Patna
Bihar's Leader of the Opposition, Tejashwi Yadav, criticized Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday for allegedly misusing taxpayers' money for his Mahila Samvad Yatra. According to the Rural Development Department, significant funds have been allocated to promote the initiative, which claims to focus on women's empowerment.
Tejashwi Yadav pointed out that the government plans to spend Rs 225.78 crore on the Yatra. Of this, Rs 104.10 crore is earmarked for social media campaigns and publicity, while Rs 114.03 crore will be spent on tea and snacks for attendees. Additionally, Rs 2.33 crore has been set aside for data analysis and cluster management related to the program.
He accused the Chief Minister of using the initiative to improve his image, which he claimed has suffered in recent times. Tejashwi Yadav also highlighted the contradiction between this large expenditure and Nitish Kumar’s previous criticisms of opposition promises, particularly the opposition’s vow to provide 10 lakh government jobs. He called this spending hypocrisy, suggesting that Nitish Kumar had questioned where the opposition would find the funds for such promises but now spent vast sums on self-promotion.
The Mahila Samvad Yatra, which begins on December 15, aims to engage rural women across Bihar and gather information on their needs, challenges, and aspirations, with the goal of promoting women-focused policies.