Patna: The Bihar cabinet on Tuesday took a policy decision to provide accommodation to women government servants of the state in the vicinity of their place of postings.
The decision has come as a relief to the women government servants including school teachers especially those who have been posted in far away rural areas from district and divisional headquarters. This is a first of its kind decision that would benefit all women government employees be it teachers, constables or working in any other government department.
The cabinet gave its nod to the General Administration Department’s proposal to provide “accommodation to women government servants in the vicinity of their place of postings”, Cabinet Secretariat Department’s Additional Chief Secretary S Siddharth told reporters here in a post cabinet briefing.
The decision will also be applicable to the government school teachers, he said adding that the move will ensure safety and security of the women employees of the government.
Asked what will be the numbers of government servants that will be benefited from the policy, he said there are around 3 lakh women teachers out of total 6 lakh teachers besides there is 35 per cent horizontal reservation for women besides three per cent reservation for women belonging to backward caste category.
Stating that accommodation will be provided after entering into a lease agreement with the private landlords, Siddharth made no bones in saying that those getting the government’s leased accommodation facility will not get “HRA”. They will either get HRA or leased accommodation facility, he added.
The new leased accommodation facility will first begin from district and divisional headquarters, ACS said and added that those working at block level or in rural areas will have to make application to the Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO) concerned through their respective office heads and then, the SDO will start the process.
Expression of Interest (EoI) will be invited from the interested private landlords with whom lease agreement will be signed for the purpose. SDO will fix the rent for accommodation.
A committee, headed by District Magistrate, will be constituted for the selection of building for providing accommodation. The committee will check the safety aspects of the building besides ensuring the basic facilities like electricity, water availability, toilet etc). The committee will comprise of SP, representative of local body, executive engineer of Building Construction Department, SDO.
Nod for filling up 8093 posts of clerical grade in Panchayati Raj Deptt & other deptts
In another important decision, the cabinet also approved Panchayati Raj Department’s proposal to create 8093 posts of clerical cadre for successful implementation of Panchayat level schemes and proper documentation of offices of Panchayati Raj engineering department and gram panchayat.
With the decision in place, there will now be a clerk in every panchayat across the state, ACS said while stating this will be a permanent post.
It also approved agriculture department’s proposal for creation of 14 posts of different categories at headquarters level, Siddharth said and added that these posts have been created for newly formed Agriculture Marketing Directorate, Bihar, Patna.
The main objective of the Directorate is to ensure fair price of farmers’ produce, getting farmers’ the access to the market, helping farmers for value addition of their produce, helping farmers the storage facility, helping processing and packaging of agri products.
The cabinet also approved creation of four posts of different categories for “aircraft organisation directorate”, the ACS said and added that the four posts included creation of two posts of “Senior Aircraft Pilot”, one post each for Consultant and Civil Engineer.
The Directorate, located at Patna airport, is responsible for regulating and managing aviation-related activities within the state, including aspects like flight operations, aircraft maintenance, and related services. It also takes care of flight operations of important and very important personalities.
It also gave its nod to health department’s proposal for creation of 36 new posts of different categories for running a 20 bed “sports injury unit” at Loknayak Jayaprakash Narayan Hospital, Rajvanshi Nagar, Patna. It will be equipped with latest technology and special skill for injury treatment management.
Amendment in Bihar Birth & Death Rules
The cabinet approved the amendment in Bihar Birth & Death Rules 1999 which will be replaced by Bihar Birth & Death Registration (Amendment) Rules 2025.
It has brought amendment in the procedure making it easier for the people to obtain birth and death registration certificates.
Mega Skill Centre to train 21,600 youths
The cabinet approved setting up of nine Mega Skill Centres- one each at Divisional headquarters town- to be run by Bihar government in association with different government and non-government and Industrial institutions.
A total of 21,600 youths will be given skill training in next five years, the ACS said adding that the project would entail a cost of Rs 280.87 crore in next five years. The youths will be imparted modern employment related skills keeping in mind the growing market demand.
Bihar Municipal Area Advertisement (Amendment) Rules 2025
The cabinet also approved Bihar Municipal Area Advertisement (Amendment) Rules 2025 as per which the rates for all types of advertisement have been fixed that will be displayed in municipal areas.
Different rates have been fixed for advertisements that will be displayed at public places such as walls, vehicles, hoardings, buildings, plots and any other places. A list of negative advertisements have been prepared and these advertisements have been prohibited for display.
ST Community to get the benefit of PM Awas Yojana
Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adiwasi Nyay Maha Abhiyan (PM-JANMAN)
It also sanctioned Rural Development Department’s proposal to extend the benefit of PM Awas Yojana to nine communities of Scheduled Tribes, Siddharth said adding that the nine communities included- Asur, Birhor, Birjiya, Hilkhariya, Korwa, Malpahariya, Parhaiya, Sauriyapahadiya and Saawar.
They would get Rs 2 lakh in four equal instalments, he added.
It approved two proposals of Water Resources Department for centrally sponsored scheme for flood management. The two proposals together would cost less than Rs 100 crore. A 8.33 km long embankment would be constructed between Hasanpur-Baniya to Saguni while pucca strengthening work and anti-erosion work will be carried out on the right flank of Ganga channel in Bakhtiarpur block of Patna.
Seven health department personnel- all doctors including five general medical officers, a medical officer (dental) and a specialist medical officer- were sacked from the service for remaining absent from duty without authorisation for over four years.
Altogether 22 decisions were taken at today’s cabinet meeting chaired by CM Nitish Kumar.
