Congress will launch 'Mai Bahan Maan Yojana' if Mahagathbandhan wins in Bihar: Alka Lamba

Patna, May 21 (IANS) Congress National Women’s Wing President Alka Lamba on Wednesday announced that if the Mahagathbandhan alliance comes to power in Bihar, it will launch the 'Mai Bahan Maan Yojana', under which women will receive Rs 2,500 per month directly in their bank accounts.

Lamba told IANS: “Our governments in Telangana, Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Tamil Nadu are already providing financial support to women. In Bihar, too, women, the poor, and the underprivileged are suffering due to inflation, unemployment, and migration. They are struggling to survive. We have decided that as soon as the Mahagathbandhan forms the government in Bihar, our first Cabinet meeting and first decision will be to implement the 'Mai Bahan Maan Yojana'. Every month, on the first, Rs 2,500 will be deposited into the bank accounts of registered women to empower them economically and help them fight poverty, inflation, and unemployment.”

Lamba also announced the launch of a missed call registration system to support the scheme’s outreach.

“We have released a missed call number today. I urge all women in Bihar to give a missed call from their mobile phones. This will register them for the scheme. Once the government is formed, all registered women will receive Rs 2,500 per month. This is our guarantee,” she told IANS.

She claimed that a formal “guarantee form” will be filled out by women who register, and this form will serve as proof of their eligibility for the scheme once the Mahagathbandhan is in power.

Reacting to questions about the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) having previously announced a similar scheme, Lamba clarified that there is no difference between the two proposals.

“The alliance is united. The government will be formed together, and the decision will be a joint one. Our announcement is not separate from theirs. In fact, we welcome their initiative and have fully endorsed it. This is a collective commitment,” she concluded.

Last year, former Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Prasad Yadav launched 'Mai Bahan Maan Yojana' just after the launch of CM Nitish Kumar's 'Mahila Samvad Yatra.'