Policy Update
Karnavi Shende
BACKGROUND
Orunodoi is Assam’s flagship women-centred social-protection programme. Launched on 2 October 2020, it provides regular financial assistance to economically vulnerable households, with the transfer made in the name of a woman. The scheme emerged from a practical concern: women often manage household spending on food, medicines and education but may lack an independent or predictable income. A monthly transfer to a woman’s account therefore seeks to combine poverty relief with greater financial visibility and participation in household decision-making.
The assistance began at ₹830 per month in 2020, rose to ₹1,000 in 2021 and increased to ₹1,250 from April 2022. The current amount includes a ₹250 power subsidy and is transferred through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT). Although ₹1,250 cannot transform household income by itself, a predictable payment can help families purchase medicines, contribute to food expenses and manage small emergencies.
The scheme expanded through successive versions. Orunodoi 2.0 added approximately 10.5 lakh beneficiaries, taking coverage to more than 27 lakh beneficiaries receiving monthly assistance through DBT. Orunodoi 3.0 represents both a further expansion and an administrative restructuring. The Assam Finance Department identifies enrolment under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) as a basic precondition and emphasises updated verification and improved implementation standards. The 2025–26 Outcome Budget identifies 37.2 lakh beneficiaries as the expected coverage and records monthly assistance of ₹1,250.
Figure 1: Orunodoi Scheme: Monthly Assistance and Expected Outcomes
Source: Finance Department, Government of Assam. (2025). Outcome Budget 2025–26.
FUNCTIONING
From Orunodoi 1.0 to 3.0
The original Orunodoi programme was a monthly cash-support scheme for vulnerable households. Its initial payment was calculated around essential needs such as medicines, pulses, sugar, fruits and vegetables. Orunodoi 2.0 expanded coverage to additional vulnerable categories and proposed inclusion of persons with disabilities and transgender persons, along with beneficiaries of certain existing social-security schemes.
Orunodoi 3.0 is not merely an increase in beneficiary numbers. It involves updating and restructuring the beneficiary database. The Finance Department stated that the earlier databases required revision and that the new phase needed improved standards and procedures. At the same time, eligible beneficiaries of Orunodoi 1.0 and 2.0 were not to be arbitrarily removed.
Who is the scheme meant for?
It prioritises women from economically vulnerable households, including widows, unmarried women above the prescribed age, women with disabilities, transgender persons and elderly women. It also seeks to support households affected by serious illness, disability, extreme poverty, homelessness or limited earning capacity.
Under Orunodoi 3.0, NFSA enrolment is a basic precondition. The programme therefore relies substantially on ration-card data, alongside Aadhaar and bank-account information.
Why direct transfer matters
The state credits assistance directly into the beneficiary’s bank account, reducing dependence on cash-handling intermediaries, creating transaction records and improving payment transparency.
However a beneficiary may still need to visit a bank branch, banking correspondent or service point to check her balance or withdraw money. Biometric failure, poor connectivity, inactive accounts, data mismatches and lack of information can prevent a woman from accessing funds that have technically been released.
The last-mile challenge
The last mile is the stage between government approval and the beneficiary’s actual receipt and use of the benefit. In Orunodoi’s case, it means ensuring that the right woman remains connected to the system every month. A large beneficiary list or a successful payment file does not automatically prove effective delivery.
The first vulnerability is beneficiary identification. An eligible woman may be excluded because of incomplete documentation, outdated household information, errors during local verification or difficulty reaching responsible officials. Duplicate or ineligible records may also remain in the database.
The second challenge is data consistency. A beneficiary’s name, address or other details may differ across Aadhaar, ration-card and bank records. A spelling variation, changed surname or outdated address can make electronic validation difficult. Orunodoi 3.0’s reliance on NFSA, Aadhaar and bank data makes regular correction and updating essential.
The third challenge involves bank accounts and DBT processing. Payments may fail because accounts are dormant, closed, incorrectly entered or improperly seeded. Account mismatches, incorrect IFSC codes and authentication errors can interrupt transfers. Thus, a payment may be processed officially while remaining inaccessible to the intended woman.
Information gaps are another last-mile barrier. Beneficiaries may not know their application status, payment-failure reason, deletion status or the relevant correction office. Elderly, disabled, widowed and remote women may find these procedures especially difficult.
