Bihar CM Nitish Kumar credits NDA for women empowerment

Patna: CM Nitish Kumar on Friday said previous govts of Congress and RJD had done nothing for the welfare and upliftment of women in Bihar.

Speaking at the launch of the Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana (MMRY) through videoconference in the presence of PM Narendra Modi, Nitish said the condition of the state before 2005 was very poor. “Since the NDA govt was formed on Nov 24, 2005, we have been focused on the development of Bihar and there is the rule of law in the state. Rapid development is occurring in all sectors, whether in education or health; all tasks are being carried out,” he said.


The CM said the NDA govt in Bihar had placed women’s empowerment at the centre of its policies since the beginning. “This initiative began with a 50 percent reservation for women in Panchayati Raj institutions in 2006 and in urban local bodies in 2007. Since 2013, women have been given a 35 percent reservation in police services. Since 2016, women have been getting a 35 percent reservation in govt jobs,” he said.

Nitish said immediately after the launch of the MMRY by PM Modi, 75 lakh women began receiving financial assistance of Rs 10,000 each from Friday itself. “This scheme aims to benefit one woman from every family in the state. Those women whose businesses perform well will be eligible for additional assistance of up to Rs two lakh,” he said.

He added that dates had already been fixed to extend the benefits to the remaining women under the MMRY, with the next disbursal on Oct 3. “Women who join the scheme in the future would also receive its benefits,” he said.

The CM also traced the growth of women’s collectives in the state. “Initially, the number of self-help groups in Bihar was very low. In 2006, a loan from the World Bank was used to establish self-help groups in the state, named ‘Jeevika’. Now, there are approximately 11 lakh self-help groups, with 1.40 crore ‘Jeevika Didis’ involved. From 2024, self-help groups are also being formed in urban areas, with their number reaching 37,000 and about 3.85 lakh ‘Jeevika Didis’ joining so far with further formations ongoing,” Nitish said.