Bihar cabinet on Tuesday released Rs 200 crore to be distributed among farmers as diesel subsidy from the contingency fund.

“The decision is aimed at providing immediate relief to the agriculture sector grappling with low rainfall in the first fortnight of June,” Ravikant said, adding that it would bring the much-needed relief to kharif crop growers.

The government has approved Rs 619.75 crore for providing diesel subsidy. The farmers are fighting hard to save the standing kharif crop by irrigating fields and nurseries using diesel pumps.

It also sanctioned Rs 643 crore to be spent by MLAs and MLCs under Chief Minister Area Development Scheme in 2011-12 and 2012-13, Ravikant said, explaining that since Rs 318 crore could not be spent in 2011-12, the amount is being released simultaneously to be utilised, along with Rs 325 crore for 2012-13. The Rs 325 crore also included untied funds of Rs 7 crore, which could be utilised anywhere in the state with the consent of the chief minister.

Under the scheme, legislators can recommend execution of development schemes up to Rs 1 crore in each constituency.

The cabinet also sanctioned creation of 18 temporary posts to be filled on contractual basis to keep a tab on Hariyali Mission, a state government’s sapling plantation drive. These posts would be filled to create project preparation and monitoring unit in the office of the additional principal chief conservator of forest. The cabinet approved Rs 8.02 crore for construction of a temporary housing facility, toilets, campus development of State Disaster Response Force at Bihta.

The cabinet also sanctioned Rs 25 lakh as a grant to Bharatiya Nritya Kala Mandir that would be spent in the current fiscal. Besides, the cabinet approved the Patna High Court recommendation promoting 27 sub-judge into the rank of additional district and sessions judge.