The Assam government on Monday launched a new scheme for monthly subsidised rations of masoor dal, sugar and salt for ration card holders in the state. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma made a promise of adding one litre of mustard oil as well to the scheme if he is voted back into power in next year’s Assembly elections.
Under the new scheme, each family is eligible to buy one kilogram each of masoor dal, sugar and salt at Rs 69, Rs 38 and Rs 10, respectively, each month.
CM Sarma said at the launch event that from January next year, this will be reduced to Rs 60, Rs 30 and Rs 10, respectively, such that all three can be bought for a combined Rs 100. There are over 2.44 crore beneficiaries in the state under the National Food Security Act.
Assam Finance Minister Ajanta Neog announced the scheme in her budget speech this year and allocated Rs 370 crore for this. This was among a slew of new financial assistance programmes and expansion of existing financial assistance schemes to new beneficiaries announced in this year’s budget — the last before the state goes into elections early next year.
Referring to the range of such financial assistance schemes beginning with its flagship Orunodoi scheme, CM Sarma said during Monday’s launch event, “You can calculate how much a family can get from the government in one month. An Orunodoi beneficiary will get Rs 1,250 per month. This family will have a ration card, so rice worth Rs 800 comes to the house. That’s Rs 2,050. Now, when a gas cylinder is bought, Rs 400 is sent to the bank account by the government. That’s Rs 2,450. If there’s someone in the house getting a widow’s pension, there is another Rs 1,250. If there’s someone elderly, they can get Rs 250. That’s nearly Rs 4,000. Now, if there’s a girl in the family studying in college, the family will get Rs 1,250 under the Nijut Moina scheme. That means one family can get assistance of up to Rs 5,000 if they have Orunodoi. Now imagine if one day Orunodoi suddenly stops.”
The Orunodoi scheme is a financial assistance scheme in which monthly direct transfers are made, primarily for women beneficiaries, since 2020. In 2018, the Assam government introduced a monthly Rs 250 DBT scheme for senior citizens called the Swahid Kushal Konwar Sarbajanin Briddha Pension Asoni. The Nijut Moina scheme was launched last year to provide financial assistance for girl students from the higher-secondary to the post-graduate level.
On Monday, Sarma also promised that the state government is planning to introduce an additional subsidy of Rs 250 from its side, in addition to the Centre’s subsidy through the Ujjwala scheme, on the purchase of gas cylinders.
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He further said, “Today, if the government doesn’t look after poor people, who will? Why do you people vote for us? In my mind, if we can get 1 litre of mustard oil as well, all troubles will be addressed… This time, we have given rice, dal, salt, sugar, Orunodoi, Nijut Moina, PM Ayushman Bharat, [and] CM Ayushman Bharat. We will give gas, too. Make us win next time, we will give mustard oil, too.”
