Nitish Kumar government doubles honorarium for cooks, watchmen and instructors ahead of 2025 polls.
Photo Credit: The Suncity News.
Patna, August 1, 2025: In a major pre-election move, the Nitish Kumar-led Bihar government on Friday announced a doubling of honorarium for cooks, night watchmen, physical education instructors and health instructors working in government schools across the state.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar shared the announcement himself through a post on his official X handle, stating that these workers have played a crucial role in strengthening Bihar’s education system.
Nitish Kumar announced to honorarium structure:
As per the revised honorarium, mid-day meal cooks, whose monthly honorarium increased from Rs 1650 to Rs 3300, night watchmen deployed in secondary/higher secondary schools have monthly honorarium increased from Rs 5000 to Rs 10,000, physical education and health instructors’ monthly honorarium increased from Rs 8000 to Rs 16,000 apart from annual increment raised from Rs 200 to Rs 400 for eligible personnel.
This respectable increase in honorarium will boost morale and encourage more dedication among these staff members,” He stated.
CM Nitish Kumar emphasized that since the formation of his government in November 2005, Bihar has witnessed a sharp rise in education expenditure—from Rs 4,366 crore in 2005 to Rs 77,690 crore in the current budget.
“We have made major strides through teacher appointments, new school buildings and infrastructural development. This is a step towards further strengthening the sector,” Kumar added.
Nitish Kumar’s broader welfare push:
This announcement follows a series of similar welfare incentives by the Nitish Kumar government in recent days.
Earlier, the social security pension for the elderly, widows and disabled persons was hiked from Rs 400 to Rs 1,100, the journalist pension scheme increased from Rs 6,000 to Rs 15,000, ASHA workers’ incentive was raised from Rs 1,000 to Rs 3,000, and MAMTA workers now get Rs 600 per delivery, up from Rs 300.
As the 2025 Bihar Assembly election draws closer, these targeted welfare hikes are being seen as a part of the government’s efforts to shore up support among grassroots workers and rural beneficiaries, particularly those associated with public welfare services
Also Read: CM Nitish Kumar hikes honorarium for ASHA and MAMTA workers ahead of Bihar Assembly elections 2025.
EOM.