Bihar To Give Up To Rs 2 Lakh Top-Up For Select Women In Employment Scheme: Nitish Kumar

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today announced a top-up of up to Rs 2 lakh for beneficiaries of the scheme for women, Mukhya Mantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana.

Currently, a woman in every family who is eligible for the scheme gets Rs 10,000, which she can use on self-employment initiatives.

Kumar said the top-up of up to Rs 2 lakh will be released only after assessing six months of performance since women started their self-employment journey using the initial Rs 10,000 financial aid.

"I am pleased to inform you that action has been initiated to provide additional financial assistance of up to Rs 2 lakh to selected beneficiaries under the Mukhya Mantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana. This amount will be given in phases, provided that the amount previously given has been properly utilised for employment purposes," the chief minister said in a post on X in Hindi.

"If the employment is running well, a lump sum amount can also be provided as per requirement," he added.

To be eligible for the top-up, the self-employment initiatives should have a link with the government's programmes, such as Sudha sales centre, and Didi Ki Rasoi Yojana.

So far 1.56 crore women have been paid the initial financial aid of Rs 10,000 directly into their accounts via the direct-benefit transfer (DBT) route, said the chief minister who introduced prohibition in the state in a move seen as hugely beneficial for women.

The Rs 10,000 aid was announced ahead of the election in Bihar in November 2025. Both the BJP and the Janata Dal (United), or JD(U), faced criticism from rival parties that they tried to "buy" votes.

Former poll strategist Prashant Kishor - whose fledgling Jan Suraaj made its electoral debut (and flopped) in the Bihar assembly election - had alleged that Rs 10,000 paid out days before voting began "was enough to sway votes".

The JD(U) swept to victory in 85 seats - 42 more than it managed in the 2015 election.