BIHAR GOVERNMENT FREEZES SALARIES OF TEACHERS AND POLICE PERSONNEL

BIHAR GOVERNMENT FREEZES SALARIES OF TEACHERS AND POLICE PERSONNEL

20-OCT-ENG 2

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

PATNA------------------------The Bihar government has temporarily halted the salary payments of more than 10 lakh government employees, including around 9 lakh teachers and education personnel and approximately 1.30 lakh police personnel. The decision, taken in mid-October 2026, follows the detection of large-scale irregularities in salary disbursements as highlighted in an audit by the Accountant General (AG).

According to official communications from the Finance Department, the freeze on October salaries will remain in place until a detailed verification of records is completed. Finance Secretary Vinay Kumar issued directives to the Education and Home Departments, ordering a thorough scrutiny of salary bills, pay IDs, and related documents. Officials have been instructed to examine records going back several years, fix responsibility on those who prepared or approved irregular bills, recover excess or fraudulent amounts, and initiate both departmental and criminal action against those found guilty.

The AG audit reportedly uncovered multiple types of discrepancies. These include salary payments made to individuals who were not actual government employees, use of fake or incorrect employee IDs on the HRMS and CFMS portals, and disbursement of amounts higher than the legitimate entitlement of genuine staff. Such irregularities were noted across several districts, including Patna, Bhagalpur, Aurangabad and others, leading to significant losses to the state exchequer.

Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Bijendra Prasad Yadav confirmed that the probe was ordered on the basis of the AG’s observations. He stated that the government is determined to clean up the system and ensure that only rightful payments are released after proper verification.

The timing of the order, coming just before major festivals such as Diwali and Chhath, has caused concern among affected employees. Authorities have clarified that genuine staff will receive their dues once the verification process is completed and records are cleared. The move is being described by the government as a necessary step to plug financial leakages and strengthen accountability in salary administration across two of the state’s largest departments.