Patna, May 17: The state cabinet today extended its largesse to the ministers’ personal assistants and private secretaries after a three-fold increase in legislators’ salary. From now, they would fly with the ministers on an official tour.

The cabinet gave its approval to bring about a change in the Ministers of Bihar (salary and allowances) Rules, 2006. The ministers, who are entitled to fly in the executive class, can also take their personal assistants and private secretaries on an official tour with themselves, cabinet co-ordination department principal secretary Ravikant said. He added that the ministers, hitherto not entitled to travel along with secretaries, had to take prior approval for flying with their assistants in special circumstances.

These officials, however, would have to fly in economy class.

The cabinet on March 31 this year approved an increase in the monthly guest allowances of the chief minister and other ministers apart from effecting a three-fold hike in the salaries of legislators.

After the hike, legislators receive a monthly salary of Rs 25,000 against their earlier salary of Rs 8,000. The constituency allowances of legislators were more than doubled and the 243 MLAs and 75 MLCs would draw a salary of Rs 25,000 per month instead of the previous Rs 12,000.

The cabinet meeting, which lasted for an hour, also gave its approval to Bihar Underground Pipeline Bill 2011, which would enable the government to use land for laying the pipeline for gas and water supply without acquiring the land and without effecting any change in the ownership of the land for the said purpose.

“The bill, if passed by both Houses, would pave the way for water supply from river to the power plants as well as to other plants. Water is a crucial component for the setting up of the power plant,” the principal secretary said.

“At present, the government either has to acquire the entire land or has to enter into an arrangement with villagers or farmers but with the implementation of this scheme, the land owners would get 20 per cent as compensation in comparison to the normal prescribed compensation for acquisition,” Ravikant said, adding that this would not take away their ownership to the right to the land in question.

But there is a rider that they cannot use the plot for constructing permanent structures. Even though they carry out cultivation work, but they cannot plant deep-rooted trees, construct wells or ponds as these might disturb the pipeline.