Ahead of assembly polls, Bihar government decides to set up halls for poor women's wedding, hike pension

Time of India

6 hours ago

Bihar Chief Minister
Nitish Kumar
on Tuesday said his government has decided to construct marriage halls in all panchayat areas in the state to facilitate the wedding of poor women.
The Cabinet also decided to increase social security pensions to beneficiaries from Rs 400 to Rs 1,100 per month, and reduce prices of meals at canteens, run by self-help groups, from Rs 40 to Rs 20.
The state Cabinet took the decisions at a meeting, chaired by Kumar, ahead of the assembly polls due later this year.
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"I am delighted to inform you that our government will construct marriage halls in all panchayats to facilitate the marriage ceremonies of daughters from poor families (of marriageable age ) in the rural areas of the state," the CM said in a post on X.
The programme was named 'Chief Minister Kanya Vivah Mandap Scheme'.
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"These marriage halls will be operated by JEEViKA Didis. The construction of marriage halls at the panchayat level will greatly benefit economically weaker families, said the CM.
JEEViKA Didis are women associated with self-help groups under the World Bank-aided Bihar Rural Livelihoods Project. Aimed at social and economic empowerment of the rural poor, the project is also known as JEEViKA.
"The marriage hall will be constructed by gram panchayats at Rs 50 lakh each in 8,053 gram panchayats of the state. The marriage halls will be constructed in a phased manner within a period of five years beginning the current financial year," Chief Secretary Amrit Lal Meena told reporters.
A total cost of Rs 4026 crore would be spent on the construction of marriage halls, he added.
The Cabinet also reduced the prices of meals provided at Didi Ki Rasoi' canteens, supported by Jeevika, at all government medical colleges and hospitals as well as various government institutions across the state from Rs 40 to Rs 20 per plate, Kumar said.
The state government will compensate Rs 20 per plate, he wrote.
The government is committed to providing essential high-quality facilities in all health institutions across the state. We have also decided to implement this arrangement in all district collectorates, sub-divisional offices, block, and circle offices in the state. Instructions have been issued to officials to ensure that people coming from remote rural areas can access pure food at affordable rates, Kumar said in his post on X.
The Cabinet decided to set up a committee under the chairmanship of the development commissioner to find ways for disbursing Rs 2 lakh to poor women entrepreneurs.
According to the caste survey, 94 lakh out of 2.76 crore families were identified as poor families.
The Cabinet also gave its nod to enhance the corpus of bank loan to be given to Jeevika from the current Rs 3 lakh to Rs 10 lakh at an interest rate of 7 per cent, the chief secretary said adding that the state government would reimburse the interest rate beyond 7 per cent.
The Cabinet decided to increase the social security pension from Rs 400 to Rs 1,100 per month to be given to 1.11 crore beneficiaries of various schemes, Meena said and added that the decision would incur an additional financial burden of Rs 9,202 crore on the state exchequer.
The Cabinet also decided that gram panchayat can now take up works of up to Rs 10 lakh under MGNREGA. Earlier, the limit was Rs 5 lakh for giving administrative approval for work under MGNREGA, the chief secretary said.
"It also approved the proposal to give Rs 5 lakh as ex-gratia to the next of kin of members of three-tier panchayat raj system and gram kutchery. The ex-gratia will be given in case of normal deaths of panchayat representatives during their tenure," said the chief secretary.