The Assam government on Monday launched a new scheme of monthly subsidized ration of masoor dal, sugar and salt for ration card holders in the state. Prime Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has promised to also add one liter of mustard oil to the program if he returns to power in the Assembly elections next year.
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Under the new scheme, each family is entitled to buy one kg of masoor dal, sugar and salt at Rs 69, Rs 38 and Rs 10 respectively every month.
CM Sarma said at the launch that from January next year, this amount will be reduced to Rs 60, Rs 30 and Rs 10 respectively, so that all three can be purchased for Rs 100 combined. There are more than 2.44 crore beneficiaries in the state under the National Food Security Act.
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Assam Finance Minister Ajanta Neog announced the scheme in her budget speech this year and allocated Rs 370 crore for the purpose. This was among a slew of new financial assistance programs and expansion of existing financial assistance plans to include new recipients announced in this year’s budget — the last before the state goes into elections early next year.
Referring to this set of financial assistance schemes starting with the flagship Orunodoi scheme, CM Sarma said during the launch on Monday, “You can calculate how much a family can get from the government in a month. The Orunodoi beneficiary will get Rs 1,250 per month. This family will get a ration card, so rice worth Rs 800 comes home. That is Rs 2,050. Now, when it is a gas cylinder Rs 400 is sent to the bank account by the government. This means Rs 2,450 If there is a person in the household who is getting widow’s pension, there is another Rs 1,250 If there is an elderly person, he can get Rs 250 This is almost Rs 4,000 Now, if there is a girl in the family studying in college, the family will get Rs 1,250 Nijut Moina scheme means that one family can get assistance up to Rs 5,000 if they have Orunodoi Now imagine if Orunodoi suddenly stops one day. The days.
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The Orunodoi scheme is a financial assistance scheme through which monthly direct transfers have been made, primarily to women beneficiaries, since 2020. In 2018, the Assam government introduced a monthly Rs 250 DBT scheme for senior citizens called Swahid Kushal Konwar Sarbajanin Briddha Pension Asoni. The Nijut Moina scheme was launched last year to provide financial assistance to girl students from higher secondary to postgraduate level.
On Monday, Sarma also promised that the state government was planning to provide an additional support of Rs 250 from its side, in addition to the Centre’s support through the Ujjwala scheme, for the purchase of gas cylinders.
He further said: “Today, if the government does not take care of the poor, who will? Why are you voting for us? In my opinion, if we can get one liter of mustard oil as well, all the problems will be addressed… This time, we have given rice, dal, salt, sugar, urundoy, nijot moena, PM Ayushman Bharat, (and) PM Ayushman Bharat. We will give gas too. Make us win next time, we will do it.” Give mustard oil too.
(tags for translation) Government of Assam
