Assam Government will provide an additional amount of Rs 250 to economically-weak families to help them pay their monthly electricity bills.

This was stated by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday while launching the ‘Orunodoi Month’ and addressing a press briefing at the Janata Bhawan in Guwahati.

The fixed additional amount will be given from October to the beneficiaries of the ‘Orunodoi’ scheme, a flagship programme of the state government that currently covers nearly 20 lakh families.

Under the ‘Orunodoi’ scheme, the state government provides monthly monetary assistance of Rs 1,000 to the beneficiaries.

CM Sarma said, “From October, the Orunodoi beneficiaries will get Rs 1,250 monthly. The additional Rs 250 will be provided to pay their electricity bills. The government could have paid the amount directly to the power corporation but it wants to instill responsibility among the people to make the payment themselves”.

Sarma also said the beneficiary list of the scheme will be updated in the next two months.

Student volunteers will visit households for updating the list till September 20, and once the field visits are over, the list will be finalised by the district committees by October 10. He said that 6 lakh more eligible families are targeted to be included in the revised list.

“Those who no longer meet the necessary criteria for being ‘Orunodoi’ beneficiaries have been requested to voluntarily leave the programme. It can be done through both online and offline modes, and 459 such families have already given up benefits under the scheme,” Sarma added.