PatnaOctober 23, 2025 02:52 AM IST
First published on: Oct 22, 2025 at 03:56 PM IST
Offering job permanence to Bihar’s two-lakh Jeevika community mobilisers and an equal number of contractual employees, ensuring education and employment for girls, and providing houses, adequate ration and incomes for women — these are among the Mahagathbandhan’s new promises that the state’s Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav has made in the run-up to the assembly elections. He also dismissed rumours of friction within the alliance over seat-sharing.
At a press conference Wednesday, Yadav, who is leading the Rashtriya Janata Dal’s election campaign in the state, announced a series of measures for Jeevika didis — the women associated with the state government’s World Bank-aided Bihar Rural Livelihoods Project (BRLP) for the social and economic empowerment of the rural poor, also known as ‘Jeevika’. This includes interest-free loans for two years. The state currently has about 1.4 crore Jeevika workers from about 11 lakh self-help groups (SHGs) of women.
“Community mobiliser (CM) didis bear the burden of so many responsibilities. We would offer them permanent jobs for a monthly salary of Rs 30,000. We would also waive interest on loans given to Jeevika workers. Besides, we would offer Rs 5 lakh cover to each of them,” he said.
Among other major announcements were the MAA (Makaan, Anna and Aamdani — house, grains and income) and BETI (Benefit, Education, Training, Income) schemes — both follow-ups of the Mahagathbandhan’s proposed Mai Bahin Yojana that promises monthly assistance of Rs 2,500 to women.
Tejashwi has already promised government jobs to each of the state’s 2.5 crore families.
Targeting Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Tejashwi said: “Amit Shah called Rs 10,000 each given to 1.21 crore women as ‘seed money’. It means it is a loan. Shah alone can tell what kind of business one could start with Rs 10,000. But we are committed to start the Mai Bahin scheme to give Rs 2,500/month to each woman. To further enhance it, we would start BETI (Benefit Education Training Income) to take care of a girl since her birth for her education, training and employment. The MAA scheme would ensure every woman has a house, adequate ration and income.”
Promising permanent jobs to the state’s 1.5-2 lakh contract workers, he said these employees are hired by companies contracted by state government agencies. “Services of these workers are terminated without any show-cause notice served to them. We want to stop the system of commission in contract jobs… Tejashwi jo kahta hai, karta hai (Tejashwi does what he promises),” he said.
Asked about the budget for all this, he said: “We have worked this out. First ask the NDA [National Democratic Alliance] which has made announcements worth Rs 7 lakh crore.”
Asked about “problems in alliance”, he said: “Everything is okay. We will tell you more tomorrow.”
This comes at a time when there are talks of friction between allies RJD and the Congress over seat-sharing weeks ahead of the Bihar assembly elections. The allies have yet to announce their seat-sharing formula, with the two parties staring at “friendly contests” in at least three seats — Bachhwara, Rajapakar and Bihar Sharif.
