Guwahati : Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday announced that financial assistance of ?9,000 will be provided to around 40 lakh beneficiary families under the Orunodoi Scheme on March 10.

The announcement was made during a live interaction on social media before the Chief Minister began the seventh day of the Jana Ashirwad Yatra in Margherita.Sarma said the financial assistance will be distributed to beneficiaries across the state through special meetings organised at the local level.

“On March 10 at 10:30 am, 40 lakh Orunodoi families will receive ?9,000. Meetings will be organised in panchayats across Assam, including municipal and town committee areas of Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao, as well as in the VC-DC areas of the Bodoland Territorial Region and ward areas,” the Chief Minister said.

He urged beneficiaries to attend the meetings organised in their respective localities.”In Assam there are about 40 lakh Orunodoi beneficiary families, and the total amount to be disbursed will be around ?3,600 crore,” Sarma said, describing the initiative as one of the largest financial assistance programmes in the state.

The Chief Minister added that such welfare initiatives have been made possible due to the support and encouragement of the people of Assam. Earlier, after a Cabinet meeting on February 26, Sarma had said the disbursement would mark the highest single-day transfer of funds to beneficiaries in the state’s history.

He said meetings would be held in every panchayat, municipal ward and autonomous council area to mark the distribution, with the central programme scheduled at the Jyoti Bishnu Kala Kendra in Guwahati.