GUWAHATI
Members of the transgender community have been included in a cash benefit scheme for the first time in Assam.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday rolled out the third edition of Orunodoi, a poverty alleviation scheme entailing the transfer of ₹1,250 per month to beneficiaries of families with annual income of less than ₹2 lakh.
About 37.2 lakh families have been chosen for the “more inclusive” Orunodoi 3.0 to receive cash in their bank accounts from the first part of 2025.
“We have taken a massive step towards strengthening nari shakti (women’s power) in Assam. The third edition of Orunodoi includes additional beneficiaries from 126 Assembly constituencies,” he said.
Along with ration cards and free health insurance under Ayushman Bharat, Orunodoi 3.0 will be prioritising destitute women, divyangs (differently abled), widows, transgender people, and those from other vulnerable groups for financial security, the Chief Minister said.
“The State government will spend ₹467 crore per month through this scheme on families with income below ₹2 lakh, who are eligible to apply,” he said.
He also said the government will be adding 12 lakh beneficiaries eligible to avail free food grains every month under the National Food Security Act. “In this scheme, we will be spending more ₹440 core per month. The NFSA cards will also entail free treatment under Ayushman Bharat,” he added.
The first Orunodoi scheme was launched on December 1, 2020, and its second edition was announced on December 14, 2022, for 24.6 lakh beneficiaries. The third edition has 12.5 lakh more people.
The Chief Minister said the district authorities will take utmost care while selecting the beneficiaries of Orunodoi 3.0 to ensure that the eligible beneficiaries of the previous two editions are not removed unless they do not conform to the new guidelines.
The new guidelines say widows and unmarried (45 years or more), divorced, and deserted women can apply for Orunodoi 3.0 along with transgender people, those with a disability as defined in the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, irrespective of gender, and old or infirm women including those residing in government-registered old age homes.
Assam has 414 transgender voters, according to electoral data relating to the 2024 Lok Sabha election. The total number of such people is estimated to be at least twice as many.
Women of any household where the caring members are either disabled or aged (60 years or more), of households where any member is suffering from HIV, thalassemia, haemophilia, cerebral palsy, leprosy, and autism spectrum disorder, and of households without shelter have also been included in the scheme.
Published – September 20, 2024 02:25 am IST
