In Bihar, PM moves to counter RJD’s employment pitch, reaches out to youth with Central scheme for job-seekers

The Union Cabinet on July 1 approved the Employment Linked Incentive (ELI) scheme, which was announced in the Union Budget for 2024-25 presented in July 2024. The duration of the scheme is two years from August 1, 2025, to July 31, 2027.

Modi said the Nitish Kumar government had appointed lakhs of youth “fairly and transparently” and the Centre was working “shoulder-to-shoulder” with the Bihar Chief Minister. “Those in the RJD can never give you jobs. They are the ones who seize your land in exchange for job promises. Remember, one side was the old Bihar stuck in the era of lanterns (a reference to the RJD’s symbol), and on the other side is this vibrant Bihar full of new hope and ambition. This transformation has happened by walking hand-in-hand with the NDA. Therefore, Bihar’s resolve is firm, every moment with the NDA.”

The PM’s comments appear to be a counter to nullify the RJD’s jobs pitch, which is cited for its success in the 2020 Assembly elections. RJD leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav had centred that campaign around creating 10 lakh jobs, and the party emerged as the single-largest party with 75 seats out of 243. Tejashwi repeated the strategy in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, claiming that in the 17 months as Deputy CM — before Nitish changed sides and joined the NDA in January 2024 – the government provided four lakh jobs and could have done more had he completed his term.

“When the RJD and the Congress were in power, Bihar was given just Rs 2 lakh crore in 10 years. It was as though they were taking revenge on Nitish ji’s government, taking revenge on Bihar. In 2014, when you allowed me to serve in the Centre, I ended that era of revenge-based politics against Bihar … In the last 10 years, we have given Bihar many times more than what the Congress-RJD governments did. This money is going toward public welfare and development projects in Bihar,” Modi said at the public meeting after launching and inaugurating development projects of over Rs 7,200 crore.

“Those in power were more interested in how to loot the money meant for the poor. Under the rule of the RJD and the Congress, it was almost impossible for the poor to get permanent homes. People didn’t even dare paint their houses, fearing the owners might be picked up. Such governance from the RJD can never give you a pucca house.”

The NDA government, meanwhile, brought the PMAY affordable housing scheme, women’s Self-Help Group initiative Lakhpati Didi, and financial inclusion programme Jan Dhan Yojana, the PM said. “Over 12,000 families in Bihar have received new homes under PMAY on Thursday itself, and nearly seven lakh houses have already been built in the state under the scheme. In Motihari alone, three lakh pucca houses have been constructed. Only in Bihar, more poor families have been given permanent homes than the total populations of countries like Norway, New Zealand, and Singapore.”

Modi said many women did not even have bank accounts before his government rolled out the Jan Dhan scheme. “Modi understands what the dignity of the poor means. I asked the banks: ‘How can you keep your doors shut for the poor?’ We launched a massive campaign and opened Jan Dhan accounts. Today, about 3.5 crore women in Bihar have these accounts, allowing direct transfer of government scheme benefits.” He also applauded the Bihar government’s recent decision to increase pensions.

The PM promised further support for Bihar’s agro-based economy and flagged off four new Amrit Bharat trains that will cater to regions with a migration rate to metros: Rajendra Nagar Terminal (Patna) to New Delhi, Bapudham Motihari to Delhi (Anand Vihar Terminal), Darbhanga to Lucknow (Gomti Nagar), and Malda Town to Lucknow (Gomti Nagar) via Bhagalpur.

He said the eastern states would be the next engine of the country’s growth story and appealed to voters to allow the NDA to continue to work for Bihar’s progress. “You have already freed this land from the shackles of the RJD and the Congress. You made the impossible possible. Now that Bihar is on the path of progress, it must continue with the NDA. That is your pledge, NDA at every step. We will build a new Bihar, and once again, an NDA government.”

The “younger generation must be made aware of the despair in which Bihar was mired until two decades ago” and it is essential to “protect Bihar against the ill intentions (buri niyat)” of the Congress-RJD combine, the PM told the crowd.

In his speech, CM Nitish Kumar said the decision to provide 125 units of free power in the state starting August 1, announced on Thursday, was “in keeping with the advice” of the PM. Later in the day, the state Cabinet cleared the proposal.

— With ENS Delhi inputs