Bhubaneswar, March 8 -- The Odisha government on Sunday disbursed the fourth instalment of the Subhadra Yojana, transferring more than Rs 5,000 crore directly to the bank accounts of over 1.02 crore women beneficiaries across the state.

The funds were credited through the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) system on the occasion of International Women's Day, marking another phase in the state government's flagship scheme aimed at strengthening women's financial independence.

Officials said the disbursement is expected to support household finances and further promote women's empowerment across Odisha.

Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida said 2,13,198 new beneficiaries have been added to the scheme in this phase.

Of them, 36,385 women were...