A welfare scheme launched by the Bihar government for women has landed officials in trouble after money meant only for women was mistakenly transferred into the bank accounts of some men. Now, the authorities are asking these men to return the money, a move that has caused anger and distress among poor families.

What was the scheme

The scheme was announced by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections scheduled for November. Under the Women’s Employment Scheme, the government promised financial assistance of ₹10,000 to women across the state to help them start small businesses or income-generating activities. The scheme was expected to benefit around 1.54 crore women in Bihar.

However, due to errors in data entry and technical problems, the money was also credited to the bank accounts of a few men. Officials later discovered the mistake in Jale block of Darbhanga district, where several male beneficiaries received the amount even though the scheme was meant strictly for women.

After identifying the error, local authorities issued written notices to the men who received the money by mistake. These notices asked them to return the amount and submit proof of repayment. So far, at least 14 men have received such recovery notices.

The move has triggered strong reactions, especially because many of the affected men come from extremely poor backgrounds. Several recipients said they had already spent the money on daily needs such as food, medical expenses, or household necessities.

One such recipient, Balram Sahni, is a physically disabled daily-wage labourer who earns around ₹300 a day working at construction sites. He said it is impossible for him to return the money. “The money is already gone. We used it to survive,” he said, adding that he has no savings or steady income to repay the amount.

Other men have also questioned the delay in issuing the recovery notices. “If this was a mistake, why didn’t the government inform us immediately?” one recipient asked. “Why did the notice come almost three months later, after the money had already been spent?”

The incident has raised concerns about poor data management and the lack of timely communication from authorities. While officials say the error was unintentional, the recovery process has left many struggling families anxious and angry, highlighting the need for better checks before welfare funds are distributed.