Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Sunday released the fourth instalment of the Subhadra Yojana to more than one crore women beneficiaries in the State.
On the occasion of International Women’s Day, the financial assistance was announced at a special event in Puri, where the CM said more than Rs 5,106 crore has been directly transferred to the bank accounts of beneficiaries.
Majhi wrote on X that the Yojana aims to strengthen financial independence and social security for women in Odisha.
The large gathering at the event and the response from beneficiaries reflected the scheme’s growing impact across the State, he noted.
Addressing the gathering, Majhi said the government’s flagship scheme is designed to support women not only through financial assistance but also by encouraging self-reliance, dignity, and confidence.
The government said its goal is to ensure that no eligible beneficiary is left out of the scheme.
According to a review report by IIM Sambalpur, many beneficiaries have used the financial support as seed money to start income-generating activities such as mushroom cultivation, bamboo crafts, and small businesses.
Majhi said the State aims to create 60 lakh “Lakhpati Didis” and 10 lakh “Millionaire Didis” by 2047, to help women increase their annual income beyond Rs 10 lakh.
He said women will play a key role as the growth engine for a prosperous Odisha by 2036 and a developed India by 2047, through progress in education, healthcare, and economic empowerment.
The chief minister also highlighted other measures aimed at strengthening women’s empowerment. These include the Odisha Mukhyamantri Kanya Bibaha Yojana and a proposed allocation of nearly Rs 19,000 crore for women in the 2026-27 State budget, which accounts for 6.1% of the total budget and 1.7% of the State’s Gross Domestic Product.
Speaking at the same venue, Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida said the Subhadra Yojana is not limited to financial assistance alone.
“In the coming days, the goal is to ensure that village development becomes women-centric. The scheme will play a key role in building a developed Odisha, while also becoming a source of dignity, security, and prosperity for women,” she said.
