Patna: In a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Tuesday, the Bihar government approved 46 agendas, covering a wide range of sectors, including education, infrastructure, and healthcare. Significant decisions were made regarding recruitment, policy amendments, and new infrastructure projects.
One of the key decisions was the recruitment of 350 junior engineers, with an allocation of ₹13.25 crore for the process. These engineers will be hired through outsourcing by the Planning Development Department. Additionally, the Education Department will recruit 6,421 school assistants, with the creation of these posts leading to an annual expenditure increase of ₹127.13 crore.
In a notable policy change, the Whip of the Bihar Legislature will now hold the status of Minister of State, instead of Deputy Minister. Furthermore, Rule 3(c) of the Salary Allowance Rules 2006 for the Leader of Opposition, Parliamentary Secretary, Whip, and Leader of the House was amended.
The cabinet gave the nod to the CM Gramin Setu Yojana, a scheme initiated in response to the recent bridge collapse in Bihar. Under this scheme, the Rural Works Department will construct bridges up to 100 meters, while the Bridge Construction Corporation will handle bridges longer than 100 meters.
In a significant development for Patna’s infrastructure, the government has provided land worth ₹23.52 crore to the Patna Metro for the construction of a metro station in Mithapur. The land previously belonged to Arya Bhatt Gyan University.
In a crackdown on absenteeism, the Bihar government dismissed seven doctors for not reporting to duty for over five years. The doctors include:
Dr. Chaman Lal Vaidya – Jamui-Jhajha-Simultala Additional Primary Health Center
Dr. Ravi Kumar Chaudhary – General Medical Officer, Jamui Sadar Hospital
Dr. Rohit Kumar Basak – Araria Kursakata Primary Health Center
Dr. Ravish Ranjan – Katihar Pranpur Community Health Center
Dr. Shakeel Javed – Purnia-Dhamdaha Primary Health Center
Dr. Amit Kumar – Hasanganj Health Center, Katihar
Dr. Mashoor Rehman – Diwar Bazar Primary Health Center, Purnia
The cabinet approved the construction of four new roads, totaling 204 kilometers, under the Bihar State Highway Project-4, with an estimated cost of ₹2,076 crore. Additionally, malls will be built in the proposed five-star hotels at Patliputra Ashok, Sultan Palace, and Bankipur Hotel in Patna. A relaxation in height restrictions has been provided, allowing hotels outside the airport zone to be built to unlimited heights.
The cabinet agreed to allocate an additional 37.31 acres of land for the construction of AIIMS Darbhanga, in response to a request from the central government. This brings the total land allocation to 151.17 acres for the new AIIMS campus.
In another infrastructure-related decision, the cabinet has reintroduced the CM Rural Road Upgradation Scheme to focus on the repair and maintenance of rural roads across the state.
