Nitish Kumar to hold crucial Cabinet meeting in Patna

Patna (The Uttam Hindu): Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has convened a crucial Cabinet meeting on Thursday, where the Bihar government may announce a three per cent increase in Dearness Allowance (DA) for its employees and pensioners. This move would align the Bihar government’s DA with recent adjustments by the Union government, which increased DA for central employees ahead of Diwali. The meeting, scheduled after a three-week hiatus due to festivals like Diwali, Chhath, and the recent Assembly bye-elections on four seats, will be closely watched by all, as it may include additional measures on jobs and employment generation.

The Bihar government has traditionally followed the central government’s lead on DA adjustments, so this three per cent hike would be a welcome relief for state employees and pensioners who have been anticipating this benefit since Diwali. This decision, if made, would bring relief to 11 lakh employees and pensioners across the state as it will ease the impact of inflation and enhance the purchasing power of government employees in Bihar. Typically, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar conducts Cabinet meetings on Tuesdays; however, recent scheduling changes have moved these meetings to various days, with today's meeting taking place on a Thursday in the Cabinet Hall of the Chief Secretariat of the Bihar government.

Today’s meeting marks the first Cabinet meet since October 22, when 25 agendas were approved. Notably, during that session, the Bihar government decided to transform the famous Moin-ul-Haq Stadium into an international-level cricket venue, granting permission for a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Bihar Cricket Association (BCA) at a nominal ₹1 lease for seven years. This commitment highlights the government’s focus on enhancing sports infrastructure in Bihar, alongside decisions on other significant agendas, some of which are expected to be addressed in today’s Cabinet meeting as well.