Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana on Friday, a ₹7,500 crore initiative that deposited ₹10,000 into the bank accounts of 7.5 million Bihar women, while sharply criticizing the Rashtriya Janata Dal ahead of state elections.
PM Modi launches women empowerment scheme
Speaking via video link from Delhi, PM Modi inaugurated the Bihar government program designed to help women start their own ventures. The scheme provides initial seed money of ₹10,000, with additional financial assistance up to ₹2 lakh available after assessment. According to Himanshu Sharma, CEO of Jeevika, the Bihar Rural Livelihoods Promotion Society, 12 million women have applied for the benefits.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary, and Union Minister Lalan Singh attended the launch event. Women constitute approximately 48% of Bihar’s population and represent a crucial electoral demographic.
Political Attack on Opposition
PM Modi alleged that women suffered under RJD rule, citing poor infrastructure, violence, and administrative failures. “Our government has worked hard to pull you out of that situation. There is an exhibition depicting newspaper clippings of the RJD period and that is itself enough to make one shudder,” he stated, urging women to prevent the party’s return to power.
He emphasized direct benefit transfer capabilities: “You will get full ₹10,000 in your accounts, unlike earlier when a PM said that merely 15 paisa of ₹1 sent by the Centre reached the targeted beneficiary.”
Broader Welfare Push
The scheme is part of extensive pre-election welfare measures announced since April, including three-fold increases in old-age pensions, enhanced allowances for panchayat representatives, doubled honorarium for 140,000 Jeevika workers, and increased compensation for ASHA and MAMTA workers.
The PM described the 1.1 million Jeevika Self-Help Groups as foundational to the initiative, stating: “When a government makes policies with women at the centre, it benefits the entire family and the society.”
Opposition Response
Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi criticized the timing, questioning why similar proposals weren’t introduced during the past 20 years. “Giving one-time ₹10,000 means nothing. Will they give it every month?” she asked.
Opposition leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav countered with the ‘Mai-Behen Maan Yojana,’ promising ₹2,500 monthly payments, while Congress pledged similar monthly assistance to women.
