Baripada: Taking a swipe at the previous Biju Janata Dal (BJD) government, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi Wednesday said the Naveen Patnaik-led administration was into the business of moneylending on the pretext of providing loans to the women self-help groups (SHGs) in the state. The Chief Minister said this while attending a function for disbursement of first installment of money under state government’s women-centric scheme ‘Subhadra Yojana’ here in Mayurbhanj district. “The then government had also turned the SHG scheme into an event management programme, on the pretext of women empowerment.
On the other hand, the present BJP government is all out to make the women self-reliant in every sphere,” said Majhi, while releasing the Subhadra money. Majhi along with Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida disbursed Rs 1,750 crore to bank accounts of 35 lakh beneficiaries during a function held at Chhaupadia here. Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the flagship scheme September 17 and, on that day, the first installment of Rs 5,000 was sent to the accounts of around 25.11 lakh beneficiaries. Majhi said the BJP government has fulfilled its promises made to the people. Subhadra Yojana is one of the major promises made by the BJP for women in its election manifesto in Odisha, he said.
A total of around 60 lakh women have so far received financial assistance under the scheme, he said, adding that so far, 1.20 crore women have registered under Subhadra Yojana. The Chief Minister said that Subhadra Yojana was the biggest scheme implemented in Odisha, covering over 1 crore women. Under the scheme, each beneficiary will receive Rs 10,000 per year in two installments of Rs 5,000 each one on Rakhi Purnima, and the other on International Women’s Day (March 8) for five years. They will get Rs 50,000 in five years under the scheme.
