Patna: The Bihar cabinet on Tuesday approved the state budget of Rs 1.77 lakh crore for financial year 2018-19, a jump of around 10 per cent over the budget for 2017-18, which was of Rs 1.6 lakh crore.

Sources in the cabinet said the approval came at a meeting chaired by chief minister Nitish Kumar at the state secretariat in which the budget for the forthcoming financial year was discussed.

After the cabinet's nod, the budget will go to the Vidhan Sabha (Legislative Assembly), where deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi, who also happens to be the finance minister, will table it on February 27.

The state legislature's budget session begins from February 26. Altogether 25 issues on the agenda were discussed at the cabinet meeting.

Special cabinet secretariat secretary Upendra Nath Pandey said in another major decision, "the education department's proposal to grant Rs 337 crore to unaided secondary and higher secondary (Intermediate) schools towards establishment cost for three fiscal years between 2010 and 2013 has been approved. Of the money, approval to release Rs 330 crore has also been granted."

The cabinet also gave nod to provide Rs 491 crore to traditional universities in the state to ensure payment of salaries, retirement benefits for their serving and retired employees, and for non-salary expenditure during financial year 2017-18. The money will be given to them from Bihar Contingency Fund.

The cabinet also approved Rs 1.4 crore from Bihar Contingency Fund to the Legislative Assembly secretariat to organise the sixth conference of the India region of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association. The event will be organised from February 16 to 19 in Patna.

To cut down disputes and corruption in land measurement, the cabinet gave its nod to a proposal by revenue and land reforms department to bring amendments to the Bihar Tenancy Rules under which people will be able to apply online to the circle officer for land measurement.

"People will also have to submit the appropriate fee online only and the circle officer will have to complete the measurement within 60 working days. Those dissatisfied with the measurement can appeal to deputy collector land reforms, who will take appropriate action to dispose of the grievances," Pandey said.

Approval has also been given to the proposal to run pre-exam training centres in 23 districts under the backward and extremely backward classes welfare department.

These centres will train students hailing from these classes to face job-related competitive examinations like those conducted by the Staff Selection Commission.

The cabinet also approved Rs 30 crore to complete the ongoing projects to construct police buildings in different parts of the state.