Patna , Bihar :
The state government on Tuesday accorded minority status to the Jain community and included the transgender people in the third gender category in Annexure-II (backward class).
The Jain community will be eligible for all the benefits from the schemes of the state minorities welfare department. The transgenders would be eligible for government posts as per the roaster system in the reserved category, principal secretary, cabinet coordination department, Brajesh Mehrotra said after the cabinet meeting.
Mehrotra said medical interns in all streams, including dental, Ayurveda, homoeopathy and Unani, will now get Rs12,000 per month against the existing stipend of Rs7,000. The monthly stipend of physiotherapist and occupational therapists has also been increased from Rs4500 to Rs8,000.
The amount of Indira Gandhi national old age pension (in the age group of 60-79 years), Indira Gandhi national widow pension and Indira Gandhi national disability pension has been raised to Rs400 against the existing Rs300. It would be effective from July 2014. The government will incur additional financial burden of Rs823.69 crore on this head in the current fiscal.
Under the state sponsored scheme, the monthly stipend under Lakshmibai social security pension scheme, Bihar disability pension scheme and state social security pension scheme has been increased from Rs300 to Rs400 with effect from July 2014. The state government will have to meet additional financial burden of Rs113.40 crore yearly, Mehrotra said.
The cabinet also approved Rs1905.10 crore for the payment of salary/pension to the university teachers and non-teaching employees for the period between March 2014 and February 2015. They will also get arrears of revised amount of DA for August 2013-February 2014.
The minor irrigation department has also been restructured with each district having a separate minor irrigation division. A sum of Rs115.47 crore was approved for the payment of revised compensation amount against the land acquisition of 235.33 crore for the construction of integrated check post at Raxaul in East Champaran district.
The government has granted Rs132 crore for the implementation of Mukhyamantri Kanya Suraksha Yojana. Similarly, a sum of Rs22.50 crore was OK’d under the Bihar state non-resident labourers accident compensation scheme for the current financial year.
The cabinet approved the extension of the Bhagalpur communal riots judicial inquiry commission term till February 2015. Its term expired on September 1.
The existing limit of Bihar contingency fund was increased from Rs350 crore to Rs1200 which would be applicable till March 30, 2015. A sum of Rs100 crore has been cleared under the Bihar contingency fund for the payment of compensation to the farmers in case of crops damage due to recent floods/storm/drought. The cabinet also increased the monthly stipend of each farmer adviser from Rs5,000 to Rs6,000 under the state farmers’ scheme.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Patna / TNN / September 09th, 2014