The Assam government's flagship 'Orunodoi 3.0' scheme was officially launched in Kajalgaon, Chirang district, as part of a district administration initiative on Thursday. The launch event was organised at the weekly market hall in Kajalgaon with Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma virtually launching the scheme in Guwahati.

Kokrajhar Lok Sabha MP Joyanta Basumatary, BTC Executive Member Ranjit Basumatary, Legislative Member Saikhong Basumatary, District Commissioner P Vijaya Bhaskar Reddy, along with leaders from the BJP, UPPL and AGP were present in the event.

The launch event was also attended by hundreds of women beneficiaries of the scheme. Notably, the Assam government launched the third edition of its flagship poverty alleviation program, 'Orunodoi 3.0', expanding its reach to 37.2 lakh beneficiaries.

This marks a significant increase from the 24.6 lakh recipients covered under the previous edition, making it the largest state-run Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) initiative in Assam's history.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma inaugurated the distribution of Orunodoi Cards to new beneficiaries at a special ceremony. The program, designed to empower women from economically weaker sections, will provide a monthly deposit of Rs 1,250 directly into the beneficiaries' bank accounts on the 10th of each month.

With the introduction of Orunodoi 3.0, the previous editions, Orunodoi 1.0 and 2.0, have been replaced. The updated version incorporates enhanced standards and procedures. According to an official statement, care will be taken to ensure that previous beneficiaries are not arbitrarily removed unless they no longer meet the new criteria.

Originally launched on December 1, 2020, the Orunodoi scheme was aimed at providing financial assistance to the needy. The second edition, introduced on December 14, 2022, further expanded the program's reach, paving the way for the current iteration's broader coverage.