College Girls to Join Subhadra Yojana Feedback Drive; Odisha Launches ‘Sabas Subhadra’ to Honour Voluntary Withdrawals

Bhubaneswar: In a move to foster transparency, inclusivity, and civic engagement, the Odisha government has decided to involve college-going girls in the feedback collection process of the Subhadra Yojana, a flagship women-centric assistance scheme. The initiative aims to bring grassroots perspectives into policy evaluation while promoting youth participation in governance.

The decision was taken during the third governing body meeting of the Subhadra Society, chaired by Development Commissioner-cum-Additional Chief Secretary Anu Garg at Lok Seva Bhavan. The State government, in collaboration with IIM Sambalpur, will soon launch a large-scale beneficiary survey led by female college students to gather insights on the scheme’s outreach and impact.

In a first-of-its-kind initiative, the government also unveiled the ‘Sabas Subhadra’ campaign to recognize women who voluntarily opted out of the scheme after realizing they were no longer eligible—either due to improved financial conditions or other factors. These withdrawals, officials said, have helped ensure the benefits reach more deserving candidates. The campaign will now formally appreciate their honesty and sense of social responsibility.

The meeting also reviewed financial performance under the scheme for 2024–25 and approved plans for 2025–26. Key officials, including Finance Principal Secretary Saswat Mishra, I&PR Principal Secretary Sanjay Kumar Singh, Women and Child Development Principal Secretary Shubha Sharma, and SSEPD Commissioner R.S. Gopalan, were present during the session.

Officials deliberated on complaints received via the Subhadra portal, their resolutions, and decided to extend the functioning of help desks and helpline services for an additional three months.

In tribal-dominated districts, the state will carry out a qualitative assessment of the scheme’s impact. Additionally, in partnership with Mission Shakti and the Skill Development and Technical Education Department, eligible women beneficiaries will be offered skill development training to enhance their economic prospects.