Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today announced Rs five lakh ex-gratia payment to relatives of local bodies' representatives in the event of their death due to accident, natural calamity, violence etc.
Kumar announced this while after inaugurating 295 panchayat sarkar buildings in the state.
The state government has also substantially raised annual allowances for the three-tier panchayat bodies in order to empower them, he said adding that he will do much more for panchayat representatives in due course.
The Chief Minister said the state government has decided to retain services of gram kutchery secretaries in future and hiked their honorarium to Rs. 6000 per month.
On the status of construction of panchayat buildings, he said the state government has permitted construction of 1453 such building at the cost of Rs 1212.37 crore.
Of the 1453 buildings, 360 have been constructed, 191 others were on the verge of completion and 491 were at various stage of construction at present.
Kumar directed Panchayati Raj Minister Vinod Prasad Yadav and his Principal Secretary Sudhir Kumar Rakesh to make provision for funds in the annual budget of the department for maintenance of panchayat buildings.
The Chief Minister said his government has proposed to construct buildings for all 8400 panchayats in Bihar for which funds will be made available in future.
