Katihar: Women associated with the state’s rural livelihoods programme will now sell their home-cooked meals through popular food delivery platforms after the Bihar government launched a new digital initiative aimed at boosting women’s incomes.
Chief minister Nitish Kumar inaugurated the scheme during his Samriddhi Yatra in Katihar, enabling members of the Jeevika self-help groups – popularly known as “Jeevika Didis” – to offer their food through platforms such as Swiggy and Zomato.
The initiative, developed through a collaboration between the Katihar district administration and the state’s Jeevika livelihood mission, will allow residents to order meals prepared by the women from their homes through the online apps.
Katihar’s district magistrate, Ashutosh Dwivedi, said the programme would help provide residents with “home-style, hygienic food” while creating new income opportunities for the women involved. “By linking the Jeevika Didis with digital platforms, we expect their daily earnings to increase significantly,” he told reporters.
Officials said the initiative forms part of a broader effort by the Bihar government to promote women’s economic independence. The Jeevika programme, which organises rural women into self-help groups and provides them with training and livelihood opportunities, has been widely cited as a model for community-based entrepreneurship.
Under the new scheme, members of the groups have received training in hygiene, food safety and packaging to meet the standards required by online delivery platforms. The district administration plans to expand the model to other blocks in Katihar if the pilot proves successful.
Authorities believe the programme could improve the livelihoods of thousands of families associated with Jeevika while bringing locally prepared meals to a wider urban customer base.
