Major Changes to Subhadra Yojana: Aadhaar e-KYC Delinked, CBDC Introduced

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Cabinet has approved several key changes to the popular Subhadra Yojana on Wednesday, aimed at improving the scheme’s implementation.

Subhadra Yojana, a flagship initiative launched on 22nd August 2024, focuses on empowering women financially and providing safety nets for their families. The programme has been allocated a budget of Rs.55,825 crore for five years.

Over 1 crore applicants have registered on the portal and 60 lakh beneficiaries have been approved in two phases.During the review of applications, it was decided to expedite the selection process for eligible beneficiaries based on the National Food Security Act (NFSA) and State Food Security Scheme (SFSS) databases.

Exclusion categories include MPs, MLAs, income tax payees and government employees or pensioners, who are not typically eligible for NFSA/SFSS benefits. Applicants have also submitted self-certifications confirming they do not fall within these exclusion criteria. Legal action and full recovery are mandated in cases of fraudulent claims.

To minimise delays and streamline the process, the Cabinet has approved the delinking of the Aadhaar e-KYC module from the Subhadra portal between 8th and 13th September 2024. Verification during this period was conducted through other databases like NFSA and PM Kisan to avoid inconvenience to beneficiaries.

Additionally, the introduction of Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) as a payment mode under Subhadra Yojana was approved to enhance transparency and financial inclusion. Given the low usage of debit cards, it was also decided not to issue ATM-cum-debit cards under the scheme.

To further ensure transparency, two civil society representatives will be included in the Block and Urban Local Body level scrutiny committees, as proposed amendments to the scheme’s guidelines. These representatives will be nominated by the chairpersons of the respective committees.

The recent changes are expected to speed up benefit distribution and reduce harassment, especially for vulnerable women, who form a significant portion of the scheme’s beneficiaries