The Bihar government has sanctioned Rs. 375.97 crore for the disbursement of retirement benefits to teachers and employees across 11 state universities. The official order for the release of funds was issued by Prof. N.K. Agarwal, Director of Higher Education. The amount covers benefits for the months of June and July, applicable to regularly appointed retired teachers and staff in state universities, affiliated colleges, minority colleges, and deficit-grant colleges.
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University-wise Allocation of Funds
- Patna University: Rs. 23.55 crore
- Magadh University: Rs. 68.83 crore
- BRA Bihar University: Rs. 57.88 crore
- Jaiprakash University: Rs. 21.56 crore
- Veer Kunwar Singh University: Rs. 30.8 crore
- BN Mandal University: Rs. 32.36 crore
- Tilka Manjhi Bhagalpur University: Rs. 39.35 crore
- Lalit Narayan Mithila University: Rs. 59.32 crore
- Patliputra University: Rs. 25.85 crore
- Purnia University: Rs. 11.74 crore
- Munger University: Rs. 4.73 crore
Earlier, the Education Department had released Rs. 407.83 crore for the salaries of June and July for teachers, staff, and guest faculty members across 13 universities and related institutions.
Monsoon Session Begins with Supplementary Budget
The monsoon session of the Bihar Assembly began on Monday with the presentation of the first supplementary budget of Rs. 57,947 crore by Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Mr. Samrat Choudhary. Following the budget presentation, Speaker Mr. Nand Kishore Yadav adjourned the House for the day. The session will continue till July 25, and it is expected to be the final Assembly session before the Bihar Assembly elections.
Purpose and Nature of Supplementary Budget
A supplementary budget is brought in when additional funds are required for ongoing or new schemes that exceed the allocations made in the annual budget. For instance, if a scheme was initially granted Rs. 500 crore but requires Rs. 800 crore, then a supplementary budget is necessary to meet the extra Rs. 300 crore requirement.
Political Developments Ahead of Elections
The upcoming Assembly elections in Bihar are expected to take place in November 2024, with the results likely to be announced in the same month. The electoral contest will primarily feature the Mahagathbandhan (comprising RJD, Congress, and allies) against the NDA (BJP-JDU alliance), along with the emerging Jansuraj Party led by Mr. Prashant Kishor.
On the opening day of the session, CPI (ML) Liberation members protested against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list, alleging discrepancies and raising electoral concerns.
This session marks a critical legislative phase for the Bihar government as it prepares for a crucial political battle ahead.
