Assam CM virtually launches Orunodoi 2.0

Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma in a virtual meet launched Orunodoi 2.0 from Assam House in New Delhi.

"Our administration has been providing economic and nutritional security to lakhs of financially needy people throughout the state, and among them, the foremost has been Orunodoi scheme defined as the principal bead among the Ashtadash Mukutar Unnoyonee Maala in the Assam Budget 2020-2021," said the Chief Minister, adding that the greater version of Orunodoi is being introduced to guarantee the benefits reach the financially weak and underprivileged families of the country.

Under the expanded version of Orunodoi 2.0, 10.54 lakh more beneficiaries have been enrolled.

The state would have almost 27 lakh beneficiaries overall after the new inclusion.

Orunodoi is one of the biggest direct beneficiary transfer (DBT) programmes in the nation with an annual cash outlay of Rs. 4,142 crore.

Along with Deen Dayal Divyangjan Pension Scheme participants, beneficiaries of the Indira Miri Universal Widow Pension Scheme would be included in Orunodoi and receive Rs. 1,200 each month.

In a later interaction with the members of the district-level monitoring committees, the chief minister requested that they assure the seamless and trouble-free implementation of the programme.

From January 1 to 15, 2023, DLMC meetings will be held to finalise the beneficiaries, and on January 20, 2023, applications will be distributed to the chosen beneficiaries. Prior to it, Commissioner and Secretary of Finance Jayant Narlikar presented a presentation on Orunodoi 2.0, while Principal Secretary of Finance Samir Sinha offered the welcoming speech. Rajeev Chandra Joshi, the Principal Resident Commissioner for New Delhi, was also present.

The list of Orunodoi recipients has been updated under the Chief Minister Sarma's direction, removing individuals who no longer qualify for the financial assistance and adding others regardless of their political views. According to a representative of the Finance Department, "an Orunodoi month was held from August 20 this year during which a door-to-door survey of Orunodoi beneficiaries was carried out to involve a process of verification which led to the purification and enhancement of Orunodoi database."

On October 20 of last year, the Chief Minister presided over a review meeting and gave the district-level monitoring committees ten days to create a new list of beneficiaries. The list is being updated in light of surveys that college students have taken.

"The inclusion of eligible individuals or the deletion of ineligible individuals should be justified", he stated during the video conference with public representatives, deputy commissioners, and members of the district-level monitoring committees.

The Chief Minister added that the newly announced list of recipients should be "beyond political ideologies and partisan agendas."

A monthly stipend of Rs. 1,250 is given to each beneficiary of the poverty reduction programme Orunodoi, which was introduced on December 1, 2020. It is one of the 18 major programmes the Assam government currently has in place.

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