Bihar cabinet approves ₹2L each to 9.4mn poor families

The Bihar cabinet on Tuesday approved a proposal to provide financial assistance of ₹2 lakh each to over 9.4 million families who were assessed as poor in the recently held caste and economic survey in the state to create self-employment opportunities, a senior government official said.

- Subhash Pathak

The approval to the "Bihar Laghu Udyami Yojana" (Bihar small entrepreneur scheme) was among the 18 proposals of different departments approved during the cabinet meeting chaired by chief minister Nitish Kumar, additional chief secretary (cabinet) S Siddharth said.

The scheme, which will continue for five years, aims to provide job opportunities to over 9.4 million poor families, whose monthly income is less than 26,000 a month, Siddharth said. "At least one member each of the poor families will be provided grant up to  ₹2 lakh in three instalments to set up and run 63 kinds of small industrial or processing units, such as handicraft, textile, saloon, eateries etc."