Bihar NDA Pledges 1 Crore Jobs, 1 Crore ‘Lakhpati Didis’

The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has launched its ‘Sankalp Patra’ (Pledge Document) for the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections, marking a high-stakes campaign centered on a powerful dual promise: the creation of one crore government jobs and employment opportunities and a mission to empower one crore ‘Lakhpati Didis’ (prosperous sisters). Unveiled by the alliance’s top leadership, the manifesto presents a comprehensive, future-oriented vision aimed at tackling Bihar’s perennial issues of joblessness, migration, and rural distress.

The announcement positions the NDA’s agenda directly against the backdrop of the Opposition’s focus on employment, escalating the electoral battle into a fierce contest over development and social welfare guarantees.

💼 Employment and Youth Empowerment: The 1 Crore Jobs Guarantee

Addressing the critical demand for employment, especially among the youth who often migrate for work, the alliance has outlined an ambitious commitment to generate one crore jobs and self-employment avenues. This pledge moves beyond merely filling government vacancies, focusing instead on creating a holistic ecosystem for large-scale economic activity.

Key initiatives under the employment umbrella include:

• Mega Skill Centres: Establishing state-of-the-art training centers in every district to transform Bihar into a ‘Global Skill Training’ hub, tailoring youth skills for global industries.
• Industrial Boost: Committing to a massive investment of ₹1 lakh crore in industrial hubs and attracting an overall investment of ₹50 lakh crore over five years. This includes setting up ten new industrial parks, 100 MSME parks, and fostering the growth of over 50,000 cottage industries.
• Tech and Manufacturing: A dedicated push for Chipset, Semiconductor, and Manufacturing Parks, aiming to position the state as a backend and technology hub for India.

The government jobs promise is a significant play in a state where public employment is highly coveted, designed to assure young voters of a direct benefit from the ruling alliance.

Women’s Financial Empowerment: Mission ‘Lakhpati Didi’

In a major focus on social empowerment, particularly for women, the NDA manifesto places the ‘Lakhpati Didi’ Mission at its core. This initiative is an extension of national welfare schemes, aiming to elevate one crore women from Self-Help Groups (SHGs)—popularly known as ‘Jeevika Didis’ in Bihar—to the status of ‘Lakhpati’ (those with an annual household income of at least ₹1 lakh).

The core financial commitments for women include:

• Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana: Providing financial assistance of up to ₹2 lakh to promote prosperity and self-reliance, encouraging women to start their own enterprises.
• Mission Crorepati: A dedicated scheme to foster women entrepreneurs and facilitate their journey to achieving significant financial growth.

This strategy aims to secure the crucial vote of women, a demographic that has historically supported the incumbent administration’s social welfare policies.

🚜 Welfare, Infrastructure, and Social Guarantees

Beyond jobs and women’s empowerment, the ‘Sankalp Patra’ details a broad range of welfare and infrastructure projects:

• Farmer Welfare: Increasing the annual financial support under the Kisan Samman Nidhi to ₹9,000 and promising Minimum Support Price (MSP) for key crops at the panchayat level, backed by a ₹1 lakh crore investment in agri-infrastructure.
• Infrastructure Mega Projects: A major push for connectivity, including the development of seven new expressways, modernization of 3,600 km of rail tracks, and introducing metro projects in four new cities. The plan also includes building a “New Patna” and satellite towns.
• Social Security: The manifesto reiterates a ‘Panchamrit Guarantee‘ which encompasses free essentials like ration, electricity (up to a certain unit), health cover, housing, and free education from Kindergarten (KG) to Post-Graduation (PG) for the poor.
• Healthcare and Education: Pledges include establishing a medical college in every district and developing “Education Cities” featuring AI training and digital labs.

The manifesto concludes with a commitment to a “Flood to Fortune” model, aiming to make Bihar flood-free within five years while transforming affected areas into economically productive zones.

The unveiling of the manifesto officially sets the tone for a development-centric, populist electoral battle in Bihar, with the NDA banking heavily on its past record combined with these colossal future promises to secure its victory