PM: ₹15K for first-time private sector staffers in Bihar

SOUNDING THE START of the NDA's Bihar Assembly election campaign, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Friday said the ruling alliance would build a "new Bihar" and protect the state from the "evil intentions" of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD)-Congress Mahagathbandhan (grand alliance), which he accused of engaging in "revenge politics".

- HIMANSHU HARSH

The PM drew a contrast with the welfare initiatives and successes of the Nitish Kumar-led state government and his government, and announced a central employment scheme from August 1, under which first-time job seekers in the private sector will receive ₹15,000. Targeting the Opposition on the jobs front, he said the RJD had seized land from the poor on the false promise of jobs. It was an apparent reference to the "land-for-jobs" scam in which the RJD leader Lalu Prasad and his family are facing an investigation.