Patna, March 5: The state cabinet today sanctioned Rs 276 crore for setting up the Central University of Bihar (CUB) in Motihari.

“The sanctioned money would be spent on acquisition of land and other development and construction works. Of the sanctioned funds, Rs 100 crore would be spent in the current fiscal,” said a source.

The CUB in Motihari would come up on over 300 acres along the National Highway 28. Sources said its vice-chancellor and other employees would be appointed as soon as the land is acquired by the state government.

Then Union human resource development (HRD) minister Kapil Sibal on July 13, 2012 announced setting up of two central universities in Bihar — one in Gaya and another in Motihari — to end the tussle between state and the Centre over the location of the only CUB, sanctioned initially.

The proposed Gaya CUB is at present functioning from the rented premises of Birla Institute of Technology (BIT), Patna, campus.

Besides granting the funds for the CUB in Motihari, the cabinet increased the retirement age of government dental doctors from 62 to 65 years. The decision is expected to benefit around 25 to 30 doctors and teachers of Patna Dental College and Hospital and other hospitals across the state.

“This decision is nothing but a mockery of the fact that there are merely 25 to 30 doctors in the dental category of Bihar health services. The total sanctioned posts of dentists in the state are 650. The government took this decision to protect its skin because all the dental doctors would have retired in the next two-three years since dentists were last appointed in 1981,” said Dr Amlesh Kumar, central council member of Indian Dental Association.

The cabinet also gave its nod to signing a tripartite agreement among International Finance Corporation, the state and the central governments for the preparation of detailed project report for the development of Buddhist tourist places in the state, sources said.

The extension of the tenure of the officers of supervisory cadre, whose term would come to an end on March 31, 2013, was one of the nine decisions taken in the cabinet. Sources said these officers would continue to function till new block development officers were appointed.