Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary (L) said the hike will be effective from July 1, the same date as for Central Government employees and pensioners. File.
| Photo Credit: PTI
As a bonanza ahead of the festive season of Diwali and Chhath, the Bihar Cabinet on Friday (October 3, 2025) approved a 3% increase in dearness allowance (DA) for its government employees, pensioners and family pensioners.“The Cabinet has taken a decision to increase DA by 3% from the existing 55% to 58%. It will be payable with effect from July 01, 2025. The hiked DA will be payable to government employees, pensioners and family pensioners,” Cabinet Secretariat Department’s Additional Chief Secretary Arvind Kumar Chaudhary told reporters in a post-Cabinet briefing in Patna.He further said the move would have an additional financial burden of ₹917 crore on the State’s exchequer. Mr. Chaudhary asserted that the decision to increase DA has been taken in view of the Centre’s decision to increase DA for its employees and pensioners from July 1, 2025.Closer to electionA total of 129 decisions were taken today at a Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. The meeting was held with just a few weeks to go for the announcement of Assembly polls in the State.The Cabinet also doubled the scholarships for school students of Classes 1 to 10 in Bihar. For Classes 1 to 4, the amount has been increased from ₹600 to ₹1,200, for Classes 5 to 6 from ₹1,200 to ₹2,400. For Classes 7-8, the amount has been increased from ₹1,800 to ₹3,600, and for Classes 9-10, the sum has been raised similarly from ₹1,800 to ₹3,600.It also decided to set up ‘Bihar Film & Drama Institute’ in view of shortage of such training institutions in the State, Mr. Chaudhary said adding that talented students of the State are dependent on National School of Drama (NSD), New Delhi or FTII, Pune to realise their dreams.It also approved the tourism department’s proposal to issue Letter of Award to Sarga Hotel Pvt. Ltd., Kolkata for setting up a five-star hotel at Bankipore bus stand premises’ land measuring 3.24 acres under PPP mode, he said, while adding that it would provide better facilities and quality accommodation to the tourists visiting the State.It also decided to appoint Ahmedabad-based HCP Design Planning and Management Pvt. Ltd. as “Principal Consultant” on nomination basis for the integrated development of Gaya Ji temple premises on the lines of Kashi Vishwanath Corridor in Varanasi.Hike in honorariumIn a bid to strengthen the immunisation drive in urban areas, the Cabinet decided to increase the honorarium of contractual Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM) from ₹11,500 to ₹15,000 per month.Similarly, the annual scholarships for general category (including minority) have been hiked from ₹1,800 to ₹36,00 under Mukhyamantri Balak/Balika Chhatravriti Yojana (Scholarship Scheme), Mr. Chaudhary said, adding that it would put an additional financial burden of ₹99.21 crore on the exchequer. Published - October 03, 2025 06:46 pm IST
