Guwahati, Dec 14: As many as 10.54 lakh fresh beneficiaries have been brought under the ambit of the Orunodoi 2.0 scheme, which was virtually launched by Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma from the conference hall of Assam House in New Delhi on Wednesday.
With the fresh inclusions, the total number of beneficiaries under the direct benefit transfer (DBT) scheme in the state has gone up to around 27 lakh.
A poverty alleviation scheme launched on December 1, 2020, Orunodoi is one of the 18 flagship schemes of the Assam government currently in operation.
The scheme entails a monthly grant of Rs 1,250 to each beneficiary. The Orunodoi benefit is usually transferred to the bank account of each beneficiary by the tenth day of every month.
The total financial outlay for the Orunodoi scheme is Rs 4,142 crore per annum, making it one of the largest direct beneficiary transfer (DBT) schemes in the country.
“Beneficiaries of Indira Miri Universal Widow Pension Scheme have also been enrolled in Orunodoi and they will get Rs 1,200 per month. Besides, beneficiaries of the Deen Dayal Divyangjan Pension Scheme have also been enrolled in DBT scheme,” the chief minister said.
“Our government has been extending economic and nutritional security to lakhs of financially vulnerable families across the state and amongst them, the foremost has been the Orunodoi scheme, described as the foremost bead among the ‘Ashtadash Mukutar Unnoyonee Maala’ in the Assam Budget 2020-2021,” the chief minister said.
Sarma further said that the greater version of Orunodoi has been launched to ensure the benefits reach the financially vulnerable and underprivileged families of the state.
The chief minister also interacted with the members of the district-level monitoring committees (DLMCs) and asked them to ensure smooth and hassle-free implementation of the scheme.
The conduct of DLMC meetings for finalisation of beneficiaries will take place from January 1 to 15, 2023, while application forms will be distributed among selected beneficiaries on January 20, 2023.
The collection and uploading of application forms in the portal will be completed on February 28, 2023.
It is pertinent to note that 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.
“An Orunodoi month was conducted from August 20 this year during which a door-to-door survey of Orunodoi beneficiaries was carried out to entail a process of verification which led to purification and enhancement of the Orunodoi database,” said an official of the finance department.
Chairing a review meeting on October 20 last, the chief minister directed the district-level monitoring committees 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 the exclusion of the ineligible people,” he said in the course of the video conference with public representatives, deputy commissioners and members of the district-level monitoring committees.
Sarma also appealed to those beneficiaries who have got government jobs to voluntarily withdraw from the scheme.