NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday launched the Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana for Bihar, transferring Rs 10,000 each to the bank accounts of 75 lakh women in the state. The scheme, worth Rs 7,500 crore, also promises additional financial support of up to Rs 2 lakh for women to enhance their entrepreneurial skills in the future.Launching the initiative virtually from Delhi, PM Modi was joined online by Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, deputy chief minister Samrat Choudhary, and other state ministers in Patna. “Bihar’s women now have two brothers, Nitish and Modi, who are working tirelessly for their betterment,” the prime minister said, addressing beneficiaries who also participated in large numbers via video link.Assembly elections in the state are due later this year.According to the PMO, the scheme, an initiative of Bihar’s NDA government, is designed to empower women through self-employment and livelihood opportunities. Each beneficiary, one from every family, will receive Rs 10,000 as an initial grant through Direct Benefit Transfer, with the possibility of further assistance of up to Rs 2 lakh in subsequent phases. This support may be used for activities ranging from agriculture and animal husbandry to tailoring, weaving, handicrafts, and other small enterprises.
Key features of the scheme
- Rs 10,000 will be given as the first installment to one eligible woman per family to start employment of her choice.
- After starting employment, additional financial support up to Rs 2 lakh may be provided based on assessment.
- Aims to empower women and boost the state’s economy through self-employment.
Eligibility criteria
- A “family” includes husband, wife, and unmarried children.
- Unmarried adult women without living parents will be treated as a separate family.
- One woman from each eligible family in urban self-help groups (SHGs) can apply.
For non-members to join SHGs, they must meet the following:
- Age between 18 and 60 years.
- Neither applicant nor husband should be an income tax payer.
- Neither should be in government service (regular or contract).
The programme also has a community-driven element, with self-help group resource persons providing training and guidance to help women build sustainable ventures. To aid in marketing, Gramin haat bazaars will be further developed across the state, the official statement said.The PMO noted that over one crore women across Bihar witnessed the launch at the district, block, cluster, and village levels. Modi also interacted with some of the recipients, underscoring the government’s focus on making women “Aatmanirbhar.”Earlier in the day, Uttar Pradesh minister Narendra Kashyap applauded the initiative, saying, “PM Modi has always been concerned about the development and welfare of the country, especially for empowering women. PM Modi has implemented numerous schemes to honour women, and in Bihar too, PM Modi is going to launch a scheme worth thousands of crores to empower women.” He added, “Surely, the women and people of Bihar will benefit from these schemes of the PM, and Bihar will also get the opportunity to be included among the main developing states of the country.”
