Patna: The Bihar government has begun the process of extending additional financial assistance of up to Rs 2 lakh to women beneficiaries under its flagship Chief Minister Women’s Employment Scheme, chief minister Nitish Kumar said on Thursday, placing renewed emphasis on scaling up women-led enterprises across the state.
Speaking ahead of a cabinet meeting in Patna, he said the second phase of support would be linked to the performance of businesses started with the initial grant and would be disbursed after a review period of six months. The additional amount will be released in instalments, though a lump-sum payment may be considered where enterprises show strong and sustained progress.
आप सभी को पता है कि हमलोगों ने राज्य की महिलाओं को सशक्त एवं आत्मनिर्भर बनाने के लिए ‘मुख्यमंत्री महिला रोजगार योजना’ प्रारंभ की है। इस योजना का मुख्य उद्देश्य राज्य की महिलाओं को स्वरोजगार के लिए आर्थिक सहायता प्रदान करना है, ताकि प्रत्येक परिवार की एक महिला उद्यमी के रूप में…
— Nitish Kumar (@NitishKumar) January 29, 2026
The scheme, launched to promote self-reliance among women and ensure at least one woman entrepreneur in each family, provides seed money to support self-employment. In its first phase, Rs 10,000 was transferred directly to the bank accounts of selected beneficiaries through direct benefit transfer (DBT).
According to the state government, around 1.56 crore women have already received the initial assistance. Officials said the remaining eligible applicants in both rural and urban areas would also receive the first instalment as per the scheme’s guidelines.
CM said the proposed Rs 2 lakh assistance would be conditional on the proper utilisation of the initial grant. “If the amount has been used to start a business and the enterprise is running successfully, further financial support will be provided to help it grow,” he said.
The move comes as the state government seeks to strengthen livelihood opportunities for women and expand the scale of micro-enterprises, with officials describing the second-phase funding as critical to converting small start-ups into sustainable businesses.
