Bhubaneswar: Expressing shock after Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida said 157 men had applied to become beneficiary under the Odisha Government’s Subhadra Yojana, Chief Whip of the Opposition Party, Pramila Mallik claimed some BJP male workers have already received the financial assistance.

The Subhadra Yojana is a flagship scheme of the State Government under which financial assistance of ₹10,000 per year is being provided to eligible women beneficiaries. 

Mallik refuted Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida’s statement issued few days back. 

The Opposition Chief Whip claimed, there were over 5,000 men instead of 157 men as claimed by Parida, who have applied to become beneficiaries of the yojana.

Even Mallik went on, and said some men including BJP workers have received financial assistance under the Subhadra Yojana.

She demanded a probe and questioned how officials engaged in the Subhadra Yojana could not recognize the gender of an applicant from the Aadhaar details. She sought an apology from the State Government over the lapses.

Yesterday, the Deputy Chief Minister said a total of 157 men had applied for the scheme and have been excluded after scrutiny.