Patna, October 3 (Udaipur Kiran News) — The Bihar Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Friday, approved a 3% hike in Dearness Allowance (DA) for state government employees, along with 129 other proposals. With this decision, the DA has been increased from 55% to 58%, aligning with the Centre’s recent move to raise DA by 3%.

The Cabinet also approved the establishment of a Film and Theatre Institute in Bihar.

For contractual ANM workers engaged in vaccination campaigns across urban areas, the honorarium has been increased from ₹11,500 to ₹15,000, with an additional 5% annual increment.

The Cabinet doubled scholarships for school students. The revised scholarship amounts are: ₹1,200 for Classes 1–4 (earlier ₹600), ₹2,400 for Classes 5–6 (earlier ₹1,200), ₹3,600 for Classes 7–8 (earlier ₹1,800), and ₹3,600 for Classes 9–10 (earlier ₹1,800). A total allocation of ₹300 crore has been approved for this purpose.

In Munger, 26 new posts have been sanctioned at the Bihar College of Forestry and Research Institute, in addition to 204 previously approved positions. Similarly, 45 posts have been approved for the National Dolphin Research Centre in Patna.

To strengthen wildlife management and improve operations at Sanjay Gandhi Biological Park in Patna, 172 posts have been created. The Cabinet also approved the reorganization of forest divisions and the creation of 9 new divisions with 927 posts. Additionally, 78 posts have been sanctioned in the Department of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

Under Phase 1, ₹64.77 crore has been sanctioned for the integrated development of Simaria Dham in Begusarai district. On the lines of Kashi Vishwanath Corridor in Varanasi, HCP Design Planning and Management Pvt Ltd, Ahmedabad, has been selected as the principal consultant for the development of the Vishnupad Temple area in Gaya.

The Cabinet approved ₹284.78 crore for the Purnea Water Supply Project under the Central-sponsored Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), and ₹187.13 crore for the Motihari Water Supply Project under AMRUT 2.0.

Graduates aged 20 to 25 years seeking employment will receive a self-help allowance of ₹1,000 per month for two years.

All new advocates enrolled on or after January 1, 2024, will receive a monthly stipend of ₹5,000 for three years. The state bar associations will receive ₹5 lakh for setting up e-libraries, while ₹30 crore will be provided to the Bihar Advocates’ Welfare Trust.

Under the Bihar Student Credit Card Scheme, interest-free education loans of up to ₹4 lakh will be available to all applicants. The repayment period has been extended — loans up to ₹2 lakh can now be repaid in 7 years (earlier 5 years), and higher amounts within 10 years (earlier 7 years).

For Shiksha Sevaks and Talimi Markaz educators, the annual grant for teaching materials has been increased from ₹3,405 to ₹12,000, and ₹10,000 has been sanctioned for purchasing smartphones. The honorarium for retired army drivers has also been raised from ₹25,750 to ₹30,000.