Patna, Dec 4 (IANS) The facilities for members of the Bihar Legislature, both MLAs and MLCs, have been expanded.

From now on, legislators will receive a monthly telephone allowance of Rs 8,300, and they will no longer be required to submit vouchers or bills for reimbursement.

State Parliamentary Affairs Minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary on Thursday presented a copy of the Bihar Legislature Members’ Salary, Allowances and Pension (Amendment) Rules, 2025 in the House, formally introducing the new system.

Under this rule, legislators may use any number of phone connections, whether one or ten, with all expenses covered under the fixed monthly amount.

This move is being viewed as part of the government’s effort to modernise legislative functioning.

In another major development, Bihar Governor Arif Mohammad Khan has approved 11 important bills passed by the Legislature.

The timing of this approval is significant as the enhanced telephone allowance for MLAs and MLCs has already generated sharp political reactions.

Among the approved legislation is the Bihar Appropriation (No. 3) Bill, 2025, which outlines the state’s financial roadmap, and the Bihar GST (Amendment) Bill, 2025, aimed at strengthening the business and taxation framework.

Several key bills related to land regulation and administrative reforms have also received assent, including the Bihar Hindu Religious Trusts (Amendment) Bill, Bihar Special Survey and Settlement (Amendment) Bill, Bihar Agricultural Land (Conversion for Non-Agricultural Purposes) (Amendment) Bill, and Bihar Underground Pipelines (Amendment) Bill.

With these bills now becoming law, the state government is expected to push ahead with structural and administrative reforms across multiple sectors.

Today is the fourth day of the first session of the 18th Bihar Legislative Assembly.

The House proceedings began at 11 a.m. As soon as the House proceedings began, the election for the Deputy Speaker was held.

Narendra Narayan Yadav was elected Deputy Speaker for the second time. The Deputy Speaker was elected unopposed in the presence of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary proposed Narendra Narayan Yadav’s name for Deputy Speaker, and was backed by Vijay Kumar Chaudhary.

Just a single nomination was filed for this post.

–IANS

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