Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday announced a Rs 1,000 monthly allowance for each unemployed youth, in a move seen as a major outreach to young and first-time voters ahead of the Assembly elections.
In a post on X, CM Kumar reiterated his government's commitment to youth empowerment, noting that since 2005, job creation and employment have been a top priority.
He stated that the state has set a target of providing government jobs and employment to one crore youth in the next five years, with large-scale opportunities to be created in both government and private sectors.
The Chief Minister said that under the Chief Minister's Self-Help Allowance Scheme, part of the state's flagship 7 Nischay programme, benefits will now be extended to unemployed graduates.
Previously, the scheme was available only to intermediate pass candidates.
Now, graduates aged 20-25 years, who are neither studying, employed, nor self-employed, will receive an allowance of Rs 1,000 per month for up to two years.
Kumar expressed hope that the assistance would help young people pursue skill training and prepare for competitive examinations.
"This visionary initiative of the state government aims to provide maximum employment opportunities to the state's youth. Educated youth here will become self-reliant, skilled, and employable, enabling them to contribute significantly to the development of the state and the nation," the Chief Minister said.
Earlier on Wednesday, Nitish Kumar transferred Rs 5,000 each to 16.04 lakh construction workers as a direct financial assistance to construction workers across the state, a move being described in political circles as a major step ahead of the upcoming elections.
The financial assistance was given on the occasion of Vishwakarma Puja and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's birthday.
Under the Annual Clothing Assistance Scheme of the Bihar government, Rs 802.46 crore has been transferred to the bank accounts of the construction workers. Nitish Kumar, in the presence of Deputy Chief Ministers Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha, also launched a Pratigya web portal dedicated to contractual workers in Patna.
(With inputs from IANS)
