Patna, April 19: Bringing cheers to over 2.5 lakh employees of the state government, the Bihar government today announced to increase dearness allowance (DA) from 45 per cent to 51 per cent. The 6 per cent hike in DA will cost the government exchequer Rs 555.80 crore in the current financial year, said Upendra Kumar, additional cabinet secretary, after the state cabinet meeting in the capital today.

“The increased DA will be effective from January 1 this year,” Kumar added. He also said that in a significant decision to allow investment in the state, the cabinet had approved a Rs 197.5-crore project by Ruchi Soya Industry Limited in Kaimur district. The company plans to manufacture vegetable oil, textured soya protein among other things in the 81-acre unit.

The cabinet also approved the proposal that guides the salary structure and service conditions of commission members of higher castes. “The commission president will get a salary like that of Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC), while its members will avail the salaries like those of BPSC members,” Kumar said.

Sources said the BPSC chairman gets a monthly basic salary of Rs 80,000, while BPSC members get a basic monthly salary of Rs 70,000.

The government also announced that 221 doctors would be appointed in teaching cadre or medical colleges in the state. “These doctors would be appointed on contractual basis in the ranks of professors, associate professors and assistant professors for three years. Their consolidated pay will be in the bracket of Rs 78,000-1,26,000, Rs 40,000-78,000 and Rs 38,000-76,000 per month. The decision has been taken to fill the large number of vacancies in the state,” Kumar added. The government has also decided to give the benefits of assured career promotion to the officials of Bihar judicial services.