File photo of Bihar Chief Minister, Nitish Kumar
In a populist move, the Nitish Kumar led Bihar government has decided to relax the required percentage of attendance for students to avail government schemes. Till now students in government schools needed to have a minimum of 75 per cent attendance in order to be eligible for schemes like free uniform, scholarship and bicycles.
This one time relaxation is likely to benefit millions of students in government schools up to higher secondary level, of primary and secondary madarsas and sanskrit schools for the year 2015-16.
Assembly elections are due in the state at the end of the year.
Principal Secretary in the cabinet secretariat, Shishir Sinha told reporters that there will be 50 per cent reservation for Dalits, weaker sections and women belonging to Other Backward Castes (OBC) in contracts worth Rs 15 lakh and below in the department of roads and planning.
Under the proposal, contractors belonging to Scheduled Castes (16 per cent), Scheduled Tribes (1 per cent), Extremely Backward Castes (18 per cent), Other Backward Castes (12 per cent) and OBC women (3 per cent) will get reservation in government contracts.
The government has also approved the allocation of Rs 1032 crore to provide housing for rural poor this year in the state. Over 2.8 lakh units are proposed to be built under the Indira Awaas Yojana, for which funds will be provided by the Centre and state on a 50:50 contribution basis this year.