Bihar would soon implement the right to education act

Patna, May 10 (PTI) The Bihar government today approved the rules of the the Right to Education Act (REA) under which the children in the age group of six to 14 years will be imparted free and compulsory education. The decision was taken at the cabinet meeting presided over by the Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, the Principal Secretary (Cabinet Coordination and Secretariat) Ravikant told reporters here. Under the rules, all private schools in the state will be bound to reserve 25 per cent seats for the children from poor socio-economic background for which such schools will get assistance from the state government, he said. The cabinet also approved guidelines about the implementation of the Right to Service Bill in Bihar, including the appellate authorities for public grievances arising out of the delay in non-disposal of their applications for a particular work, Ravikant said. The state government further fixed a time-frame of the concerned officials in disposing the application for work by the people, the Principal Secretary said.The state government also decided to extend the services under the Right to Service from the present 10 to 20 departments, Ravikant said.Among other significant decisions, the state government approved a grant of Rs 536.29 crores for payment of salaries to 57,109 contractual teachers employed with the schools in panchayats/blocks/urban local bodies in the financial year 2011-12, he said.In the power sector, the state government approved a 2×660 MW coal-based thermal power project at Kajra in Lakhisarai district to be constructed by M/S Bihar Power Infrastructure company private ltd with an estimated cost of Rs 6810 crores and another 2×660 MW thermal power project at Chausa in Buxur district to be constructed by M/S Bihar Power Infrastructure Pvt Ltd’s subsidiary company M/S Buxur Electricity Company at a cost of Rs. 6795 crores.