomous Council constituencies, Village Development Committees and Urban Ward Committees.
Launched in 2020, the Orunodoi scheme is a major poverty alleviation initiative of the BJP-led Assam government. Under the scheme, one eligible woman from each beneficiary family receives ₹1,250 per month as financial assistance.
Sarma had earlier announced that payments for four months starting January this year, along with an additional amount for Bohag Bihu celebrations, would be released together in March, taking the total amount to ₹9,000.
Speaking to reporters after the programme, the Chief Minister said the scheme was not linked to the upcoming Assembly elections.
“Unlike in other States, there is no mass transfer of benefits in this scheme. The transfer is limited to certain categories of women. It is a controlled scheme and not linked with elections,” Sarma said.
He added that if the scheme had been designed with elections in mind, it would have been made universal in coverage.
“We have been giving Orunodoi with a lot of compassion. We have been doing it for six years now,” Sarma said, adding that the BJP wins elections due to the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and not because of welfare schemes.