Bihar polls: Tejashwi Yadav promises women under 'Jeevika Didi' scheme permanent job with add-on benefits

All contractual employees will be made permanent, announced Tejashwi, whose RJD is an alliance with the Congress and other smaller parties.

The RJD leader said, "Jivika Didis and CMs (Community Mobilizers) will be made permanent and granted the status of government employees. Jivika Didis will be paid a salary of ₹30,000 per month.

"All contractual workers working in the state will be made permanent. Contractual workers who have been enduring physical, mental, and economic exploitation through various agencies will now be made permanent all at once."

Additionally, Tejashwi has promised the interests of the loans taken by women under the scheme will be waived and an extra allowance of Rs. 2,000 per month and an insurance coverage worth Rs. 5 lakh will be provided.

The promise is perceived as a challenge to the ruling NDA spearheaded by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar as the RJD is set to use the 'Jeevika Didi' promise as a poll plank in the coming weeks.

The Bihar polls will be held in two phases on November 6 and 11. The results will be declared on November 14.

What is the Jeevika Didi scheme?

The “Jeevika Didi Ki Rasoi” is a women-led community enterprise initiative under JEEViKA (Bihar’s rural livelihoods mission). It aims to set up hygienic, affordable canteens or food-service counters in public institutions (hospitals, medical colleges, schools) in Bihar.

These canteens are run by women (often self-help-group members, referred to as “Didi” meaning sister) and offer meals at subsidised rates (e.g., around ₹20 a plate) to visitors, patients, staff in government institutions.

The scheme also has a wider context: JEEViKA supports thousands of women through self-help groups, financial credit, enterprise development etc. In that sense a “Jeevika Didi” more broadly refers to a woman member of the JEEViKA self-help groups network.