Database migration threatens continuity. As Orunodoi 3.0 replaced earlier databases with an updated system, inaccurate transfers could remove eligible existing beneficiaries.
Local officials are equally important. They may need to assist with verification, explain eligibility, coordinate with banks, correct records and guide beneficiaries towards the helpdesk. If frontline staff lack time, training or resources, problems can remain unresolved even when the formal scheme design is sound. The last-mile challenge is therefore a combined problem of data quality, banking infrastructure, digital access, information, administrative capacity and accountability.
The final link is grievance redressal. The official Orunodoi Helpdesk was established for Orunodoi 3.0-related issues, with the toll-free number 1800-202-6256. Its effectiveness, however, depends on whether complaints are registered, tracked, investigated and resolved within a reasonable time.
PERFORMANCE
The addition of 10.5 lakh beneficiaries under Orunodoi 2.0 marked a major expansion. The 37.2 lakh target in the Outcome Budget for Orunodoi 3.0 demonstrates the programme’s administrative scale.
The annual provision of ₹5,604 crore for Orunodoi 3.0 indicates a substantial financial commitment. However, a budget provision should not be treated as actual expenditure. The government should publish budget estimates, revised estimates, actual expenditure and payment-performance data separately.
The adequacy of ₹1,250 should also be reviewed periodically. Inflation in food, medicines and transport may reduce the real value of the transfer. The payment should be assessed against the cost of essential goods in Assam, while recognising that Orunodoi is supplementary support rather than a substitute for employment, healthcare or food security.
Figure 2: Reported beneficiary-coverage under the Orunodoi scheme
Source: Compiled by the author from official Government of Assam sources.
IMPACT
Orunodoi provides regular assistance intended to support essential household spending, including medicines, nutrition and other basic needs. A predictable transfer can improve short-term consumption security and help households manage minor financial shocks.
Transferring money into a woman’s account may improve her financial visibility and participation in household budgeting. However, account ownership does not guarantee control. Male relatives may withdraw the money or decide how it is spent. Empowerment should therefore be assessed by whether women know the transfer amount, can access the account independently and participate in decisions about its use.
Orunodoi can contribute to financial inclusion by linking women with bank accounts and DBT systems. Yet an account must be active, accessible and usable. The state should monitor whether beneficiaries can withdraw funds without excessive travel, charges, dependence on intermediaries or repeated authentication failures.
EMERGING ISSUES
First, linking Aadhaar, ration cards and bank accounts can improve accuracy but may also exclude women because of clerical errors or outdated records. Every rejection should have a clear reason, and every deletion should be appealable.
Second, public data provides aggregate beneficiary figures but limited disaggregation by district, age, disability, rural–urban location or household type. Anonymised district-wise and category-wise data would help assess whether the scheme reaches the most vulnerable groups equitably.
Third, one successful disbursement cannot establish year-round reliability. The government should publish a payment calendar and distinguish between beneficiaries approved, payments initiated, payments credited and payments successfully accessed.
Finally, the scheme’s growing scale raises long-term financing and administrative-capacity questions. Orunodoi should be coordinated with pensions, food subsidies, healthcare and livelihood programmes. Cash transfers can ease immediate hardship but cannot alone address structural poverty.
WAY FORWARD
Orunodoi’s next phase should focus on effective delivery rather than expansion alone. First, the government should conduct regular village-level data-cleaning campaigns through panchayats, self-help groups and local officials. Beneficiaries should be able to verify and correct Aadhaar, ration-card and bank details before a payment is stopped.
Second, every failed DBT transaction should generate a clear reason code, such as an inactive account, incorrect IFSC, account mismatch or authentication failure. Once corrected, the payment should be automatically retried wherever possible. Failed transactions should not be confused with ineligibility.
Third, assisted correction centres should operate through panchayat offices, Common Service Centres, banks, banking correspondents and women’s collectives. These centres should provide free, local-language assistance, particularly for elderly, disabled and digitally excluded beneficiaries.
Fourth, grievance redressal should become trackable. The Orunodoi Helpdesk should issue a complaint number, provide an expected resolution period and escalate unresolved cases to block and district authorities. Statistics on registered, resolved and pending complaints should be published regularly.
Fifth, existing beneficiaries should be protected during database migration. No beneficiary should be deleted without prior notice, a stated reason and an opportunity to appeal. Payments should not be stopped permanently while a genuine correction request is pending, subject to appropriate safeguards.
