CM Nitish Kumar-led Bihar Cabinet decides 33 important agendas, state's development will get a new dimension

An important cabinet meeting of the Bihar government, led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, was held on Tuesday. A total of 33 agendas were decided in the cabinet meeting. In this context, after the cabinet meeting, the Additional Chief Secretary of the Cabinet Secretariat Department, Dr. S. Siddharth, while addressing the press in the conference room located on the first floor of the Soochna Bhawan, first informed that for the establishment and operation of a super speciality eye hospital under the Health Department, a land plot measuring 1.60 acres located at Kankarbagh, Patna of Bihar State Housing Board, Patna has been given. Approving the amount of Rs. 48.00 (forty-eight) crores for transferring the land (details as per Appendix-1) to the Health Department, Bihar, Patna, the transfer of the said land to the Health Department and making it available to Shankara Eye Foundation India, Coimbatore on a lease of 99 years on the basis of nomination through the Health Department at a conditional token amount of only one rupee and the proposal approved by item number 10 in the meeting of the Council of Ministers dated 06.08.2024 and in view of that, the corresponding amendment in the approval order No. 66 dated 21.08.2024 of the Sports Department, Government of Bihar, Patna was approved.

Approval of Bihar Special Survey and Settlement (Amendment) Rules, 2024 under the Revenue and Land Reforms Department was given.

Under the Tourism Department, administrative approval of Rs. 98.65.79.300/- (ninety eight crore sixty five lakh eighty nine thousand three hundred) was given for the development of Matsyagandha Lake and tourist facilities near it in Saharsa district.

Under the Tourism Department itself, administrative approval of Rs. 49.73.33.440/- (forty nine crore seventy three lakh thirty three thousand four hundred forty) was given for the development of Karamchat Eco-Tourism and Adventure Hub in Kaimur district.

Under the Education Department, approval was given for transfer of the scheme from the establishment and other committed expenditure head to the State Scheme head for the operation of Mahadalit, Dalit and Minority Extremely Backward Class Akshar Aanchal Scheme program from the financial year 2024-25 and a total estimated expenditure of Rs 890.14 crore (eight billion ninety crore fourteen lakh rupees) from the State Scheme head for the implementation of the said scheme in the current financial year 2024-25.

Under the Health Department, approval was given to the community organization supported by the Bihar Rural Livelihood Committee (Jeevika) i.e. "Didi Ki Rasoi" for the arrangement of pure and nutritious food during the treatment period of indoor patients of all the government Ayurvedic / Homeopathic / Unani Medical Colleges and Hospitals of the state.

Approval was given in the draft of Bihar Public Examination (Unfair Means Prevention) Rules, 2024 under the General Administration Department.

Under the Finance Department, the Bihar Finance (Amendment) Rule, 2024 and the related notification format were approved.

Under the Finance Department itself, detailed guidelines related to the delegation of powers for the approval of schemes and the related resolution format were approved.

Under the Building Construction Department, revised administrative approval of Rs 78,28,59,300.00 (seventy eight crore twenty eight lakh fifty nine thousand three hundred rupees) was given for the construction of Minister Housing Complex, Gardanibagh, Patna.

Under the Energy Department, a new scheme of Rs. 454.53 crore (four hundred fifty four crore fifty three lakh) was approved for the construction of new power substations of 42 add 33/11 km, 2 x 10 MVA capacity in different districts under the jurisdiction of North Bihar Power Distribution Company Limited.

Under the Energy Department itself, a new scheme of Rs. 135.67 crore (one hundred thirty five crore sixty six lakh) was approved for R&M of 74 add 33 kV feeders with ACSR Wolf Conductor under the jurisdiction of North Bihar Power Distribution Company Limited.

Under the Energy Department itself, a new scheme of Rs. 82.55 crore (eighty two crore fifty five lakh) was approved for the construction of 29 new 33 KV lines of total length 295.60 km under various zones under the jurisdiction of North Bihar Power Distribution Company Limited.

Administrative approval was given for the widening and strengthening work of total 18.98 km of Hilsa-Nursarai road (from km 0.00 to km 18.98) under Path Division, Hilsa, under the Road Construction Department, at an estimated cost of Rs. 13999.07 lakh (one hundred forty nine crore ninety nine lakh seven thousand).

Administrative approval was given for the renovation work of Indo-Nepal Border Road Saraigarh (Gardhiya Chowk) to Refugee Colony (km 0.00 to 27.95 and km 32.65 to 46.035, total length 41.335 km and width 7.00 m) under the Road Construction Department itself, at an estimated cost of Rs. 3434.345 (thirty four crore thirty four lakh thirty four thousand five hundred) lakh rupees only.

Administrative approval was given for the construction of new building (G+7) of Smt. Radhika Sinha Institute and Sachchidanand Sinha Library, (State Library) Patna, at an amount of Rs.-67,60,47,000-00 (sixty seven crore sixty lakh forty seven thousand rupees only) under the Road Construction Department itself. Under the Water Resources Department, administrative and expenditure approval was given for restoration work from 0.00 km to 93.75 km of Don Branch Canal, estimated amount is Rs. 7640.95 lakhs (seventy six crores forty lakhs ninety five thousand) only.

