BJP government bundles four months of Orunodoi payments plus Bihu bonus as election season looms
With Assam’s assembly election schedule expected within days, the Himanta Biswa Sarma government on Tuesday disbursed ₹9,000 each to nearly 4 million women beneficiaries under its flagship Orunodoi scheme, a record single-day transfer of ₹3,800 crore.
The lump sum combines four months of payments (January–April) at ₹1,250 monthly, plus a ₹4,000 Bohag Bihu festive bonus. Since its 2020 launch, the scheme has cumulatively transferred ₹17,000 crore to economically disadvantaged women across the state.
Sarma sweetened the pot further, promising free rations and a monthly allowance hike if the BJP returns to power ,a statement that handed the Congress its ammunition. The opposition swiftly labelled the timing a blatant vote-buying exercise.
Sarma dismissed the charge, calling Orunodoi a disciplined, eligibility-driven scheme operating continuously since inception, entirely independent of electoral calendars.
Voters, it seems, will decide who is right , in April.
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