Sixth, the government should publish a transparent dashboard showing district-wise beneficiaries, payment success and failure rates, returned amounts, expenditure and grievance resolution. Monitoring should measure actual credit and beneficiary access, not merely the generation of a payment file.
Finally, independent social audits and household surveys should assess whether women control the transfer, whether it improves food and healthcare security, and whether the amount remains adequate against inflation. Orunodoi’s strength will ultimately depend not only on how many women are enrolled, but on whether every eligible woman can remain connected to the system and receive support reliably, transparently and with dignity.
REFERENCES
Assam Finance Department. (n.d.). Notification regarding Orunodoi 3.0 helpdesk. Government of Assam. https://finance.assam.gov.in/sites/default/files/swf_utility_folder/departments/agriculture_com_oid_2/portlet/level_1/files/notification-orunodoi_helpdesk_no.pdf
Assam Finance Department. (n.d.). Orunodoi 3.0. Government of Assam. https://finance.assam.gov.in/portlets/orunodoi-30
Assam Finance Department. (2025). Assam Budget 2025–26: Budget speech and budget documents. Government of Assam. https://finance.assam.gov.in/budget-2025-26/
Assam Finance Department. (2026). Assam Budget 2026–27: Budget speech and budget documents. Government of Assam. https://finance.assam.gov.in/portlets/assam-budget-2026-27
All India Radio News. (2026, August 1). Assam CM Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma launches Orunodoi 3.0 disbursement. News On AIR. https://newsonair.gov.in/assam-cm-dr-himanta-biswa-sarma-launches-orunodoi-3-0-disbursement/
The Assam Tribune. (2026, March 10). Assam government transfers ₹3,600 crore to 40 lakh families under Orunodoi 3.0. https://assamtribune.com/assam/assam-govt-transfers-rs-3600-crore-to-40-lakh-families-under-orunodoi-30-1609255
Chief Minister’s Office, Assam. (2024, August 21). Cabinet decision on Orunodoi 3.0: Empowering Assam’s Nari Shakti through Orunodoi 3.0. Government of Assam. https://cm.assam.gov.in/hi/cabinet-decisions-details?articleId=578289
Directorate of Information and Public Relations, Assam. (2022, December 14). Chief Minister launches Orunodoi 2.0 with addition of 10.5 lakh new beneficiaries [Press release]. Government of Assam. https://dipr.assam.gov.in/sites/default/files/swf_utility_folder/departments/dipr_webcomindia_org_oid_4/menu/document/cm_launches_orunodoi_2.0_with_addition_of_10.5_lakh_new_beneficiaries_14.12.2022.pdf
The Economic Times. (2024, September 19). Assam rolls out Orunodoi 3.0 scheme with annual budget of ₹5,604 crore. https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/india/assam-rolls-orunodoi-3-0-scheme-with-annual-budget-of-rs-5604-crore/articleshow/113499079.cms
Finance Department, Assam. (2025). Outcome budget 2025–26. Government of Assam. https://finance.assam.gov.in/sites/default/files/swf_utility_folder/departments/agriculture_com_oid_2/portlet/level_1/files/outcome_budget_25-26_compressed_0.pdf
Government of Assam. (n.d.). Assam Orunodoi Scheme. Assam State Portal. https://assam.gov.in/scheme-page/154
India Today NE. (2026, July 31). Orunodoi payments to resume from August 1; flood-hit beneficiaries to receive ₹2,500. https://www.indiatodayne.in/assam/story/orunodoi-payments-to-resume-from-august-1-flood-hit-beneficiaries-to-receive-rs-2500-himanta-1431837-2026-07-31
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR
Karnavi Shende is a Research and Editorial Intern at IMPRI (Impact and Policy Research Institute). She holds a Master’s degree in Politics with specialization in International Relations from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. His academic and research interests include International Relations, Defence and Strategic Studies, Public Policy, Gender, and Human Rights. She aims to deepen her understanding of policy research, contribute to evidence-based policymaking, and engage with contemporary governance and development challenges.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The author extends sincere gratitude to the IMPRI team for their expert guidance and constructive feedback throughout the process.
REVIEWED BY
Sneha Kohli and Devanandana C
DISCLAIMER
All views expressed in the article belong to the author and not necessarily to the organization.
Read more at IMPRI
REVISITING INDIA – BANGLADESH GANGA WATER TREATY (1996)