Construction work of new gated RCC weir in place of old Goawari weir under the same Water Resources Department. Administrative and expenditure approval was given for estimated amount is Rs. 9680.26 lakhs (ninety six crores eighty lakhs twenty six thousand) only.

In the light of revised estimate/proposal received from Building Construction Department, Bihar, Patna, revised administrative approval of estimated cost of Rs. 38,31,21,000 (Thirty Eight Crore Thirty One Lakh Twenty One Thousand Rupees only) was given for construction of Divisional Jail, Arwal under Home Department (Prisons).

Under Rural Development Department, approval for expenditure of Rs. 354.8 crore (Three Hundred Fifty Four Crore Eighty Lakh Rupees) from State Plan for one year (from 1st January, 2025 to 31st December, 2025) was given for successful operation of activities related to solid and liquid waste management in 5,635 Gram Panchayats under Swachh Bharat Mission (Rural)/Lohia Swachh Bihar Abhiyan.

Under the Rural Development Department itself, approval was given to meet the shortfall amount of Rs. 139,00,00,000/- (one hundred forty nine crore rupees) received under the Central share for payment of honorarium to the contractual employees under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin in the financial year 2024-25 through state resources.

Approval was given to select the Public Relations Agency (P.R. Agency) in the Department of Information and Public Relations under the Department of Information and Public Relations through tender on the basis of Quality and Cost Based Selection (QCBS) method.

Approval was given to select the Social Media Agency in the Department of Information and Public Relations under the Department of Information and Public Relations through tender on the basis of Quality and Cost Based Selection (QCBS) method.

Approval was given to accept and implement the "Bihar Nursing Cadre Rules-2024" while cancelling the Bihar Nursing Teaching Cadre Rules-2019 under the Health Department, Bihar, Patna.

Approval was given to accept and implement the "Bihar Nursing Teaching Cadre Rules-2024" while cancelling the Bihar Nursing Teaching Cadre Rules-2019 under the Health Department, Bihar, Patna under the Health Department itself.

Approval was given to create a non-cadre post of 01 (one) Technical Consultant (in Pay Level-13A/14) equivalent to Chief Engineer / Chief Engineer under the Water Resources Department, Bihar, temporarily for two years from the date of issue of the order to provide technical consultation in the execution of the works of Water Resources Department, Bihar.

Approval was given to create a non-cadre post of 01 (one) Technical Consultant (in Pay Level-13A/14) equivalent to Chief Engineer under the Water Resources Department, Bihar, temporarily for two years from the date of issue of the order. Under the Department of Education, creation of 24 posts of teachers and 08 posts of non-teaching staff i.e. 32 posts in 08 postgraduate departments in Jai Prakash University, Chhapra and 14 posts of teachers and 10 posts of non-teaching staff i.e. 24 posts in Bhola Prasad Singh Mahavidyalaya, Bhore, Gopalganj, 12 posts of teachers in BMA College, Baheri and 04 posts of teachers in Murarka College, Bhagalpur i.e. 54 (fifty four) posts of teachers and 18 (eighteen) posts of non-teaching staff i.e. total 72 (seventy two) posts were approved.

Under the Department of Science, Technology and Technical Education, creation of one post of Engineering/Technical Advisor and one post of Science Advisor i.e. total two (2) additional posts were approved under Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Science City Society.

Approval was given to surrender a total of 493 posts out of the total sanctioned posts of 821 posts of Pump Operator cadre under the Public Health Engineering Department and create a total of 493 posts of Work Inspector (Mechanical) in its place and determine the work and responsibility of the said post and to reorganize the remaining 328 posts of Pump Operator cadre in accordance with the post hierarchy mentioned in the Zonal Level Pump Operator and Electrician (Recruitment and Service Conditions) Rules, 2014 in the light of the Departmental Approval Order No.-1532 dated-26.12.2023.

Under the Revenue and Land Reforms Department, approval was given to the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) for the E-Sign Service under various online services operated by the Revenue and Land Reforms Department for the next three years from the financial year 2024-25 for selection based on nomination under Rule-131 (D) of Bihar Finance Rules, 2005.

Approval was given for creation, conversion and reversal of posts of Group 'A' and Group B of Bihar Agriculture Service, Category-8 (Measurement and Weighing) under the Agriculture Department.

The rate of the agency selected for aerial survey under the Bihar Special Survey and Settlement Program under the Revenue and Land Reforms Department, earlier determined through tender in the year 2012-13, of Rs. 14994/- per sq. km. was revised to Rs. 27600/- per sq. km. for the remaining works and as a result of the rate revision, revised administrative approval was given for the revised plan cost of Rs. 142317.17 lakh (fourteen billion twenty three crore seventeen lakh seventeen thousand) only and the difference amount of Rs. 10329.81 lakh (one billion three crore twenty nine lakh eighty one thousand) due to the revision was approved to be borne from the State Plan (State Share) item. Bihar Agricultural University, Sabour under the Department of Agriculture was approved a grant-in-aid of Rs 7973.50 lakh (eighty nine crore seventy three lakh fifty thousand) for establishment and development related works under the State Scheme in the financial year 2024-25.