He maintained that the scheme was not linked with the coming Assembly elections, pointing out that it was not a universal one but only meant for women who fulfilled specific criteria.
“A historic step towards strengthening women-led households in Assam,” the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) said in a post on X after the central launch here, which was attended by Sarma.
“Reiterating the same, Hon’ble Chief Minister Dr. @himantabiswa transferred Rs 9,000 each to 40 lakh Orunodoi beneficiary families through Direct Benefit Transfer, further reinforcing financial security and dignity for women across the state,” it added.
The CMO said that beneficiary women from across the state joined the central event virtually through over 3,800 public programmes organised at Gaon Panchayats, Autonomous Council constituencies, Village Development Committees and Urban Ward Committees.
Orunodoi is a flagship poverty alleviation scheme of the BJP-led state government launched in 2020, under which one eligible woman beneficiary per family receives Rs 1,250 per month.
Sarma had announced earlier that payment for four months from January this year, along with an additional amount for Bohag Bihu celebration (marking the Assamese New Year in mid-April), will be paid together in March, taking the total amount to Rs 9,000.Talking to reporters after the launch, the chief minister maintained that the Orunodoi scheme was not linked with the elections.
“Unlike in other states, there is no mass transfer of benefit in this scheme. The transfer is limited to certain category of women, it is a controlled scheme and not linked with election,” he said.
Sarma claimed that had it been linked with the election, coverage would have been universal.
“We have been giving Orunodoi with a lot of compassion. We have been doing it for six years now,” he maintained.
“We are winning elections because of (PM) Narendra Modi ji and BJP, not due to schemes. These are ongoing schemes. Perhaps, Congress (ruled states) also have similar ones,” the chief minister added.
