WOMEN IN BIHAR ARE IN FOR A TREAT, THEY WILL NEVER HAVE TO REPAY THE Rs. 10,000

WOMEN IN BIHAR ARE IN FOR A TREAT, THEY WILL NEVER HAVE TO REPAY THE Rs. 10,000

3-NOV-ENG 3

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

PATNA------------------------In Bihar, women will no longer have to repay the ₹10,000 each they received under the Chief Minister's Women's Employment Scheme. The government has clarified that this is not a loan but a fully subsidized amount. So far, 15 million women have benefited from this scheme.

Under the Women's Employment Scheme, 15 million women have received ₹10,000 each online. The opposition has consistently claimed that women will have to repay the ₹10,000, including interest, as a loan from the government. However, these claims have been proven wrong. Women in Bihar will never have to repay the ₹10,000. This amount is fully subsidized by the state government. It is not a loan. No government resolution or guideline provides for the repayment of funds provided under this scheme.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is continuously working towards women's empowerment. The Chief Minister's Women's Employment Scheme is one of the most ambitious schemes of the Nitish government. This scheme will not only empower women economically but also prove to be a milestone towards making them self-reliant. The Chief Minister's Women's Employment Scheme was launched in the state on August 29, 2025.

The objective of this scheme is to empower one woman from every family in the state by providing financial assistance to start a business of their choice and increase family income. Additionally, fairs and markets will be developed from villages to cities for the sale of women's products. In the first phase, all eligible women are being given an amount of ₹10,000 directly into their bank accounts through DBT. Additional financial assistance of up to ₹2 lakh will be provided to women who start their own businesses to expand their enterprises.

The amount received under this scheme is not to be repaid at any level. This amount is fully subsidized by the state government. This is not a loan. No government resolution or guideline provides for the repayment of funds granted under this scheme. There is no deadline for applying under the Chief Minister's Women's Employment Scheme. Eligible women can avail of this scheme at any time. The scheme will continue until all eligible women are covered.

To date, approximately 15 million women have received ₹10,000 in the Chief Minister's Women's Employment Scheme (MWES) funds. A calendar for transferring funds to the remaining women has already been released by December 2025. If any eligible women are left out during this period, they can apply later. Under this scheme, all women can start a business of their choice. They can open a grocery store, fruit and vegetable shop, utensils and cosmetics shop, toy or stationery shop.

They can also run businesses such as beauty parlors, sewing and embroidery, mobile recharge and photocopy centers, agriculture, cow rearing, and poultry farming. One woman from each family in the state can benefit from this scheme. All members of Jeevika Self Help Groups (one woman per family) are eligible. Furthermore, women who are not already associated with Jeevika Self Help Groups will be added to the Self Help Group and receive benefits. Under this scheme, a family refers to a husband, wife, and their unmarried children. Unmarried women whose parents are not alive will also be considered a family.

To benefit from this scheme, women who are not previously associated with Self Help Groups will be added to the Self Help Group. Applicants must be between 18 and 60 years of age. Neither the applicant nor their husband should be in the income tax category. Neither the applicant nor their husband should be in government service (regular/contractual). Women in rural areas already associated with a Jeevika Self-Help Group (SHG) can apply at a special meeting of their Village Organization (VO). Women who are not already associated with a Jeevika Self-Help Group must first submit an application to the Village Organization in the prescribed form to join the Self-Help Group. After that, they can be added to the Self-Help Group and receive the benefits of this scheme.

Women associated with Self-Help Groups in urban areas can apply at a special meeting of their Area Level Organization (ALF)/VO or municipal body. Women in urban areas who are not associated with a Self-Help Group can apply online through the web portal available at www.brips.in. For those who have applied online in urban areas, 100% of the cases will be verified and linked to the Self-Help Group, and the Rural Development Department will transfer the funds on the scheduled date. Under the Chief Minister's Women Employment Scheme, free training has been arranged for women beneficiaries in their chosen field of employment.

If women in rural areas are offered any inducement, application, or payment for benefits under the Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana, they can complain to the Block/District office of Jeevika, the Block Development Officer (BDO), the Deputy Development Commissioner (DDC), or the District Magistrate (DM). Women in urban areas can also file a complaint with the relevant municipal body office.