Bihar cabinet approves honorarium hike for ANMs, doubles scholarship, clears key projects

PATNA: In a significant pre-election move, the Bihar government has approved a series of welfare and infrastructure development proposals, including an increase in the monthly honorarium for contractual Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM) workers in urban areas from Rs 11,500 to Rs 15,000. The decision was taken during a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Friday, which saw approval of 129 proposals in total. Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) of the Cabinet Department, Arvind Kumar Choudhary, said the revised honorarium would include a 5% annual increment, aimed at strengthening the states vaccination efforts. In another key decision, the cabinet doubled the annual scholarship for Class 9 and 10 students belonging to the general category (including minorities) under the Mukhyamantri Balak/Balika Scholarship scheme. The scholarship amount has been increased from Rs 1,800 to Rs 3,600 per student, resulting in an estimated additional annual expenditure of Rs 99.21 crore. The cabinet also gave its nod to the establishment of the Bihar Film and Theatre Institute, designed to address the lack of institutional training in film and theatre arts in the state. To boost tourism infrastructure, approval was granted for the construction of a five-star hotel on 3.24 acres of land at the Bankipore bus stand in Patna. The project will be undertaken by a Kolkata-based private firm, which has been issued a Letter of Award. Additionally, an Ahmedabad-based firm has been appointed chief consultant for the integrated development of the Vishnupad Temple area in Gaya, modelled on Varanasis Kashi Vishwanath Corridor. For womens safety and rehabilitation, the cabinet approved the conversion of short-stay homes under the Mukhyamantri Nari Shakti Yojana into Shakti Sadan centres. These centres will offer comprehensive shelter and support to women in distress, including survivors of human trafficking. In a move to simplify processes for pensioners, the government has selected CSC E-Governance Services India Ltd, a special purpose vehicle, to handle annual life certification. Pensioners can now complete the process free of cost at nearby CSC kiosks. Earlier on Friday, the state government also announced a 3% hike in dearness allowance for employees and pensioners, raising it from 55% to 58%, effective ahead of Diwali and Chhath festivals.