Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar said the state would increase the incentive amount paid to Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) and Mamta workers, a move widely seen as another benefit being announced ahead of the assembly elections expected later this year.

The assembly elections were likely to be held between October and November, although the Election Commission had not made an official announcement.

"Since the government's formation in November 2005, we have worked hard to upgrade health services. ASHA and Mamta workers have been instrumental in upgrading health services in rural areas. Taking into consideration this fact and in recognition of the valuable contribution made by ASHA and Mamta workers to make the health services strong in rural areas, their honorarium has been decided to be raised. ASHA workers will now be provided an incentive of Rs. 3,000 rather than Rs. 1,000. In addition, Mamta workers will be provided an incentive of Rs. 600 rather than Rs. 300 per delivery, which will further increase their morale and rural health services will be enhanced," CM Kumar tweeted on social media site X.

According to data from the National Health Systems Resource Centre in July 2025, Bihar had more than 90,000 ASHA workers. The state also had around 7,500 Mamta workers who worked on a contractual basis in maternity wards of government hospitals and were responsible for taking care of newborn babies and their mothers, as per the Noida-based health department.

ASHA workers in Bihar had been demanding better pay, proper recognition, and improved working conditions for a long time.

On Sunday, Kumar also said the state would soon set up a Safai Karmachari Commission to focus on the welfare and development of sanitation workers. Earlier, in a major announcement that was also viewed as a voter-friendly move, he had promised free electricity to all domestic consumers in the state for up to 125 units.

Previously, the chief minister had transferred the first instalment of the revised pension amount of Rs. 1,100 per month directly into the accounts of 11.1 million people, including senior citizens, widows, and persons with disabilities. He had also assured that 10 million youth would be given jobs over the next five years. He instructed the state education department to count all vacant posts in government schools so that the fourth phase of the Teachers Recruitment Test could be conducted without delay.

The Bihar government had made it mandatory for applicants to be state residents in order to qualify for the 35 per cent reservation for women in state government jobs. Earlier, this policy, which was introduced in 2016, also allowed women from other states to apply.

To improve rural infrastructure, Kumar had started several projects under the Rural Works Department worth Rs. 21,406.36 crore to strengthen road networks and connectivity in villages. In another major step, the honorarium for all employees working under the Jeevika programme had been doubled. Four lakh women working for the state government would be provided housing near their workplaces, the government would give Rs. 2 lakh each to 94 lakh poor families, and the monthly allowance for elected members of the three-tier Panchayati Raj system had been increased by one and a half times.