‘Subhadra Yojana’ will roll out on PM’s birthday: CM

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Sunday said that ‘Subhadra Yojana’, a financial assistance scheme promised by the BJP in its election manifesto, will roll out on September 17, the birthday of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He also said that the Ratna Bhandar (treasury) of Lord Jagannath temple in Puri will be opened soon and an inventory of the valuables stored inside it will be made.

Majhi was addressing a programme organised by Odisha BJP here to felicitate the party’s newly elected MPs and MLAs in the State. “Subhadra Yojana will be launched on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s birthday on September 17,” the Chief Minister said. Under the scheme named after Lord Jagannath’s sister, cash vouchers of Rs 50,000 will be provided to women of the State.

“The Ratna Bhandar will be opened soon and an inventory of the valuables of Lords will be made. If any irregularities are found, stern action will be taken against the guilty,” Majhi said. The reopening of the Ratna Bhandar, located in the basement of the 12th-century shrine in Puri, was a major political issue in the State during the Assembly and Lok Sabha elections. The previous BJD government had promised that the treasury would be reopened for inventory and repair work during this year’s Rath Yatra next month. An inventory of the treasury was last made in 1978. Auditing of Ratna Bhandar’s inventory was also in the manifesto of the BJP.

The Chief Minister said that for proper management of the Puri Jagannath temple, his government has decided to create a Rs 500 corpus fund. He said all promises made by the BJP in its manifesto will be covered in the 100-day action plan of the government.

Majhi said his government has also announced to procure paddy from Odisha farmers at an MSP of Rs 3,100 per quintal from this kharif season.

The Odisha BJP president, Manmohan Samal, indicated that more welfare schemes would be announced by the State’s saffron party government when it would complete 100 days.

Four major decisions on the Jagannath temple and farmers’ issues taken up by the BJP government in its first Cabinet meet are “just trailers”, Samal said.

“Wait for the 100th day to see the picture,” he said, thanking the people of Odisha for bringing the BJP to power. “We will have to work hard in the next five years,” Samal said.