Bihar polls: One woman in every family in state to get Rs 10k for self-employment | Patna News

PATNA: In a major decision before the assembly elections, the state cabinet on Friday approved the single proposal of Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana for employment of women in Bihar. One woman in every family across caste and creed can apply for it.Under the scheme, the state govt will provide Rs 10,000 to each applicant as the first instalment and additional assistance of up to Rs 2 lakh can be given as per the need after six months on assessment of the business or enterprises of her choice.The process of receiving applications from interested women will start next month, CM Nitish Kumar informed on X. Funds will be transferred to the bank accounts of women from Sept itself, he said.Nitish hoped this scheme will not only empower women more but will also provide better employment opportunities within the state so that one need not go out of Bihar for work out of compulsion.Elaborating the scheme, chief secretary Amrit Lal Meena, along with development commissioner Pratyaya Amrit, said the rural development department (RDD) will be the nodal agency to execute this scheme from Sept itself. The urban development and housing department will help in executing this scheme in the urban areas as per the need. He said the state govt will develop ‘haat bazar’ to provide a market for products made by women from village to city.Meena said the scheme has been launched on the basis of govt’s interaction with 70,000 women groups in the state during the Mahila Samvad programme across the state.The chief secretary said the state govt has been continuously working for women empowerment since 2005. He mentioned how CM Nitish implemented a 50% quota for the women in panchayati raj in 2006 and in all municipal bodies in 2007. “Today 57% of the posts in panchayat and municipal bodies are represented by women in the state,” he said.Meena also said the govt implemented liquor prohibition on the demand of women in 2016. “Apart from school up to Class XII in all the panchayats, college and girl’s uniform, scholarship and bicycle schemes are being run continuously in all the blocks,” he said and also mentioned how the Nitish govt formed JEEViKa in 2006. “So far, 11 lakh self-help groups have been formed with 1.40 crore women members,” he said.