Bihar News: Cabinet Greenlights ‘Mukhya Mantri Mahila Rozgar Yojana’: ₹10,000 Startup Grant for Women, ₹2 Lakh Follow-Up Aid After 6 Month

The Bihar cabinet has approved the Mukhya Mantri Mahila Rozgar Yojana, providing Rs 10,000 to women from each family to start their own businesses. This initiative aims to enhance women's economic empowerment and create local employment opportunities.

In a major decision intended to ensure economic empowerment of women of the state, the Bihar cabinet on Friday approved a scheme titled "Mukhya Mantri Mahila Rozgar Yojana" to give one woman of each family the opportunity to start business of her own choice.

Under the scheme, a woman from each family will be given the first installment of Rs 10,000 as economic assistance to start business of her own choice, thus creating employment opportunities in the state itself. Giving details of the scheme that would be rolled out by Rural Development Department across the state, Chief Secretary Amrit Lal Meena said that "the cabinet today gave its nod to Mukhya Mantri Mahila Rozgar Yojana for economic empowerment of the women of the state. Under the scheme, one woman of all the families of the state will be given economic assistance of Rs 10,000 to start business of her own choice in the state."

There was only one agenda in today’s cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar who announced about the cabinet’s decision though his post on "X" exuding confidence that the implementation of the scheme would not only further strengthen women’s lot but would also help in creating "better employment opportunities" in the state itself so that people will not have to move out of the state in search of employment opportunities out of compulsion. Stating that the scheme has been brought in to ensure economic empowerment and entrepreneurship development of the women of the state, Meena said that Rs 10,000 will be given to one woman of all the families of the state to start business of her choice.

The process of releasing first installment will begin from the month of September 2025 itself. The first installment will be directly transferred into the bank accounts of the women entrepreneurs, Meena said and added that the process of accepting applications from women entrepreneurs- willing to start their business- will begin soon.

Following the evaluation of the performance of woman’s entrepreneurial venture after six months, an additional Rs 2 lakh will be given as grant to the women entrepreneurs, Chief Secretary said. He was accompanied by Development Commissioner Pratyaya Amrit, Rural Development Department’s Secretary Lokesh Kumar Singh during the press conference. "Haat bazar" will be developed in villages and towns to boost the sales of the products made by women, he said.

Asked who will be eligible to avail the benefits of the scheme, Chief Secretary said that Rural Development Department will issue detailed guidelines that would incorporate all the information with regard to the scheme. In response to a query whether the women entrepreneurs will have to return Rs 10,000 given as grant, Meena made it amply clear that "they (entrepreneurs) don’t need to return it (to the government) as the amount given to them (entrepreneurs) is a kind of grant or economic assistance. The idea is to promote and help those women who want to become entrepreneurs on their own". Urban Development Department’s participation will be ensured for the implementation of the scheme in urban areas, he added.

Recounting the umpteen schemes rolled out by the state government for women’s empowerment, Chief Secretary Meena said that the state government took a major decision to give reservation of 50 per cent in both rural and urban local bodies in the year 2006 and 2007 respectively for women’s "political empowerment". As a result, a total of 57 per cent representatives in both rural and urban local bodies are women, he said added that the government also implemented "Prohibition" in 2016 on women’s demand which is quite successful in the state besides it helped a lot in improving women’s lot.

Similarly, the government launched a series of schemes and initiatives to "educationally empower" the women especially the girls for their better education. The government launched schemes providing school uniform, bicycle to girl students and scholarships at 10th, 12 and graduation level besides opening a +2 high school in all the gram panchayats so that the girl student can pursue education in their own vicinity. The state government has also made a provision in this year’s budget (2025-26) to open a College in every block to facilitate education for all especially the women.

In order to provide women economic assistance, the government enhanced the monthly pension from Rs 400 to Rs 1100 benefitting 1.12 crore women of the state. For ensuring social empowerment, the state government launched Jeevika scheme with World Bank assisted loan in 2006. A self help group (SHG) was formed for the women to empower financially weak. So far 11 lakh SHGs have been formed with 1.40 crore as women member of these groups since its establishment in 2006. Even National Urban Livelihood Mission is being implemented by Jeevika that has helped their economic empowerment.