Patna, Oct 3: In a major pre-festival and pre-election push, the Nitish Kumar-led Bihar government on Friday approved 129 proposals during a cabinet meeting in Patna, including key relief measures for state employees, pensioners, and school students.
One of the most significant decisions was the 3% hike in dearness allowance (DA) for government employees and pensioners. With this, the DA has been raised from 55% to 58%, effective July 1, 2025. The move is expected to benefit lakhs of state employees, pensioners, and family pensioners.
Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary, briefing the media, said the decision aligns with the Central Government’s DA hike and reflects the state’s commitment to shield employees and pensioners from the impact of inflation. However, the increase will place an additional Rs 917.78 crore burden on the state exchequer in the financial year 2025-26.
Political analysts see the announcement as a strategic move by the NDA to consolidate the support of nearly half a million employees and their families ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections.
The cabinet also approved a significant hike in student scholarships under the Chief Minister’s Boys and Girls Scholarship Scheme. Assistance has been doubled: students in classes 1–4 will now receive Rs 1,200 annually (up from Rs 600), classes 5–6 will get Rs 2,400 (up from Rs 1,200), and classes 7–10 will receive Rs 3,600 (up from Rs 1,800).
Officials said the move would particularly benefit children from poor and underprivileged backgrounds, encouraging them to continue their education.
With the Assembly elections approaching, the twin measures—targeting employees, pensioners, and students’ families—are widely viewed as populist but strategic welfare steps aimed at consolidating voter support.
