Tejashwi Slams Nitish Government for ‘Copying’ His ASHA, Mamta Worker Incentive Plan

Patna: Bihar’s political battlefield heated up on Wednesday after Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav lashed out at Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for announcing an incentive hike for ASHA and Mamta workers, accusing the NDA-led government of rebranding and delaying his earlier initiatives.

In a scathing post on X (formerly Twitter), Tejashwi said the decision was “too little, too late,” and blamed the NDA for sitting on the proposal for two years. “During my 17-month tenure as Health Minister, I had already initiated the process of increasing the honorarium for ASHA and Mamta workers. It was in its final stage, but as always, this ineffective government shelved it,” he said.

Calling the move a “copy-paste” of his own vision, the RJD leader said the Nitish-led coalition only acted under mounting political pressure. “They’re finally waking up. Not because they care, but because they fear. They’ve copied our proposals, our promises — even our language,” he added.

Tejashwi further criticised the government for continuing to call the increase an “incentive” rather than granting the workers a formal honorarium. “We don’t want tokenism. We want dignity. That means structured pay, not piecemeal perks,” he declared.

He also took the opportunity to remind the public of other worker-focused measures the RJD government had introduced, including hikes for Vikas Mitras, Tola Sevaks, Talimi Markaz workers, and Panchayati Raj representatives.

In his sharpest dig yet, Tejashwi asked mockingly, “Will you copy everything from Tejashwi, or do you have your own brain?”

Earlier in the day, Nitish Kumar announced that ASHA workers will now receive ₹3,000 per month (up from ₹1,000), and Mamta workers will receive ₹600 per delivery (instead of ₹300). The hike was part of a broader package of welfare measures that also includes free electricity for select rural households, enhanced old-age pensions, and a new employment outreach initiative.