Guv lays down Bihar govt’s agenda: 10 mn jobs, up to ₹2L to women

Bihar Governor Arif Mohammad Khan outlined a five-year agenda, aiming to create 10 million jobs, enhance women's empowerment, and boost state development.

Bihar Governor Arif Mohammad Khan on Wednesday address the joint session of the two Houses of the legislature, outlining the government’s agenda in the next five years to add pace to state’s growth and achievements so far.

Bihar Governor Arif Mohammad Khan addresses joint winter session at Bihar Vidhan Mandal in Patna, Wednesday (Santosh Kumar/HT)

Delivering his inaugural address to the joint session upon NDA’s landslide victory in the Vidhan Sabha elections, the Governor underlined the government’s commitment to create 10 million jobs and employment opportunities in the next five years and provide financial assistance of up to ₹2 lakh to women for entrepreneurship under the CM Mahila Rozgar Yojana following assessment of their successful enterprise.

As the Governor started his address, there was confusion for some time, causing embarrassment to the authorities concerned, as his mike malfunctioned and nothing was audible, prompting him to stop. However, he later continued, saying he would speak a little louder.

Highlighting the development journey of Bihar since 2005, with appreciable improvement in different spheres like education, health, infrastructure, women’s empowerment, Khan said the government had worked for all sections of society.

Emphasising the government’s focus on women’s empowerment, job creation, education and health, Khan said five million jobs and employment opportunities had been created in the state since 2005 and it would be doubled in the next five years.

On women’s empowerment, he referred to 1.1 million Jeevika self-help groups involving 14 million women, government policies since 2005 giving 50% reservation to them in panchayati raj bodies and urban local bodies and 35% quota in jobs and police and said 15.6 million had already got ₹10,000 each under the CM Mahila Rozgar Yojana, while the rest would get soon.

He also thanked the Centre and PM Modi for extending “generous financial assistance” to the state in the budgets as well as through launch of big projects to speed up the state’s progress.

Khan said the NDA government’s focus on development with justice and for women, especially girls, was manifested through various measures like free uniforms and bicycles to those in school. “Schoolteachers have also been given the status of employees and now their number has reached 5.20 lakh,”he added.

He said the agricultural road maps had been successful in improving farm production, with the yield in paddy, wheat and maize doubling, while fish production had increased by 2.5 times to make Bihar self-reliant. “For the fourth agricultural road maps, ₹1.62 lakh crore has been approved to give it further boost,” he added.

He also highlighted the state’s consistent progress, especially 100% electrification and 125 units of free electricity. “Be it SC/ST, OBC/EBC or minorities, no section has been left untouched, as the government has a slew of schemes and incentives for them,” he added.

JD(U)’s deputy Speaker

In another development, senior JD(U) leader Narendra Narayan Yadav filed his nomination for the post of deputy Speaker of assembly on Tuesday and is set to be elected unopposed on December 4. He held the post in 2024 also after Nitish Kumar severed ties with the Grand Alliance (GA) to join the NDA.

The legislative session, which includes both the assembly and the council, is scheduled to conclude on Friday.