Women voters play a big role in Bihar elections. This is the reason that Nitish Kumar has been strong on the schemes related to women from the beginning. And, the Chief Minister Mahila Employment Scheme is a new election gift from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Nitish Kumar for women of Bihar in this episode.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Chief Minister’s Mahila Employment Scheme through video conferencing and said, “When this process was going on, I was thinking how big and important steps have been taken for the sisters and daughters of Bihar.” When a sister or daughter does employment or self -employment, her dreams get new wings, and her respect in the society increases even more.
Prime Minister Modi said, “Earlier this month I had the opportunity to start ‘Jeevika Nidhi Savandha Cooperative Union’ … Now the power of this system will be associated with the ‘Chief Minister Mahila Employment’ scheme. Prime Minister Modi said that 75 lakh sisters have been added to the new scheme so far, and 10–10 thousand rupees have been sent to the bank account of all the sisters simultaneously. Of the 3.39 crore female voters in Bihar, these 75 lakh beneficiaries are 22 percent.
Cash transfer schemes for women in states like Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra have been very beneficial for BJP. In Bihar, Nitish Kumar is already running a lot of schemes for women, the Chief Minister Mahila Employment Scheme is a bit different from them.
But, Tejashwi Yadav, Leader of Opposition in Bihar Legislative Assembly, says, Modi ji has not given a single penny in this scheme. All the money belongs to the state government. And, it is also being said that it will be reviewed later. Do not consider the people of Bihar as stupid.
How effective Chief Minister Mahila Employment Scheme
The Chief Minister Mahila Employment Scheme is not just a scheme of financial assistance for women of Bihar. This scheme is actually related to supporting women entrepreneurs, and it is not even for all women. To take advantage of the Chief Minister Mahila Employment Scheme, it is necessary to connect with livelihood. Those women who are not yet associated with livelihood, first will have to take membership by applying in the village organization, and only then they will be able to take advantage of the scheme.
Of course, they are getting the first installment of 10 thousand rupees, but later their work will be reviewed. On the basis of evaluation, six months after starting work, qualified women will get a financial assistance of a maximum of Rs 2 lakh. Under this Community based scheme, women associated with self -help group will be given financial help as well as training according to work. So far most women have applied to start animal husbandry, grocery shops, cosmetics, handicrafts, or small business.
To take advantage of the Chief Minister Mahila Employment Scheme, the woman must be a permanent resident of Bihar. The minimum educational qualification for application should be 10+2, Intermediate, ITI, Polytechnic Diploma or equivalent. The age of the applicant should also be between 18 years to 60 years – and no member in the woman’s family should be in a government job, nor should be the income tax payer.
As far as the election benefit from this scheme is concerned, it depends on many things. The most powerful message is that 10 thousand rupees have reached the account of 75 lakh women, but this scheme is not for every woman of 18-60 years. Schemes like have been brought to Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, or are proposed in Delhi.
In Bihar, the Congress and RJD have also announced to be given Rs 2500 every month under the Mai Bahin Mann Yojana when they come to power. In Madhya Pradesh too, the Congress had announced such a scheme, but the BJP government started sending money to the account of women before the elections, and has also got full benefit.
Under the Chief Minister Mahila Employment Scheme, no one has to get money every month and if the work goes well, then after six months, financial assistance of up to 2 lakhs can be provided – remember, this scheme provides a chance to start employment and become self -sufficient. So the effect of the scheme depends on how people take it? Anyway, there is a difference between getting money to work and getting grain and money for free.
Nitish Kumar’s plans for women
In the 2020 Bihar assembly elections, BJP got 74 seats, and after that Prime Minister Narendra Modi mentioned the silent voter of Bihar in the BJP office of Delhi. Modi then described the women of Bihar as silent voters.
Then Modi said, in newspapers, the NDA was being discussed on TV channels … Silent voter … The election results have to hear their echo … BJP has a class of silent voters who are voting again and again, voting continuously … These are silent voters … Silent voters are … The mothers of the country, sisters, women, women, women, women.
Prime Minister Modi said, from rural areas to urban areas, women voters have become the biggest silent vote of BJP. While starting the Chief Minister’s Mahila Employment Scheme, Modi was trying to connect the women of Bihar in the same manner.
The 2015 assembly election Nitish Kumar was contesting with Lalu Yadav in the Grand Alliance, and announced to implement liquor ban in Bihar when women came to power in a program during the campaign. After forming the government, Nitish Kumar also fulfilled the promise, it is different that there have been disputes about implementing it. Nobody else, but Jan Suraj leader Prashant Kishore has said to end liquor ban on formation of his government.
After becoming the Chief Minister in 2005, Nitish Kumar has been bringing all the schemes like Chief Minister Balika Cycle Scheme, Mukhyamantri Kanya Utthan Yojana, Mukhyamantri Balika Dress Yojana, Mukhyamantri Kanya Vivah Yojana, Divorce Scheme and Widow -Buzurg Pension from time to time – and Bihar’s women voters have contributed a lot in Nitish Kumar to remain the Chief Minister.
In the upcoming election, it is to see whether the Chief Minister is getting a guarantee of Nitish Kumar’s victory by becoming a game changer?
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