Political slugfest over Orunodoi 3.0: Congress accuses BJP of selective picking; BJP hits back
Assam minister Pijush Hazarika (left) and APCC chief Bhupen Kumar Borah (right)
Guwahati, Sept 19: A political slugfest erupted between the government and the principal Opposition Congress over the launch of Orunodoi 3.0 on Thursday.
Minutes after the third phase of the government’s flagship poverty alleviation scheme was launched by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma at Lok Sewa Bhawan, the Congress accused the government of selectively picking beneficiaries.
“The government has only chosen people who enrolled in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) through the recent enrolment drive as beneficiaries,” alleged Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) chief Bhupen Bora.
Bora further stated that Orunodoi 3.0 won’t be continued in the state if Congress comes to power in the 2026 Assembly polls.
“We are not opposing the scheme, but once we are elected in 2026, we will discontinue the Orunodoi scheme and replace it with the ‘Na Lakhimi’ scheme, which will provide Rs 3,000 in financial assistance to every eligible woman, irrespective of caste, religion, or language, on the 9th day of every month,” Bora said.
He added that a state cannot function by relying on such schemes alone. “Over 32 lakh candidates applied for more than 12,000 government jobs in the recently held Assam Direct Recruitment Examination (ADRE). Has the chief minister given any thought to what will happen to the lakhs of candidates who won’t be selected?” Bora questioned.
Bora's remarks drew sharp responses from cabinet ministers Pijush Hazarika and Jayanta Mallabaruah. Hitting back at the Congress, Hazarika said that the Orunodoi scheme will only be stopped if Congress comes to power, which he described as a “far-fetched dream” the Opposition is nurturing.
“Let Congress dream of halting the Orunodoi scheme; they will win the elections only in their dreams, while we will continue providing benefits to underprivileged families,” Hazarika stated. He also added, “Wherever Congress has formed a government, those states have witnessed a decline in economic growth.”
State Tourism Minister Jayanta Mallabaruah also downplayed Bora’s statement, questioning why it was being given so much weight. “A politician who has lost four elections in a row should not be given much importance. He says he isn’t opposing the Orunodoi scheme, so let it be,” Jayanta remarked.
