Bihar Govt Raises ANM Honorarium, Doubles Student Scholarships, Approves Film Institute and Tourism Projects

Patna: In a series of pre-election decisions, the Bihar government on Friday approved 129 proposals, including a hike in honorarium for contractual Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM) workers, a significant boost to student scholarships, and major steps to promote tourism and cultural education.

At a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, the honorarium of contractual ANM workers in urban areas was increased from Rs 11,500 to Rs 15,000 per month, with a 5% annual increment. “The move will strengthen the vaccination drive and improve healthcare delivery in cities,” said Arvind Kumar Choudhary, Additional Chief Secretary of the cabinet department.

The cabinet also doubled the annual scholarship for students of Classes 9 and 10 from Rs 1,800 to Rs 3,600 under the ‘Mukhyamantri Balak/Balika Scholarship’ scheme for general category students, including minorities. This step will entail an additional annual expenditure of nearly Rs 99.21 crore.

In a push for arts and culture, the government approved the establishment of the Bihar Film and Theatre Institute to provide structured training in theatre and film education.

Tourism infrastructure also received a boost with the cabinet’s nod for a five-star hotel to be built on 3.24 acres at Bankipore bus stand in Patna. A Kolkata-based private firm has been awarded the project. Additionally, an Ahmedabad-based company will lead the integrated development of Gaya’s Vishnupad temple area, inspired by the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor in Varanasi.

For women’s safety and rehabilitation, short-stay homes under the ‘Mukhyamantri Nari Shakti Yojana’ will be converted into Shakti Sadan centres, offering shelter and support to women in distress, including victims of human trafficking.

To simplify services for pensioners, the cabinet approved CSC E-Governance Services India Ltd as a special purpose vehicle to streamline annual life certification, enabling pensioners to complete the process free of cost at nearby CSC kiosks.

Earlier in the day, the government also announced a 3% hike in dearness allowance (DA) for employees and pensioners, raising it from 55% to 58%, just ahead of Diwali and Chhath.