Patna, the Bihar Assembly today passed a second supplementary budget of Rs 91,717.1135 crore and the appropriation bill.
Bihar Minister Shrawan Kumar, while responding to the discussion on rural development in the Assembly on behalf of the government, said that about 89 percent of the state's population lives in rural areas and the rural development department is playing a crucial role in eliminating poverty and creating employment opportunities. He said that the department is implementing various important schemes such as Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, Mukhyamantri Awas Yojana, Mukhyamantri Awas Yojana, MGNREGA, Lohia Swachh Bihar Abhiyan, Aadhaar registration, social audit society programs, activities of the Development Management Institute, and Jeevika. He said that poor rural families in the state are largely dependent on these welfare schemes.
Mr. Kumar said that about 1.40 crore women in Bihar have been connected to the Jeevika self-help group network and willing women are being continuously connected to the group. Several employment-based schemes are being run to increase women's income and promote self-reliance. He said that during Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's 20-year tenure, Jeevika has provided women with the opportunity to live a dignified life with economic independence. This initiative, started with the help of the World Bank in 2006, makes Bihar the first state in the country to adopt the women's empowerment model on a large scale.
The Minister said that more than 42.54 lakh women are engaged in agricultural activities and more than 12.40 lakh families are earning income from animal husbandry activities. He said that sewing training centers are being run in every block, providing employment. So far, more than 40,000 women have been trained, and in the financial year 2025-26, more than 50,000 Jeevika members have got employment under these programs.
The state government has given several responsibilities to Jeevika's women members. One lakh women have got self-employment by sewing clothes for children in Anganwadi centers. Jeevika women have also been appointed as counselors in hospitals. Jeevika groups have been given the task of providing food and cleaning in medical colleges, district hospitals, sadar hospitals, and sub-divisional hospitals, providing employment to 3,960 women.
The Minister said that apart from this, 7,754 women have been given the responsibility of taking care of ponds across the state, providing them with regular employment. In total, more than 90.68 lakh women are earning annual income from these various activities.
Mr. Kumar said that due to the skill development initiatives being run in the state, more than 4.08 lakh youths have got employment. 31.71 lakh Jeevika women have become "Lakhpati Didi". Many women who used to earn between Rs 2,000 to Rs 6,000 are now earning significantly more with government support. Currently, 34,489 women are earning a combined annual income of Rs 1.20 crore, while the total annual business is Rs 128 crore.
The Minister said that Bihar is the first state where every woman in the family has been given the freedom to choose her preferred employment and Rs 10,000 is being sent directly to their accounts for this. The government believes that this will improve the family's income and standard of living. He said that the facility of Haat and Bazaar is being expanded from villages to cities to increase the sale of women's products. Under this scheme, more than 1.56 crore women have been sent Rs 10,000 for employment activities.
He said that Jeevika has also got national recognition and has been declared a "National Resource Organization" for community-based institutions, health, and empowerment. Now Jeevika women are providing training in several states including Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand.
Mr. Kumar criticized the opposition's statements that the women who were given Rs 10,000 in aid would have to return it. He said that women have not been misled by this false propaganda and the opposition's attempt has failed.
The Minister further said that whenever the opposition tries to harm Nitish Kumar politically, the public gives him a stronger mandate. Referring to the recent elections, he said that the opposition was completely defeated in front of the JDU's development policy and the RJD alliance was limited to only 35 seats.
After this, the second supplementary budget and the related appropriation bill were passed in the Assembly and the House was adjourned for an indefinite period.