Jagiroad tops Lakhpati Baideu list with 37,713 women beneficiaries

Guwahati, August 23: The Assam Government, on Saturday, rolled out the first instalment of Rs 10,000 direct benefit transfers (DBT) under the Mukhya Mantri Mahila Udyamita Asoni, popularly known as the Lakhpati Baideu Scheme, at Jagiroad — the constituency recording the highest number of beneficiaries in the state.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma distributed cheques to 37,713 women self-help group (SHG) members, amounting to a grant of Rs 38 crore. “Jagiroad has emerged as the top constituency under this scheme, surpassing even my own, which has about 12,000 beneficiaries,” Sarma told the gathering.

The Chief Minister said the scheme would benefit 40 lakh women across Assam, with the government committing Rs 4,000 crore over the next three months. “This initiative aims to empower SHG members and ensure economic independence for women across the state,” he said.

The rollout of the scheme began at Behali in April, followed by Nalbari on August 22, and reached Jagiroad on Saturday. On Sunday, Sarma will travel to Margherita, where 16,000 women are set to receive their first instalments.

Taking a dig at the Opposition, Sarma recalled that both Lakhpati Baideu and the Orunodoi schemes were once dismissed as “poll gimmicks” by the Congress. “During Orunodoi’s launch, they claimed it would end in two months. But today, people of Assam know — when we promise, we deliver,” he said.

On August 22, nearly 34,000 SHG members in Nalbari — 31,179 from 19 village panchayats and 2,730 from the municipal area — had received their first instalments through 70 counters.

With distribution drives planned across all constituencies, the government says it hopes to reach every eligible SHG member in the coming weeks.

The Chief Minister, while announcing the scheme in March, had stated that women who make proper use of the initial Rs 10,000 grant would become eligible for an additional Rs 25,000 in the second year.

Of this amount, half would be provided by the state government, while the remaining half would come from banks under credit guarantee schemes to ensure the lenders do not incur losses. He had further mentioned that in the third year, the beneficiaries would be extended loans of Rs 50,000.

Earlier in the day, Sarma laid the foundation stone for the new Co-District Commissioner’s Office of Jagiroad at Bhakatgaon, Mayong.

“This landmark project will strengthen administrative infrastructure, bring governance closer to the people, and ensure faster, more efficient public service delivery in the region,” he posted on social media.