Patna, Oct 18 (PTI) In a Diwali and Chhath festival gift, the Bihar government today sanctioned seven per cent raise in the dearness allowance (DA) to its employees and pensioners. The decision was taken at a cabinet meeting presided over by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, principal secretary (cabinet coordination and secretariat) Ravikant told reporters here. The hike in the DA to the state government employees and pensioners will be effective from July 1, 2011 and will put a burden of Rs 566 crores on the state exchequer, he said. With the latest increase, the state government employees and pensioners' DA has risen to 58 per cent against earlier 51 per cent, Ravikant said. Among other important decisions, the state government decided to set up the minorities welfare directorate and nursing directorate for effective implementation of welfare schemes and nursing infrastructure in the state, he said. The state government further approved setting up the narcotics bureau at the crime science laboratory at Muzaffarpur, Ravikant said. In all, the state government sanctioned 36 proposals of various departments at the cabinet meeting, he said.
