Guwahati, Dec 2 (IANS): The Assam government on Tuesday launched its biggest flagship scheme ‘Orunodoi to empower 18.20 lakh poor families by focusing on women and specially-abled persons.
Assam Chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal, accompanied by Finance and Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, launched the scheme at a function in Amingaon to provide Rs 830 per month to meet the medical and nutritional needs of the targeted poor families.
Later Sonowal tweeted: "With the holistic vision of alleviating poverty, launched the massive cash transfer scheme ‘Orunodoi' and distributed sanction letters."
In his tweet, Sarma said: "Orunodoi, a scheme worth Rs 2,800 crore, shall help marginalised households of Assam purchase essential commodities like nutritional items and medicines. It is the largest ever direct benefit transfer (DBT) scheme."
"Orunodoi is designed keeping in mind that women are primary caretakers of households and therefore the benefits are best transferred to their accounts. The women need to ensure that they have a bank account under the Jan Dhan Yojana," the Finance Minister said in a separate tweet.
"The Orunodoi scheme is the biggest scheme in Assam which would initially benefit at least 18.20 lakh families and the number would subsequently increase," he added.
"Rs 830 per month aid would mean an additional annual income of Rs 10,000 for the poor households to meet their medical and nutritional needs, besides to meet the additional expenditure during various festivals," Sarma said.
The beneficiary family could spend the amount to buy medicines, pulses, sugar, vegetables and fruits.
The minister also said that under the Orunodoi scheme, priority would be given to the households with widows, divorced, unmarried or separated women, and disabled persons.
To avail the benefits of the scheme, the beneficiary should be a permanent resident of Assam and her composite household income should be less than Rs 2 lakh per annum, Sarma added.
According to the minister, the state government through the district administrations has already selected 18.20 lakh recipients in 29 districts, which is expected to go up to 22 lakh as the four districts under the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) were not included because of the model code of conduct in place there for the December 7 and 10 BTC polls.