The Mohan Charan Majhi government on Wednesday released ₹ 5,000 each to the bank accounts of 35 lakh women through DBT (Direct Benefit Transfer) under the Subhadra Yojana, the government's flagship programme.

The money, credited a day ahead of Durga Puja, has brought smiles on the faces of women who received it on Wednesday. It's considered the Puja Gift from the government for women.

Chief minister Majhi released the money at a special function held at Baripada, the district headquarters of Mayurbhanj and the home district of President Droupadi Murmu. Those women who were excluded from the first phase of disbursement due to various reasons received the money today in their bank accounts. Majhi gave the Subhadra money to 10 women on the stage and immediately, the money was credited to the accounts of 35 lakh women across the state.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Subhadra scheme on September 17, his birthday. On that day, more than 25 lakh women received the money under the Subhadra scheme in the first phase. With today’s disbursement of money, more than 60 lakh women have received the incentives under the Subhadra scheme. Under the scheme, all eligible women will be given ₹ 50,000 each in five years, with ₹ 10,000 paid every year.

On Wednesday, the government disbursed ₹ 1,750 crore in the second phase under the Subhadra scheme. With this amount, so far the state government has disbursed around Rs 3000 crore to the accounts of women under the Subhadra scheme,

Majhi said: “The Subhadra scheme will translate the dreams and aspirations of women into a reality. The Subhadra scheme has given a ray of hope to women.”

On this occasion, the chief minister felicitated Umarani Mohanty of Basuaghai panchayat under Bhubaneswar block as the first beneficiary under Subhadra scheme and Dayamani Kujjur of Sorada village under Nuagaon block in Sundergarh district for being enrolled in the serial number one crore.

Deputy chief minister Pravati Parida said: “This is the biggest welfare scheme for women in the state undertaken by our government. All eligible women will receive the money. We will initiate a mass contact programme and reach out to the people at the grassroots level so that no eligible woman is left behind. Subhadra will transform the lives of more than one crore women of the state. It will cover all eligible women aged 21 years or above and less than 60 years."