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The Bihar government has decided to increase the Dearness Allowance (DA) for all categories of state government employees and pensioners, aligning with the central government’s rates. The DA has been raised from 55% to 58%. This decision was made during a special meeting of the state cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. The announcement of the cabinet decisions was made during a press conference held in the auditorium of the Information Building by Arvind Kumar Chaudhary, Additional Chief Secretary of the Cabinet Secretariat Department.
Chaudhary stated that the Bihar cabinet approved 129 proposals, including those related to recruitment in various departments and road construction. The increased DA will be effective from July 1, 2025, for government employees and pensioners. This increase will impose an additional financial burden of Rs 917 crore on the state government.
Furthermore, several other announcements were made:
* The amount under the Chief Minister’s Boy/Girl Scholarship Scheme has been increased from Rs 1800 annually to Rs 3600. This annual increase is for classes 9 to 10. Similarly, for classes 1 to 4, it has been increased from Rs 600 to Rs 1200 annually; for classes 5 to 6, from Rs 1200 to Rs 2400; and for classes 7 and 8, from Rs 1800 to Rs 3600 annually.
* Under the ‘Economic Solution, Strength to Youth’ initiative of the Seven Resolutions, graduates will now be included in the Chief Minister’s Self-Help Allowance Scheme and will be given a self-help allowance of Rs 1000 per month for two years. Earlier, this amount was given only to youths who had passed the intermediate examination.
* The Cabinet approved a stipend of Rs 5,000 per month for three years for advocates. This amount will be given to advocates enrolled on or after January 1, 2024.
* Rs 5 lakh will be provided to advocate associations in the state to establish e-libraries. For this, Rs 30 crore will be given as a one-time assistance to the Bihar Advocate Welfare Trust Committee. A comprehensive policy has been prepared for this.
* Significant amendments have been made for the better implementation of the Bihar Student Credit Card Scheme. The main points include making the education loan up to a maximum of Rs 4 lakh interest-free. Also, the repayment period for loans up to Rs 2 lakh has been increased from 60 months to 84 months. In addition, the repayment period for education loans of more than Rs 2 lakh has been increased from 84 months to 120 months. In case of the beneficiary’s death, the remaining loan amount will be waived.
* Under the Mahadalit, Dalit, and Minority Extremely Backward Class Akshar Anchal Yojana, the amount given annually to education servants or Talimi Markaz has been increased from Rs 3405 to Rs 12,000. Rs 10,000 will be given to buy a smart phone.
* Approval has been given to increase the approved honorarium of retired army drivers from the Army Welfare Placement Organization Agency to Rs 25,750 to Rs 30,000 per month for the operational work of vehicles running under the Emergency Assistance System (ERSS) project.
* Rs 25,000 will be given to development friends recruited under Scheduled Castes and Tribes to buy tablets. For this, Rs 24 crore 54 lakh 25 thousand has been approved. Transport allowance and stationery allowance have also been increased with effect from September 1, 2025, increasing them from Rs 1900 to Rs 2500 and Rs 900 to Rs 1500 respectively.
* Approval was given to increase the honorarium of contractual ANM employees from Rs 11,500 to Rs 15,000 per month and to provide for an annual increase of 5% to strengthen the vaccination campaign in urban areas.
**Recruitment in Various Locations:**
* 45 posts have been created for the operation of the National Dolphin Research Center, Patna.
* Approval for 172 posts for the management, care, and maintenance of wildlife in Sanjay Gandhi Biological Park.
* To strengthen the administrative management system of the Forest and Environment Department, to control forestry work and better coordination with the general public, 9 new forest divisions have been created. 927 posts have been approved in these.
* Approval has been given for the creation of 78 posts in the secretariat and related offices under the Department of Forest, Environment, and Climate Change.
* 42 posts of Bihar Secretariat Service, Bihar Secretariat Stenographic Service, Bihar Secretariat Clerical Service, and Office Attendant/Attendant have been created in the Fire Service Headquarters.
* 40 posts of retired clerks and 40 posts of contract-based computer operators have been created in Beltron.
* The decision to approve the Bihar Civil Court, Court Manager (Selection, Appointment and Other Service Conditions) Rules 2025 has been taken.
* In addition to the previously approved 177 posts under the follower category in the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), approval has been given for the creation of 73 new posts.
* Approval for the establishment of a new district Gavy Vikas office in 9 districts and the creation of 72 new posts of various categories in the non-plan head under the Gavy Vikas Directorate.
* 139 new posts of various categories have been created to run the Directorate of Museums (Headquarters) and other government museums smoothly.
**Funds Released for Airport Study:**
The state government has approved Rs 1 crore 21 lakh 58 thousand for the pre-feasibility study of the airport in Motihari, Chhapra, and Bhagalpur to be conducted by the Airports Authority of India, and for their selection. Administrative approval of Rs 472 crore 12 lakh has been given to acquire 931 acres of land for the construction of a greenfield airport under Sultanganj of Bhagalpur. Rs 147 crore 76 lakh has been approved as compensation for acquiring 12.08 acres of land for the runway expansion of the airport in Saharsa.
**Other Important Announcements of the Cabinet:**
* The Cabinet has decided to select the Common Service Center e-Governance Services India Limited as the verification site to simplify the annual life certification of pensioners, so that pensioners can get free certification at the nearest Common Service Center.
* Approval has been given to the formation of the Bihar Administrative Service Rules 2025.
* Under the Chief Minister Divyangjan Empowerment Student Scheme Sambal, provisions have been amended in the battery-operated tri-cycle and the type and number of artificial limbs, assistive devices have been expanded. For this, an additional approval of Rs 8 crore 11 lakh 57 thousand has been given.
**Formation of Cyber Crime and Security Unit:**
A separate Cyber Crime and Security Unit has been formed to properly investigate the rapidly increasing cases of cybercrime in the state and to punish the concerned criminals. This unit, currently functioning under the Economic Offenses Unit (EOU), has been separated. It will work directly under the police headquarters. For its operation, 23 new posts have been created and the earlier created and released 321 posts of various categories have been earmarked and 207 posts have been transferred.
In addition, a detailed procedure has been determined under the new law to seize the property deposited by criminals or corrupt individuals from any kind of criminal activity. Rules have been framed under various sections of the Indian Citizens’ Security Code, 2023. Special rules have been prepared for considering, investigating, and investigating the property seizure proposals presented before the criminal courts and magistrates in Bihar. This is to expedite the process of property seizure.
