Patna: In a major policy shift aimed at improving the working conditions and safety of women government employees, the Bihar cabinet on Tuesday approved a proposal to provide them leased accommodation near their workplaces. The move will primarily benefit women posted in rural or remote areas, such as schoolteachers and police constables, by reducing travel time and ensuring better safety.
The policy, cleared in a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, allows the government to lease private buildings for this purpose. Women employees opting for leased accommodation will not be eligible for house rent allowance (HRA). The facility will initially be rolled out in district and divisional headquarters, with those working at block or rural levels required to apply through their department heads to the respective Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO).
A committee led by the District Magistrate and comprising the Superintendent of Police, a local body representative, SDO, and an executive engineer from the Building Construction Department will be tasked with selecting buildings that meet safety and utility standards. Rent will be fixed by the SDO, and private landlords will be invited to submit expressions of interest.
There are currently around 3 lakh women teachers in Bihar out of a total of 6 lakh educators. Additionally, the state provides 35% horizontal reservation for women and 3% for backward caste women, significantly increasing the potential number of beneficiaries of the new housing policy.
In another key decision, the cabinet approved the creation of 8,093 clerical positions in the Panchayati Raj Department and related offices. These permanent posts aim to strengthen documentation and implementation of schemes at the grassroots level, ensuring that each of Bihar’s panchayats has at least one clerk.
The cabinet also cleared a series of other departmental proposals, including:
• Agriculture Department: Sanctioned 14 new posts at the headquarters of the newly created Agriculture Marketing Directorate in Patna, aimed at improving market access, storage, value addition, and processing for farmers.
• Aircraft Organisation Directorate: Approved four posts, including two senior aircraft pilots, one consultant, and one civil engineer. The directorate, based at Patna airport, manages aviation-related services, including VIP flight operations.
• Health Department: Approved 36 posts to run a new 20-bed Sports Injury Unit at Loknayak Jayaprakash Narayan Hospital, Patna. The unit will provide advanced injury management services using modern technology.
• Rural Development Department: Extended the benefits of the Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adiwasi Nyay Maha Abhiyan (PM-JANMAN) to nine Scheduled Tribe communities. Each beneficiary household will receive Rs 2 lakh in four equal instalments for housing. The targeted groups include Asur, Birhor, Birjiya, Hilkhariya, Korwa, Malpahariya, Parhaiya, Sauriyapahadiya, and Saawar.
• Water Resources Department: Approved two flood management projects costing under Rs 100 crore, including an 8.33 km embankment from Hasanpur-Baniya to Saguni and strengthening works in Bakhtiarpur block.
• Birth and Death Registration Rules: Amended the 1999 rules to simplify the process for obtaining registration certificates. These will now be governed under the Bihar Birth and Death Registration (Amendment) Rules 2025.
• Mega Skill Centres: Approved the establishment of nine Mega Skill Centres, one in each divisional town, to provide modern employment-related training to 21,600 youths over the next five years. The programme will cost Rs 280.87 crore.
• Municipal Advertisement Rules: Passed the Bihar Municipal Area Advertisement (Amendment) Rules 2025, fixing ad display rates for public and private spaces and banning negative advertisements.
Additionally, the cabinet terminated the services of seven health department doctors, including five general medical officers, one dental officer, and one specialist, for unauthorised absence of over four years.
