Odisha Government Begins Verification Drive in Subhadra Yojana Beneficiaries

Eliminating Ineligible Beneficiaries

In a major step to ensure welfare benefits reach genuine recipients, the Odisha government is set to remove a significant number of ineligible beneficiaries from its flagship Subhadra Yojana. The scheme, which provides women with annual financial aid of ₹10,000 in two instalments, is now undergoing a thorough verification exercise. Among those to be excluded are four-wheeler owners, large landholders, and even deceased individuals who were still listed as beneficiaries.

Cross-Checking Through Databases

Officials are constructing a comprehensive databank to cross-verify beneficiary details with multiple government records. Women owning cars will be struck off the list using the state’s vehicle registration database. Similarly, those holding more than five acres of fertile land will be removed after land records are thoroughly scrutinised.

Role of Departments in Data Verification

The Health Department has been tasked with identifying deceased beneficiaries to prevent posthumous payments. Meanwhile, the Food Supplies Department will review records of women registered as paddy sellers—if they cultivate land beyond the scheme’s limit, they will also be marked ineligible.

Previous Payments and Exclusions

So far, over ₹15,000 has been disbursed to eligible women in three instalments under the scheme. During Raksha Purnima, more than 1.02 crore women received the third instalment. However, nearly 2 lakh beneficiaries were excluded in that round due to discrepancies, highlighting the need for stronger verification.

Ensuring Transparency and Inclusion

Government officials stress that the exercise is not just about removing names but also about adding genuinely needy women who may have been overlooked earlier. Inter-departmental data sharing will be central to this verification programme, aimed at boosting transparency, efficiency, and women’s empowerment across Odisha.

Challenges and Questions Ahead

As the state redefines the beneficiary list, questions loom large:

• What will be the impact on rural households losing the benefits?

• Will there be an appeal and redressal mechanism for wrongly excluded women?

• How will the government communicate these changes to prevent confusion?

The coming months will determine whether these reforms successfully ensure that taxpayers’ money truly reaches the deserving women of Odisha.