SUBHADRA: A Game-Changer in Women-Led Development in Odisha

True to its electoral promise, the BJP government in its very first cabinet meeting on 17 June 2024 approved SUBHADRA Yojana marking the beginning of the biggest ever scheme for women empowerment in the state and today coinciding with the International Women's Day.

- Pravati Parida

True to its electoral promise, the BJP government in its very first cabinet meeting on 17 June 2024 approved SUBHADRA Yojana marking the beginning of the biggest ever scheme for women empowerment in the state and today coinciding with the International Women's Day. Over one crore women beneficiaries have received financial assistance under the scheme.

Designed to provide financial assistance and promote economic self-reliance, the scheme has already benefited over 98 lakh women within just six months of its launch by PM Narendra Modi.

Recognizing the pivotal role of women in Odisha's economy—particularly in agriculture, small enterprises, and homemaking—the new government, which ended the 24-year rule of the BJD, wasted no time in acting on its promise of women-led development.

The Department of Women and Child Development (WCD) was tasked with formulating the scheme's framework, ensuring it was built on real needs rather than mere bureaucratic policies. A key step in this process was extensive stakeholder consultations across 10 districts, allowing women themselves to shape the program's core vision.

This participatory approach led to two central pillars: Targeting women between 21 and 60 years, the most economically productive age group. Ensuring Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) into single-holder bank accounts, eliminating middlemen and ensuring financial inclusion.