— Rituparna Patgiri

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar -led NDA government in Bihar has unveiled a scheme Mukhyamantri Mahila Rozgar Yojana to grant 75 lakh women entrepreneurs Rs 10,000 each, while the Opposition Mahagathbandhan under Tejashwi Yadav has promised to deposit Rs 2,500 per month in the bank accounts of “eligible women” for five years.

Similarly, Kerala’s Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan announced a new scheme, ‘Women Safety Project’, which envisages a monthly aid of Rs 1,000 for women from weaker sections between the ages of 35 and 60. The honorarium of the ASHA workers has also been increased by Rs 1000/month.

Although these announcements are made in the run-up to elections, it draws attention to the growing recognition of women’s welfare and economic empowerment as key are

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