Overview

• Chief Minister Nitish Kumar sent Rs 10,000 each to 25 lakh beneficiaries on October 3, taking total transfers under the scheme to Rs 10,000 crore for one crore women.
• The next tranche is slated for October 6, and officials say weekly disbursements will continue until all remaining eligible applicants are paid.
• The programme gives one woman per family an initial Rs 10,000 to start a micro-enterprise, with up to Rs 2 lakh in follow-on support for ventures that show results.
• Payments are delivered via Direct Benefit Transfer through the Jeevika/SHG network, and government employees and income-tax payers are not eligible.
• The rollout is a centerpiece of the NDA’s election messaging, with Nitish Kumar appealing to women voters as opposition parties question the timing of the cash push.