Patna: The state government on Tuesday approved a proposal to hike solatium amount given to survivors of acid attacks, physical exploitation in case of minors, rape, sexual assault, and human trafficking.

For acid attack and rape survivors, the amount has been raised from the existing Rs 3 lakh to Rs 7 lakh.

If the survivor happens to be a minor, the amount will be further increased by 50 per cent.

The decision in the regard was taken at a cabinet meeting chaired by chief minister Nitish Kumar at which six proposals were approved.

"The cabinet approved Bihar Victim Compensation (Amendment) Scheme, 2018, which will increase the compensation amount for victims of acid attack, physical exploitation in the case of minors, rehabilitation of victims of human trafficking, rape and sexual assault.

The amount for rape and acid attack survivors has been increased from Rs 3 lakh to Rs 7 lakh," Cabinet secretariat department special secretary Upendra Nath Pandey said.

Pandey said that if the survivor is a girl or a woman and suffers from 80 per cent loss of vision or her face is permanently disfigured, or she is not in a position to manage compensation given to her due to vision loss or handicap, she could be provided Rs 10,000 per month as compensation for the entire life or for a stipulated period of time.

The district legal services authority will have the power to take the final decision in this regard.

Pandey added that the state government's amended scheme followed the directions by the Union home ministry.

The Bihar government will create a fund in each district to implement the scheme.

It will have Rs 2.5 lakh and the amount will be used on the survivor's first aid.

The compensation amount will be paid directly into the bank accounts of survivors.

The National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) and the Centre jointly drew up a relief policy for rape and acid attack women victims in June, offering a minimum compensation amount of Rs 5 lakh and Rs 7 lakh, respectively.

The central government had asked all the states to devise their compensation schemes accordingly.

The cabinet also approved two bills that will be tabled in the forthcoming monsoon session of the state legislature.

Of these, one is concerned with the CAG report, while the other is related to amendment in an Act related to the management of water bodies.

A highly placed source told The Telegraph that water bodies related to fisheries are given on lease for seven years, while the management committees of fishermen cooperatives are elected for five years. These differences lead to several disputes in all the districts in the state.

"The amendment to the 'Jalkar Prabandhan Adhiniyam' (Water bodies management Act) has been approved by the cabinet. It stipulates that the lease and election of fishermen's cooperatives will be coterminous. It will now be tabled in the legislature as a bill," the source said.