Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has urged people across the state to light lamps in every household for an hour on September 17 to mark the completion of two years of the flagship Subhadra Yojana, Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida said on Wednesday.
Parida, who also holds the Women & Child Development, Mission Shakti and Tourism portfolios, made the appeal at a press conference at Lok Seva Bhawan here, asking people to light lamps between 6 pm and 7 pm on Thursday and celebrate the occasion as a symbol of women’s empowerment, dignity and self-reliance.
Highlighting the progress of the scheme, she said more than ₹25,800 crore had been transferred through five instalments directly into the bank accounts of over 1.03 crore women under the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mechanism during the last two years.
According to assessments by IIM Sambalpur, SBI and NITI Aayog cited by the minister, more than 26 per cent of women in the state have become self-reliant as independent entrepreneurs through the scheme.
September 17 will also be observed as the Day of Resolution for Women’s Empowerment and Self-Respect, Parida said. Rangoli competitions and special programmes will be organised at all ICDS projects, Anganwadi centres and CDPO offices across the state.
She said the department was committed to making Odisha 100 per cent free from malnutrition through the Poshan Abhiyan and building a “Suposhita O Viksit Odisha” (Well-nourished and Developed Odisha).
Parida appealed to people to participate in the lamp-lighting programme and celebrate the occasion in a festive manner.
