Bihar and Jharkhand Reach Agreement on Payment of Pending Dues for 1,256 Former Employees of Bihar State Construction Corporation

Chirag Gupta

Patna: A significant breakthrough has been achieved for 1,256 former employees of the Bihar State Construction Corporation Limited as officials from Bihar and Jharkhand convened to discuss the settlement of their pending liabilities.

The meeting took place in the Irrigation Bhawan Auditorium, with Principal Secretary of the Water Resources Department of Bihar, Santosh Kumar Mall, and Secretary of the Water Resources Department of Jharkhand, Prashant Kumar, in attendance. The primary focus was to expedite the payment process for the affected employees.

The agreement reached during the meeting emphasizes mutual coordination between both states to ensure that the former employees receive their pending salaries and other dues promptly. The process is expected to move forward efficiently now that a consensus has been established on the approach to settle these payments.

Established in 1974, the Bihar State Construction Corporation Limited has been non-functional since its division in 2000. Many offices of the corporation remain in Jharkhand, which has contributed to the accumulation of liabilities, including salaries and allowances for employees. This situation led to petitions filed in the Patna High Court, resulting in a liquidation process starting in 2002.

The total liability involves 1,256 employees, categorized as 658 regular workers and 598 daily wage workers. Following Supreme Court directives, 575 employees have been identified under Jharkhand, while 681 employees belong to Bihar. An assessment of the outstanding amounts owed to these employees has already been completed, paving the way for the expedited resolution of payment issues.