Sunil Jena
Editor-in-Chief, The Politics Odia
Bhubaneswar: Large welfare spending always raises one fundamental policy question: Does it create dependency, or does it build capacity? Odisha’s Subhadra Yojana now stands at the centre of this debate.
Under the leadership of Mohan Charan Majhi, the state government has released over ₹315 crore from the state exchequer, directly transferring financial assistance to women beneficiaries through DBT.
According to official figures, ₹Subhadra funds have reached 4,57,681 women, while 1,78,398 newly added beneficiaries received their first instalment. Additionally, 2,55,265 women, earlier excluded from the first or second instalment, have now received payments, many receiving two instalments simultaneously. Another 24,018 beneficiaries were included after grievance redressal.
From an administrative standpoint, the execution appears efficient. Funds have reached accounts, leakages are minimal, and grievance mechanisms have functioned.
But governance is not just about transfer; it is about transformation.
The stated objective of Subhadra Yojana is women’s empowerment. However, empowerment is a multi-layered process involving skills, livelihoods, market access, and financial independence, not just periodic cash assistance.
Critics argue that without a parallel roadmap for skill development, SHG strengthening, entrepreneurship support, or employment linkage, cash transfers risk becoming short-term relief rather than long-term upliftment.
Supporters counter that Subhadra Yojana provides immediate financial security, enabling women to meet household needs, access healthcare, and reduce distress borrowing. In that sense, it creates a foundation upon which empowerment initiatives can be built.
The larger fiscal question also remains relevant. When ₹315 crore is released swiftly from the treasury, the public naturally asks—does the government have an equally clear roadmap to replenish revenue and sustain the scheme over multiple years?
Historically, welfare schemes succeed when integrated with economic opportunity. Without that integration, they risk becoming politically popular but economically limited.
Subhadra Yojana is neither a failure nor a guaranteed success yet. Its future impact will depend on whether the government evolves it from a cash-support scheme into a capability-building programme.
For Odisha’s women, empowerment will not be measured by instalments credited but by independence achieved.
