Patna, Aug. 9: Veterinary doctors across Bihar have a reason to cheer, as the state cabinet today decided to pay them non-practising allowance with effect from 2001.

The decision will put an additional burden of Rs 77 crore on the state exchequer. But the government has decided to pay the allowances with retrospective effect following a Patna High Court’s order in response to the veterinaries’ petition. “The decision will cause an expense of almost Rs 10-11 crore per month,” a cabinet spokesman said.

The government had stopped the payment of non-practicing allowance to the veterinary doctors in 2001, which the latter challenged in the court and eventually won recently. Besides, the cabinet also decided to allot 1.36 acre for setting up the regional headquarters of Inland Waterways Authorities at Sandalpur on eastern outskirts of Patna.

The academies running in huge losses have also got a bailout package. The cabinet decided to pay a special grant of Rs 1.85 crore to Bhojpuri Academy, Bangla Academy, Hindi Sahitya Academy, Maithili Academy and Sanskrit Academy.

These academies were set up to promote their respective languages and literature.

The government also created the two posts of pharmacists for Patna Dental College. Cabinet sources said the newly created posts would be filled soon. Sources revealed that the cabinet, altogether, took up nine issues at its meeting.