Higher interest rates on PF savings of teachers and staff of minority schools

Depositing provident fund of teachers and non-teaching staff of government-aided secondary schools in PPF accounts, instead of savings accounts, has been made mandatory.

This decision of the Bihar government on Wednesday will ensure higher interest rates on PF savings of teachers and staff of minority schools. The state cabinet also approved over Rs 27 crore as grant for the government-aided minority schools.

The tenure of the Bhagalpur riots commission has been extended till February 25, 2010. It was constituted on February 26, 2006 to probe the cases related to the infamous 1989 riots which had not been pursued by the previous regime. The state cabinet also extended the tenure of the judicial commission probing the police firing at Kahalgaon in January 2008.

Administrative approval has been given for construction of bridges over the Bagmati river at Belsand in Sitamarhi district and another bridge over the same river in Sheohar district. The estimated cost of the two bridges is about Rs 100 crore.

The cabinet also approved funds for preparing a feasibility report and detailed project report for four-laning Gaya-Rajgir-Nalanda NH 82 and Patna-Jehanabad-Gaya-Bodh Gaya NH 83. It also sanctioned over Rs 7.24 crore for DPR for the Bihar State Highway Project I and II.

In another important decision, the cabinet increased the annual income cap for entitlement to free legal aid from the Legal Aid Authority from Rs 25,000 per year to Rs 50,000 per year. It also sanctioned Rs 10 crore as establishment cost for IGIMS-Sheikhpura and allotted funds for the state farmers commission. link