“The last two months have been very stressful,” complained Baby Singh, a Jeevika member since 2015, as she sat in her grocery store in Bhitha Bazar village. “Every member comes to me asking where is her money. So many new women have filled up forms to become members.”

The Bihar government rolled out the Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana on August 29. The scheme aims to provide Rs 10,000 to one woman from every family as seed money to start a business. Over one crore Bihari women have got the money so far. To execute the fund transfer in such little time, the state government is using the Jeevika network of women’s self-help groups.

As a bookkeeper in charge of about 120 Jeevika groups in and around her village, Singh has to perform the tough task of explaining to irregular and new members that they will have to wait for some time before they get their Rs 10,000.

The timing of the scheme – just weeks ahead of Assembly elections – has led many to compare it with the pre-election cash handouts for women in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. Notably, the ruling governments in both states had returned to power, reportedly riding on women’s support.

Baby Singh, too, said that...

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