There’s great news for 7.5 million women in Bihar. Under the Chief Minister’s Women Entrepreneurs’ Scheme, a direct transfer of ₹10,000 has been made to the accounts of all these women. Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched this important scheme via video conferencing from Delhi on Friday.

He said, “More than 7.5 million women have already joined this scheme, and ₹10,000 has been transferred directly to their accounts. This scheme has also given new impetus to the central government’s ‘Lakhpati Didi Abhiyaan’. Our goal is to reach 30 million ‘Lakhpati Didi’s, and I am confident that Bihar will have the highest number of ‘Lakhpati Didi’s.’

₹10,000 for starters and a bumper loan of ₹2 lakh

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar recently announced this excellent scheme, after which the cabinet approved it. Under this scheme, women are initially provided financial assistance of ₹10,000 to start their own business. After approximately six months, if their business is performing well and has the potential to grow, there is also a significant provision for an interest-free loan of up to ₹2 lakh. This is a strong step towards empowering women.

Which women will not be eligible for the scheme

This scheme is for women’s empowerment, but not every woman will be eligible. Certain eligibility criteria have been set. Only women associated with Self-Help Groups (SHGs)/Jeevika will be selected under this scheme. Women who are not associated with Jeevika or SHGs will not be eligible.

Simple Application Process

There are different procedures for women in urban and rural areas to avail themselves of the benefits of this scheme.

Rural Women: Women who are already associated with Self-Help Groups (SHGs) can submit their applications directly to their Village Organization. Women who are not associated with SHGs must first apply to be part of the group by filling out a form at the Village Organization.

Urban Women: Urban women can apply online by visiting the Jeevika website (www.brlps.in). However, women who already belong to SHGs do not need to apply online.

Jeevika

It is important to note that the Bihar Rural Livelihood Promotion Committee (BRLPS) administers the Jeevika Didi Scheme in the state. It was launched in 2006 with World Bank assistance. Currently, 10.81 lakh self-help groups are active, comprising 1.34 crore women.

These groups are increasing women’s income through agriculture, animal husbandry, handicrafts, grocery stores, sewing, embroidery, and small industries. Recently, Jeevika Nidhi Credit Cooperative Union Limited was also established under this scheme to provide loans to women at very low rates.

Main Objective of the Scheme

The scheme aims to assist women in starting self-employment, establishing small businesses, or expanding existing businesses. This first phase of financial assistance will enable women to invest in farming, animal husbandry, handicrafts, sewing, knitting, and other small enterprises.

Approximately six months later, they will be provided with additional assistance of ₹2 lakh, enabling them to significantly expand their businesses. This loan will be completely interest-free, eliminating any financial burden on women entrepreneurs.