Patna: Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav has once again reignited the debate on employment in Bihar with a bold promise — a government job for every household in the state within 20 months of forming the government. Speaking at a press conference on October 9, Yadav declared, “As soon as the government is formed, we will enact a law within 20 days, and within 20 months, there will be no household in Bihar without a government job.”
The statement has sparked widespread discussion across the political spectrum and among citizens, with many questioning whether such a massive employment plan is even remotely achievable.
A Massive Employment Challenge
According to Bihar’s caste survey, there are approximately 2.97 crore (29.7 million) families in the state. Of these, around 17.36 lakh people currently hold government jobs. This means that to fulfill Tejashwi Yadav’s promise, roughly 2.8 crore new jobs would need to be created — a number nearly 90 times higher than existing vacancies.
There are currently only about 3 lakh sanctioned but vacant government posts in Bihar. Even if jobs were created with a modest salary of ₹20,000 per month, the government would require over ₹56,000 crore annually to pay salaries alone — a massive amount when compared to Bihar’s total budget of ₹3.17 lakh crore.
Public Opinion Divided
Residents of Patna expressed mixed reactions to Tejashwi’s announcement. Mukesh Kumar Sharma, a local resident, said, “These are election-time promises. It sounds good to hear, but practically, it’s impossible to provide government jobs to every household.”
Another citizen, Mahendra Malakar, remarked sarcastically, “Politicians can promise anything before elections. Even we can say — make me Chief Minister, and I’ll give everyone ₹1 lakh. It’s easy to say but difficult to deliver.”
However, not everyone is skeptical. Bachchu Prasad, a daily wage earner, expressed faith in the RJD leader, saying, “Tejashwi will definitely provide jobs. His father has wealth and experience. He will think of the poor.”
Experts Warn of Fiscal Stress
Economists and political observers have called the announcement unrealistic. Senior journalist Om Prakash Ashk pointed out that Bihar’s finances are already strained. “Government employees in Bihar don’t receive salaries on time. If 3 crore people are added to the payroll, where will the funds come from?” he asked.
He added that while Tejashwi has spoken about setting up factories and industries to generate employment, such a large-scale transformation will take years, not months.
Journalist Praveen Bagi offered a more balanced view, saying, “Tejashwi did deliver police and teacher jobs as Deputy Chief Minister. But this time, the promise is too big. Realistically, he may be able to create 30–40 lakh jobs, not for every family.”
Economic Experts Suggest a Broader Strategy
Economist Prof. D.M. Diwakar argued that the promise could only be achieved if Bihar undertakes deep structural reforms. “If every village has a school and hospital, if industries are set up, then jobs can be created. This won’t happen with the current development approach. The focus must shift toward agro-based industries, better education, and healthcare infrastructure,” he explained.
Diwakar added, “If we improve agriculture and invest in human capital, income will rise. Money is not the real problem — the problem is vision and planning.”
Political Reactions
The announcement has triggered sharp political responses from rival parties.
BJP’s reaction:
BJP state spokesperson Kuntal Krishna termed Tejashwi’s announcement “a new tactic to mislead people,” recalling the land-for-jobs scandal involving RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav. “If the Yadav family is talking about jobs again, it means they are planning to acquire land under some pretext,” he said.
Jan Sursaj’s take:
Jan Sursaj founder Prashant Kishore criticized the promise as “mathematically impossible.” He said, “Either Tejashwi is being foolish or trying to fool the people of Bihar. There are only 2.65 million government jobs in Bihar — how can he offer separate jobs to 35 million people?”
RJD’s defence:
RJD National Council member Sanjay Singh Yadav defended his leader, asserting that Tejashwi had already delivered results during his earlier tenure. “When we formed the government with Nitish Kumar, we provided 5 lakh jobs. Around 3.5 lakh teachers were made state employees, and 85,000 others were given jobs in 17 months. The people of Bihar trust him and know he fulfills his promises,” he said.
The Road Ahead
While Tejashwi Yadav’s announcement has injected new energy into Bihar’s political discourse ahead of the Assembly elections, experts believe that the feasibility of such an ambitious plan remains questionable. With limited financial resources and already heavy budgetary commitments, fulfilling a promise of “one government job per household” may prove to be more of a campaign slogan than a practical blueprint.
