75 lakh Bihar women to receive Rs 10,000 each as PM to launch Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana
Patna (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Friday launch Bihar's Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana, under which Rs 10,000 each will be transferred to the bank accounts of 75 lakh women in the eastern state.
The Rs 7,500-crore scheme, an initiative of Bihar's NDA government, is aimed at promoting women's empowerment through self-employment and livelihood opportunities.
The prime minister will launch the scheme virtually from Delhi, with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and other ministers scheduled to join it through video conference from Patna.
The launch of the scheme assumes significance ahead of the upcoming assembly polls in the state.
"Under the scheme, financial assistance will be provided to one woman from each family, for livelihood activities of their choice, fostering economic independence and social empowerment," a senior official said here.
Each beneficiary will receive an initial grant of Rs 10,000 via direct benefit transfer, with the possibility of additional financial support of up to Rs 2 lakh in subsequent phases, he said.
Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary, in a post on X on Friday wrote, "A historic day for the daughters and sisters of Bihar. PM Narendra Modi Ji will transfer a total amount of Rs 7,500 crore; Rs 10,000 each to 75 lakh women beneficiaries of Bihar under the Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana through video conferencing."
"This will not only provide financial assistance to women for self-employment but will also prove to be a strong step towards making them self-reliant and empowered," he added.
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No unannounced load shedding in Kerala, outages due to overload, says Minister
Palakkad (PTI): Kerala Electricity Minister K Krishnankutty on Saturday said there was no unannounced load shedding in the state, attributing recent power interruptions to temporary overload caused by high consumption.
Clarifying concerns raised from various parts of the state, the minister said the disruptions are not deliberate but occur when demand peaks, particularly between 10 pm and 11 pm.
"It is not being done intentionally. Power consumption has risen sharply, and when there is excessive and indiscriminate usage, the system experiences overload, leading to natural supply interruptions," he told reporters here.
His remarks come amid complaints that several areas have been witnessing frequent power cuts, often lasting around 15 minutes and occurring multiple times during the night.
Krishnankutty said the state's power demand has crossed 6,195 MW, putting pressure on the supply system. He added that around 70 per cent of Kerala's electricity is procured from outside, and existing power banking arrangements have been exhausted.
"We have approached the Regulatory Commission seeking permission to purchase more power. However, this will come at a higher cost," he said.
The minister said the government is trying to avoid increasing electricity tariffs and urged consumers to exercise restraint in usage to help manage the situation.
Responding to opposition criticism over the ruling LDF's earlier claims of a decade without power cuts, he said the current situation is not unique to Kerala.
A power crisis is emerging across the country, he said, and sarcastically asked the Opposition to take note of the role of natural factors in this.
Krishnankutty expressed confidence that the situation would improve within two days, while cautioning that long-term energy security would depend on enhancing in-state power generation.
He also warned that future generations could face serious challenges if adequate electricity production capacity is not developed within Kerala.
