Turning Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of direct benefit transfer into reality, the Himanta Biswa Sarma-led Assam government has launched a special scheme, Orunodoi 2.0, under which 10.54 lakh beneficiaries will be given Rs 1,250 every month, officials said.
With the fresh inclusion, the total number of beneficiaries under the poverty alleviation scheme, which was first launched on December 1, 2020, will be around 27 lakh. The Orunodoi benefit is usually transferred to the bank account of each beneficiary by the 10th day of every month, an official said. It is one of the 18 flagship schemes of the Assam government currently in operation.
"Our government has been extending economic and nutritional security to lakhs of financially vulnerable families across the state and the foremost among the schemes has been Orunodoi," Sarma said. The chief minister said the greater version of Orunodoi is being launched to ensure that the benefits reach the financially vulnerable and underprivileged families of the state. The total financial outlay for Orunodoi is Rs 4,142 crore per annum, making it one of the largest DBT schemes in the country.
The beneficiaries of the Indira Miri Universal Widow Pension Scheme will also be enrolled under Orunodoi and they will get a monthly amount of Rs 1,200, besides the beneficiaries of the Deen Dayal Divyangjan Pension Scheme. After launching the scheme, the chief minister interacted with the members of the district-level monitoring committees (DLMCs) and asked them to ensure its smooth and hassle-free implementation.
The DLMC meetings for the finalisation of the beneficiaries will take place from January 1 to 15, while the distribution of the application forms among the selected beneficiaries will start on January 20. The collection and uploading of the application forms on the portal will be completed by February 28, 2023.
Following a directive from the chief minister, there has been a revision of the list of Orunodoi beneficiaries by excluding those who no longer need the financial grant and including others irrespective of political ideologies, another official said. "An Orunodoi month was conducted from August 20, during which a door-to-door survey of Orunodoi beneficiaries was carried out to entail a process of verification, which led to the purification and enhancement of the Orunodoi database," the official added.
Chairing a review meeting on October 20, Sarma had directed the DLMCs to prepare a fresh list of beneficiaries within 10 days.The list is being revised on the basis of surveys conducted by college students. "Proper reasons should be cited for the inclusion of eligible people or exclusion of ineligible people," the chief minister told public representatives, deputy commissioners and members of the DLMCs.
He said the new list of beneficiaries should be "above political ideologies and partisan intentions". Sarma appealed to some beneficiaries, who have got government jobs, to voluntarily withdraw from the scheme.
