06 DEC 2025 | Bhubaneswar
Over 6.23 lakh applications submitted by women for inclusion in the Subhadra Yojana are still under review, informed Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida in the State Legislative Assembly today.
During Question Hour, responding to a query by a legislator, she said a total of 6,23,555 fresh applications are currently under examination.
The applications are undergoing multiple levels of scrutiny including document verification, eligibility checks, and field-level verification coordinated with district administrations before a final decision is taken.
Parida noted that many of these applications are from women who turned 21 this year or had missed applying in earlier registration rounds.
Officials say once verification is complete, this fresh batch of eligible applicants will receive all three instalments of Subhadra benefits at once during the next disbursement phase likely starting in March 2026.
The pending applications cover women from several districts. The checks are being done to verify identity, age eligibility, and past beneficiary status, wherever applicable.
A Quick Recap About Subhadra Yojana
The Subhadra Yojana is a welfare scheme launched by the Government of Odisha on 17 September 2024 for women aged 21–60 years.
Under this scheme, eligible women receive ₹50,000 over five years paid as ₹10,000 per year in two instalments of ₹5,000 each (on Raksha Bandhan and International Women’s Day (8 March)).
Beneficiaries also receive a “Subhadra Card” (ATM-cum-debit card) and are expected to hold a single-holder, Aadhaar-linked, DBT-enabled bank account.
The scheme targets women from economically weaker households. Eligibility criteria include income limits and exclusion of government employees, income-tax payers, or those receiving substantial other government aid or scholarships.
Progress So Far: Instalments & Beneficiaries
According to the Assembly reply:
- 1st instalment: 1,37,05,941 beneficiaries across 30 districts received the first payment.
- 2nd instalment: 1,19,02,724 beneficiaries received the second payment.
- 3rd instalment: 97,65,339 beneficiaries have got the third payment.
Earlier, the government had also disclosed that around 17.83 lakh women were newly enrolled after field verification, while 9.36 lakh applications were rejected due to document or duplication issues.
So far, over 97 lakh women (97,51,479) have received all three instalments under the scheme.
Why Are So Many Applications Pending?
The Deputy CM said the high number of pending applications is due to:
- Rigorous verification process and cross-checking with existing records to prevent duplicates.
- Many applications from women who recently became eligible (turned 21) or those who missed early registration.
- The need for field-level confirmation as it sometimes requiring visits to beneficiary’s residence which takes time especially across many districts.
Officials also want to ensure that only genuinely eligible women get the benefit for instance, those who are not receiving high-value scholarships or other large government aid.
What’s Next: When Will the Pending Applicants Get Their Money?
Once the verification is complete, the eligible beneficiaries from this batch will receive all three pending instalments at once the next round of disbursement is expected to start in March 2026.
The government has said that no eligible woman will be left out and that efforts are on to conclude verification as soon as possible.
What the Scheme Means
The Subhadra Yojana aims to financially empower women, especially those from economically weaker backgrounds, by providing a steady supplemental income and promoting financial inclusion through Aadhaar-linked bank accounts and digital banking tools.
For eligible women, the scheme if implemented properly can provide substantial support over five years, helping them meet family needs, invest in education or health, or start small income-generating activities.