The Bihar Cabinet has approved a significant policy to provide government-leased accommodation to women employees near their place of work. The objective is to improve safety and convenience, and the benefit will be enjoyed by nearly four lakh women, especially teachers and government workers serving in remote rural areas.
Accommodation will be arranged through lease agreements with private property owners. To facilitate this, the government will invite Expressions of Interest from landlords. District magistrate-led committees will be formed to identify suitable buildings. These committees will ensure basic amenities such as electricity and water, along with structural safety. The Sub-divisional Officer (SDO) will finalise the rent, and women posted at rural or block-level offices will need to submit applications through official channels to avail the facility.
Those opting for the government-provided housing will not receive house rent allowance (HRA). Initially, the initiative will be made available at district and divisional headquarters before expanding further.
In another important decision, the Cabinet approved the creation of 8,093 clerical posts across the state so that every panchayat has a dedicated clerk. This is expected to improve the implementation of grassroots-level schemes under the Panchayati Raj system.
Further, 14 new posts have been sanctioned for the newly-established Agriculture Marketing Directorate. The directorate aims to support farmers by ensuring fair pricing, improving market access, and facilitating storage, processing, and packaging.
