Bhubaneswar/Jeypore: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Saturday said the Subhadra Yojana has opened a “new chapter of progress and transformation” in the lives of Odisha’s women, enabling financial independence and entrepreneurship for lakhs of families across the state.
Speaking at Jeypore in Koraput district during the disbursement of the third installment of Odisha’s largest women’s empowerment scheme, Majhi also unveiled an ambitious development push for the district—laying the foundation for 436 projects worth over ₹452 crore and inaugurating 126 projects valued at ₹309.42 crore, taking the total to ₹762 crore. These projects span education, healthcare, roads, bridges, and tourism infrastructure.
The CM announced that the Vande Bharat Express will soon operate between Jeypore and Bhubaneswar, that the Jeypore paper mill will be revived, and that a new college will be established in the area.
Majhi highlighted that the Subhadra Yojana has become a “ray of hope” for women who had to abandon their aspirations due to financial constraints. Under the scheme, women have launched small and large businesses or expanded existing micro-enterprises with the support provided.
Special focus has been given to integrating Kotia Gram Panchayat into the program. Out of 2,078 applicants from Kotia, 1,797 women received the first installment, 1,795 the second, and today, 1,783 beneficiaries got the third installment directly in their bank accounts.
The Chief Minister said women’s empowerment is “not just a slogan” for his government. He criticized previous regimes for using women as “political pawns” under the guise of empowerment. Within a year of coming to power, he said, the state has given women’s welfare a new direction, citing the Lakhpati Didi initiative under which 17 lakh women in Odisha have reached a significant income milestone.
He also outlined various sub-programmes under the Subhadra umbrella—Subhadra Plus for empowerment, Subhadra Shakti Mela for entrepreneurship, Subhadra Kishori for adolescent girls, Subhadra Sanchay for savings, Subhadra Suraksha for safety, and Subhadra Sakhi for collective leadership.
Deputy Chief Ministers Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo and Pravati Parida lauded the scheme’s impact, with Singh Deo saying it was bridging gaps in education, skills, and jobs, and Parida asserting it had strengthened women’s social and economic status. The event saw the CM transfer Subhadra assistance to one crore women statewide and honour successful beneficiaries on stage.
Ministers Nityananda Gond, Gokulananda Mallik, and Bibhuti Bhushan Nayak, along with MPs, MLAs, senior officials, and district representatives, attended the event.
