The Bihar government on Tuesday gave a go-ahead to a slew of proposals, ranging from the formation of a welfare commission for sanitation workers to the establishment of five dairy plants, repair of school classrooms, and taking over a religious fair under government control. The decisions take on significance in view of assembly elections scheduled to be held later this year.
The state cabinet, headed by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, okayed a proposal of the Urban Development and Housing Department for the formation of the Bihar State Safai Karmachari Commission.
"The decision to form the commission has been made with a view to assure protection, welfare, rehabilitation, social upliftment, grievance redressal, and monitoring of different welfare schemes for the rights and interest of sanitation workers in the state," an official stated. The Bihar State Safai Karmachari Commission will have a chairperson, a vice-chairperson, and five members, of which one will be a woman or a transgender, he added.
The commission will go a long way in bringing the marginalised sections of society working in sanitation into mainstream and helping in their social and economic development, he further added.
The CM had said on Sunday that his government has decided to form the Bihar State Safai Karmachari Commission. "This commission will make recommendations concerning the interests of sanitation workers, will advise the government about the safety of their rights, and will take suitable action to review and implement welfare schemes concerning those involved in sanitation work," he had written in an X post.
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The state cabinet also gave go-ahead to a proposal that revises the Bihar Patrakar Samman Pension Yojana 2019 rules to ensure all retired journalists, registered with the government of the state, get the enhanced pension of ₹15,000 a month. They were previously getting ₹6,000 a month.
Also, in case of death of journalists who are getting a pension, their family members will also receive a monthly pension of ₹10,000 in place of ₹3,000 for the rest of their lives.
The announcement was made by Kumar last week.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Additional Chief Secretary (Cabinet Secretariat) S Siddharth informed that it was also decided to keep Munger's famous 'Sitakund Mela' under Bihar State Fair Authority.
"Now the Sitakund Mela will be held under the direction and administration of the state government," he added.
Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Coudhary said the move was made considering the religious, social and cultural importance of the fair.
"Lakhs of pilgrims from Munger and surrounding districts like Bhagalpur, Khagaria, Begusarai, Saharsa, Purnia and Lakhisarai attend the Sitakund Mela. Around 5,000 foreign tourists every year also come to the Sitakund temple for worshipping and touring," he explained.
"It is considered that this was the site where Goddess Sita went into the pyre of fire to undergo 'Agni Pariksha'," he added.
The 'Sitakund Mela' is held annually on the festival of Maghi Purnima, and goes on until Phalgun Purnima, for nearly a month.
The cabinet also sanctioned the establishment of five dairy units, two of which would be milk powder units, at a cost of ₹316 crore.
2-lakh litre capacity dairy plants will be installed in Darbhanga and Wazirganj, and a 1-lakh litre capacity plant will be established in Gopalganj, Siddharth added.
Dairy units will also be established in Rohtas and Sitamarhi districts and will cost ₹69.66 crore and ₹70.33 crore, respectively, he added.
The cabinet also realigned the approved amount, ₹165.57 crore, for the purchase of 50 acres of land for tourism development work at Punaura Dham, which is said to be the birthplace of Goddess Sita, in Sitamarhi district.
The cabinet had on July 1 approved ₹882.87 crore for the integrated development of Maa Janki temple at Punaura Dham. It also formed a nine-member trust for the purpose.
The cabinet also approved ₹270 crore for the repair and renovation of 67,500 classrooms and primary school electrification work.
Another ₹276 crore was approved for renovation in secondary and higher secondary schools.
Siddharth informed that the work will begin during the current financial year and will be finished by the end of 2026-27.
The cabinet approved a total of 41 proposals in the meeting, he informed.
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