Patna: RJD working president Tejashwi Prasad Yadav on Monday accused the NDA government in Bihar of failing to fulfill its poll promise of transferring the second instalment of the total Rs 2 lakh under the Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana (MMRY) into the personal accounts of registered women, claiming the state's coffers are empty.
First instalment coverage incomplete
“Only 1.81 crore women have been paid the first instalment, and the remaining 18 lakh women have not yet been covered under the MMRY scheme,” said Tejashwi, who is also the leader of opposition in the state assembly. He added, “The government knew its resources were limited, and yet, it borrowed Rs 41,000 crore to distribute under various schemes to reap poll benefits.”
Allegations of threats and inducements
Tejashwi alleged that women were “given warnings and threats that if they did not vote for a particular candidate of a specific party at the polling booth fitted with cameras, then the money transferred to them would be withdrawn. At the same time, the inducement given was also that if they voted as advised, then the next instalments up to Rs 2 lakh would also be paid to them.”
He pointed out that “it is already six months since the November 2025 assembly elections were held,” but the poll promise remains unfulfilled, as the “financial condition of the state is worse at present.”
Background of the scheme
Tejashwi said that just before the Election Commission of India announced the poll schedule for the November 2025 Bihar assembly elections, the state government unveiled its MMRY scheme. While the release of the amount was staggered over a period extending beyond the poll schedule, as many as 1.81 crore women have been covered overall. Under the scheme, the first instalment worth Rs 10,000 was transferred into the personal account of each registered woman to facilitate starting a business activity of their choice. The additional promise made by the government was that the second instalment would be paid after six months, following a review of their business activities.
Accusation of treachery
“The NDA government has committed treachery with women. By speaking a blatant lie, the government exploited their emotions to garner their votes during the assembly election. It has thereby also cheated them,” Tejashwi said. He added that the government kept transferring Rs 10,000 each into the accounts of Jeevika Didis associated with self-help groups and other registered women throughout the poll schedule and even beyond it.
