Ahead of assembly election, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday (September 26, 2025) launched Bihar’s Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana through video conferencing from Delhi and directly transferred the fund of ₹7,500 crore into the bank accounts of 75 lakh women across Bihar giving financial assistance of ₹10,000 each.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary joined the event from Patna and apart from Jeevika didis at district level and block level. Mr. Kumar said that ever since, he has been in power, continuously working for women empowerment.
The programme was initially scheduled for September 22, with only Chief Minister Nitish Kumar slated to release the funds. However, a senior Bihar BJP leader later suggested that, in view of the election year, the Prime Minister’s participation would send a stronger message on women’s empowerment. The event was subsequently rescheduled for September 26.
Scheme meant to empower women through financial assistance to start their own business. After evaluating performance, an additional ₹2 lakh as grant will be given to women entrepreneurs after 6 months.
The assistance can be utilized in areas of the choice of the beneficiary including agriculture, animal husbandry, handicrafts, tailoring, weaving, and other small-scale enterprises.
Mr. Modi asserted that two brothers, himself and Mr. Nitish Kumar are working together for the service, prosperity, and dignity of the women of Bihar.
He pointed out that the Rojgar Yojana has further strengthened the Central Government’s Lakhpati Didi campaign. Mr. Modi remarked that with the way governments at Union and State are advancing this initiative, the day is not far when Bihar will have the highest number of Lakhpati Didis in the country.
Mr. Modi expressed that the Central Government’s initiatives such as the Mudra Yojana, Drone Didi campaign, Bima Sakhi campaign, and Bank Didi campaign are all expanding avenues for employment and self-employment for women.
He also targeted the earlier RJD government and urged everyone not to forget the days when Bihar was under RJD’s rule — the era of lantern governance.
“During that time, women in Bihar bore the brunt of lawlessness and corruption, major roads in Bihar were broken, bridges were non-existent, and women suffered the most due to poor infrastructure. During floods, the hardships used to intensify, with pregnant women unable to reach hospitals on time and used to lack access to proper treatment in critical situations,” Mr. Modi said.
The Prime Minister affirmed that it was his government that helped women come out of these difficult circumstances’. Mr. Modi added that there was an atmosphere of fear during the RJD’s rule in Bihar.
“No household was safe at the time, and the terror of Maoist violence was unchecked. Women bore the greatest pain during those years. From the poor to families of doctors and IAS officers, no one was spared from the atrocities committed by RJD leaders,” Mr. Modi said.
He emphasised that under the leadership of Mr. Kumar, the rule of law has been restored in Bihar, and women have been the primary beneficiaries of this change. Mr. Modi remarked that daughters of Bihar now step out of their homes without fear and have the freedom to work even late at night.
He urged everyone to collectively pledge that Bihar must never return to the darkness of the past. He also affirmed that the progress of women leads to the progress of society as a whole.
Mr. Modi also interacted with women beneficiaries whose lives have been transformed through government initiatives. .
During the programme, the Prime Minister interacted with Reeta Devi from Bhojpur, who began her entrepreneurial journey in 2015 with a small poultry business. He also interacted with Ranjeeta Kazi from West Champaran, Gaya’s Noorjahan Khatun and Putul Devi from Purnea who runs a small sweet making business.
Mr. Modi jokingly asked Putul Devi whether she is aware of the politics done on Jalebi, which left everyone laughing.
