The launch of Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana on Friday in Bihar prompted the Opposition to accuse the Centre of using the scheme as an electoral gimmick ahead of the assembly polls.
Congress MP from Wayanad Priyanka Gandhi Vadra asked, "Why are they doing this just before elections? Whose government was in power for the last 20 years? What have they been doing for the last 20 years? Why didn't they do it sooner? They think that they can get votes from women through this scheme."
Earlier on Friday, Narendra Modi had launched the scheme that provides Rs. 10,000 to 75 lakh women in the state, via video-conferencing.
During the inauguration Modi had claimed 75 lakh women in the poll-bound state had already joined the initiative, with the potential for further financial support of up to Rs 2 lakh in subsequent phases.
Addressing the women, Modi said, "Women of Bihar suffered a lot under the RJD rule. There were no roads, law and order was pathetic... but now women feel safe and secure under the Nitish Kumar government as the rule of law prevails. Hence, they must ensure that RJD and its allies never return to power."
The leader of Opposition in the Bihar Assembly, Tejashwi Yadav of the RJD, the main challenger to the JDU-BJP government said the Nitish Kumar-led government had copied the scheme from his party.
“I have said this earlier too.. the Bihar government is very good at copying. They have copied our ‘Mai Behan Yojana.’ Narendra Modi should not consider people of Bihar as fools. He has not given a single penny from the central funds to the state. They are giving Rs. 10,000 now but will take back the money after elections. People of Bihar are aware about this,” Tejashwi said.
The Haryana-born Rajya Sabha MP from Bihar Sanjay Yadav echoed Tejashwi.
The ‘Mai Behin Maan Yojana’ was announced by the RJD and its alliance partner, Congress offering a monthly financial assistance of Rs. 2,500 each to empower women socially and economically.
"I want to ask the Prime Minister and the Central Government: How much money has come from the central funds for this scheme, for which you are allocating Rs 10000? The CM is completely unaware. The administration and governance are in the hands of a few people, so they are being manipulated by the Prime Minister. The distribution of Bihar's resources is being done from Delhi. Nothing is happening from Bihar," Yadav added.
Congress Rajya Sabha MP from Rajasthan Pramod Tiwari asked about the fate of the special package that Modi had announced before the 2019 Bihar polls.
“In 20 years Nitish Kumar couldn’t get special status for Bihar,” Tiwari said.
The RJD’s Lok Sabha MP from Buxar Sudhakar Singh said had Modi kept his promise of adding two crore jobs every year, he would not have needed electoral freebies to win polls.
“They are offering Rs. 10,000 telling people to find employment on their own,” Singh said.
The Trinamool general secretary and Lok Sabha MP from Diamond Harbour Abhishek Banerjee called the scheme as mere “political rhetoric.”
“We committed Lakshmi Bhandar to every woman in the family before the 2021 Assembly elections. After the government was formed the modalities to the scheme were outlined,” Abhishek said. “We could have waited for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls as a political gimmick. But for us, governance, welfare, and development are paramount.”