Guwahati, April 1: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday announced that two women from the same family will now be eligible under the state’s flagship Orunodoi scheme, relaxing the existing one-family-one-beneficiary rule.

Speaking at election rallies in Goreswar (Tamulpur), Tangla (Udalguri), Tihu (Nalbari), and Hajo-Sualkuchi (Kamrup), Sarma said the scheme’s coverage would be expanded further after the polls to include more eligible women.

Under Orunodoi, beneficiaries receive ₹1,250 per month directly in their bank accounts. Currently, nearly 40 lakh women are covered. Sarma explained that families with more members would be allotted two ration cards, enabling two women to benefit. He added that when a son marries, the bride would also be eligible, calling it a “wedding gift” from the government.

The Chief Minister highlighted other welfare measures, including free food grains and essential commodities such as lentils, salt, sugar, and mustard oil. He asserted that the BJP-led government had restored public trust by fulfilling promises, contrasting it with what he described as Congress’s “pro-illegal immigrant” agenda.

Referring to the Congress slogan Natun Bor Asom (new greater Assam), Sarma alleged it was aimed at accommodating illegal immigrants, warning that such moves could threaten the rights of Assamese Hindus and Muslims. He urged voters to support the BJP-led alliance in the April 9 elections.