Patna: The Bihar Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, approved 26 agendas on Tuesday, signalling a significant expansion in state-level schemes and expenditure. The meeting, held at 10:30 am in Patna, saw approvals across multiple departments, including Industries, Food and Consumer Protection, Rural Development, Water Resources, Urban Development, Panchayati Raj, Finance, and Home Affairs.
Among the major decisions, the Industries Department sanctioned the acquisition of 466 acres of land in Munger district for infrastructure development, at an estimated cost of over Rs 1,246 crore. The Food and Consumer Protection Department approved the establishment of the Bihar Institute of Grain Storage Management and Training in Patna, with an annual expenditure of Rs 4.64 crore, alongside the creation of a state-level NABL-standard laboratory.
The Rural Development Department received approval for constructing the State-level office of the Bihar Rural Livelihood Promotion Committee (Jeevika) at Patna, with an estimated cost of Rs 73.66 crore. Meanwhile, the Water Resources Department authorised the revised expenditure of Rs 651 crore for arbitration-related work on the Uderasthan Barrage and modernization of the canal system in Jehanabad district.
Urban Development and Housing initiatives included the release of Rs 400 crore to settle outstanding electricity bills for urban bodies and the in-principle approval for establishing LPG-based crematoriums in six cities, including Patna and Bhagalpur, under the Isha Foundation. The department also amended municipal service rules and property tax regulations.
The Panchayati Raj Department approved advances totaling over Rs 7 billion for the construction of marriage halls under the Chief Minister Kanya Vivah Mandap Scheme, payment of electricity bills for regional offices, and implementation of the Chief Minister Rural Solar Street Light Scheme.
Other notable approvals included amendments to the Finance Department’s travel allowance rates, an increase in Bihar Contingency Fund allocation to Rs 31,689 crore, 3,303 additional revenue posts, and various recruitment and service rules across Animal and Fisheries, Sugarcane Industry, Home, and General Administration departments.
The Social Welfare Department increased the monthly honorarium for Anganwadi workers, raising payments from Rs 7,000 and Rs 4,000 to Rs 9,000 and Rs 4,500, respectively, effective from September 1, with an additional annual expenditure of over Rs 345 crore.
