Bhubaneswar, Feb 20: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Friday placed women at the centre of the State’s development agenda while presenting the 2026-27 Budget, announcing a series of schemes and enhanced allocations aimed at education, economic empowerment, maternal welfare and social security.
With a total allocation of ₹18,957 crore dedicated to gender-focused schemes and programmes, the Budget underscores the government’s push to advance women-led development across Odisha.
Ensuring Graduation for every girl child
Articulating the government’s vision that every girl child should complete graduation, the Chief Minister announced the launch of Mukhyamantri Kanya Sumangal Yojana. Under the scheme, a savings instrument of ₹20,000 will be created in the name of every girl born into an economically weaker section family. Upon completion of graduation, she will receive ₹1,00,001.
The initiative seeks to encourage higher education among girls while providing long-term financial security to economically vulnerable families.
Strengthening SUBHADRA with dialogue and wellness
To deepen women’s empowerment, the government has introduced Subhadra Shakti Samvad, a structured participatory platform for beneficiaries of the flagship SUBHADRA scheme. The forum will enable women to share experiences, raise concerns and strengthen grievance redressal through regular interaction with officials and community stakeholders.
Complementing this is the launch of Subhadra Wellness Centres, which will be established at strategic locations to promote physical fitness, nutrition, mental well-being and economic awareness among women of all age groups. The centres will also offer lifestyle guidance and counselling support.
The SUBHADRA programme itself continues to be a cornerstone of Odisha’s women empowerment strategy. It provides direct financial assistance of ₹10,000 per annum in two instalments to each eligible beneficiary. An allocation of ₹10,145 crore has been proposed to benefit more than one crore women in 2026-27, reinforcing economic security and dignity for women across the State.
Enhanced maternity support for girl child
In a significant move to promote the birth of girl children and support maternal health, the State will extend enhanced maternity benefits of ₹12,000 for families welcoming a girl child by converging with the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY).
To operationalise this commitment, ₹320 crore has been earmarked for the MAMATA Scheme and ₹180 crore for PMMVY in the 2026-27 Budget. The enhanced support is aimed at ensuring that pregnant and lactating women receive dignified financial assistance during a critical phase of their lives.
Support for marriage of girls from poor families
Addressing the financial burden of traditional weddings on low-income families, the government has launched MukhyaMantri Kanya Bibaha Yojana. The scheme facilitates mass weddings, with the State bearing all associated costs and gifting the bride to ensure families can celebrate the occasion without economic hardship.
An allocation of ₹12 crore has been proposed for the scheme in the upcoming financial year.
Creating Lakhpati Didis through SHGs
The Chief Minister reiterated the vision of transforming Odisha’s women into “Lakhpati Didis” by strengthening Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and promoting women-led enterprises. Industrial hubs will be created specifically for SHGs, along with robust support for branding and promotion.
Through the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM), more than one lakh SHGs will be facilitated with access to government contracts and services. A provision of ₹1,333 crore has been made in the Budget for implementation of this initiative.
Further, the allocation for the Mission Shakti Department has been enhanced to ₹2,804 crore to implement a range of women empowerment programmes.
