Nitish Kumar unveils additional Rs 2 lakh aid for women beneficiaries of Mukhya Mantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana

Nitish Kumar

• Women in Bihar can get up to Rs 2 lakh top-up under Mahila Rojgar Yojana
• Top-up given after six-month review of initial Rs 10,000 grant usage
• 1.56 crore women have received initial aid via direct-benefit transfer system

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Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday announced that beneficiaries of the Mukhya Mantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana will now be eligible for a top-up of up to Rs 2 lakh, aimed at supporting women’s self-employment initiatives.

Under the existing scheme, women from eligible families receive Rs 10,000 each, which they can invest in starting or expanding their self-employment ventures. The new top-up, Kumar said, will be disbursed only after a six-month review of the initial financial aid’s utilisation and the performance of the business initiatives launched with it.

"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.

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

To qualify for the additional funding, women’s self-employment projects must be linked to government programmes such as Sudha sales centres or the Didi Ki Rasoi Yojana.

So far, 1.56 crore women have received the initial Rs 10,000 grant directly into their accounts through the direct-benefit transfer (DBT) system, Kumar noted. The scheme, which was launched ahead of the November 2025 Bihar elections, has been credited with supporting women, particularly following the state’s introduction of prohibition.

However, the initial financial aid also drew criticism from political rivals. Former poll strategist Prashant Kishor, whose party Jan Suraaj contested its first election in Bihar, alleged that the Rs 10,000 payouts made just days before polling "was enough to sway votes". Despite such claims, the JD(U) secured a decisive victory, winning 85 seats, 42 more than in the 2015 assembly elections.

The top-up initiative is expected to encourage more women to leverage government schemes for entrepreneurship, providing additional funding based on their performance and adherence to programme objectives.