Sun Dec 14 00:13:51 UTC 2025: Here’s a summary and news article based on the provided text:

Summary:

Bihar’s Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) alleges that the state government mistakenly transferred funds intended for women under the Mukhayamantri Mahila Rozgar Yojna to men’s accounts in a bid to improperly influence voters in the recent assembly election. The RJD shared a letter purportedly from the Bihar Rural Livelihood Promotion Society (Jeevika) asking recipients to return the money. The RJD criticizes the government’s handling of the scheme, claiming poverty and unemployment will prevent men from returning the money and accusing the government of electoral malpractice. The state government has yet to respond to these allegations.

News Article:

Bihar Government Accused of Election Blunder: Funds Meant for Women Mistakenly Sent to Men, Claims RJD

Patna, Bihar – December 14, 2025 – A political storm is brewing in Bihar as the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) accuses the state government of a major blunder related to the Mukhayamantri Mahila Rozgar Yojna, a scheme designed to empower women through financial assistance.

The RJD alleges that instead of transferring ₹10,000 to eligible women, the government mistakenly deposited the funds into the accounts of several men, claiming it was a deliberate attempt to buy votes in the recently concluded assembly election. The scheme was promoted as a driver for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) victory, in which they won 202 seats out of 243.

To support their claims, the RJD posted a screenshot on ‘X’, a purported letter from the Bihar Rural Livelihood Promotion Society (Jeevika) addressed to recipients, requesting the return of the mistakenly transferred funds. The letter, allegedly sent by a Block Project Manager (BPM) from Jeevika’s Jaale block in Darbhanga district, cites a “technical error” as the reason for the misdirected payments.

“Their anxiety and insecurity were so intense that instead of sending the money to women, they transferred ₹10,000 to men’s accounts. Now, love letters are being written to the men asking them to return the ₹10,000,” The RJD stated in their ‘X’ post.

The Mukhayamantri Mahila Rozgar Yojna, launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi via video conference before the election, involves direct fund transfers to women’s bank accounts, initially providing ₹10,000 each with the potential for additional grants for successful entrepreneurs. According to the government, over 1.56 crore women have benefited from the scheme.

The RJD further argued that widespread poverty and unemployment in Bihar make it unlikely that the men who received the funds will return them, suggesting the mistake highlights deeper issues of governance and accusing the NDA of vote-buying.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) reported higher voter turnout among women (71.6%) than men (62.8%) in the recent election.

Attempts to reach IAS officer Himanshu Sharma, the CEO cum State Mission Director of BRLPS, Jeevika, and Richa Gargi, the District Project Manager (DPM) of Darbhanga, for comment have been unsuccessful. The allegations raise serious questions about the integrity and implementation of the state government’s flagship empowerment program. The state government has yet to respond to the allegations.

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