DIBRUGARH: More than 100 women staged a protest at the Khowang Sub-District Office in Assam’s Dibrugarh district, alleging that eligible beneficiaries had been removed from the Orunodoi welfare scheme for political reasons.
The protesters, from Dhemeci, Haldhibari, Lezai, Gajpuria and other panchayats, demanded restoration of benefits for women they said had been wrongly excluded.
They alleged that names of poor, widowed and specially-abled women were removed after they supported Assam Jatiya Parishad president Lurinjyoti Gogoi during the Assembly elections. The protesters further alleged the involvement of local BJP leaders and the area MLA.
Several women questioned why beneficiaries who had received Rs 830 per month under the scheme since its inception were removed. They also alleged that some financially well-off families, including those owning luxury vehicles and those of government employees, continued to receive the benefits.
The protesters demanded an immediate administrative inquiry into the beneficiary list and restoration of benefits to all eligible women.
They warned of a larger democratic movement if their grievances were not addressed and the benefits were not restored.
