Bihar Cabinet Approves Policy to Boost Local Units

Patna, Aug 6 (PTI) Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's cabinet on Tuesday approved the Bihar Purchase Preference Policy 2024 to boost local industrial units and give priority to procurement from micro, small, and startup enterprises in the state.

The decision was taken to maximise employment opportunities for the local people, Additional Chief Secretary (Cabinet Secretariat) S Siddharth said after the meeting.

"The cabinet, in its meeting, approved the Bihar Purchase Preference Policy 2024 to facilitate growth of local industrial units/ enterprises in the procurements undertaken by the entities with a special focus on Bihar micro and small enterprises and startups. The proposal was mooted by the finance department of the state government," Siddharth said.
The policy is meant for the enhancement of competitiveness among local industrial units/enterprises, he said.
As part of the eligibility criteria, a unit should be registered in Bihar and should have an office in the state, Siddharth explained, adding that it should be operational in the state for a minimum period of one year.
The entity should have filed a GST return and paid it for at least one year, he added.
The cabinet also approved a proposal of the state health department to provide Rs 15 lakh assistance to children below the age group of 12 from any income group, suffering from a Beta Thalassemia Major, a group of inherited blood disorders, he said
The treatment of such patients will be provided by the Christian Medical College, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, Siddharth said.
The cabinet also announced a reward for whistleblowers among people and government officials who provide information on illegal mining in the state.
"The cabinet gave its nod to such a proposal. If it is found that illegally mined minerals are transported through tractors and the accused are arrested, then a reward of Rs 5,000 would be given to the whistleblower concerned. The reward will be Rs 10,000 in case the used vehicle is a truck," he said.
The cabinet also green-lighted 'Chief Minister Home Stay Bed and Breakfast Promotion Scheme-2024' to provide better facilities to tourists at affordable prices.
Those interested will have to get their premises registered with the tourism department, Siddarth said.