A woman who gave birth in a running train in Bihar is so inspired by the former chief minister and railway minister Lalu Prasad that she named her newborn son after the politician.
Gayatri Devi, in her mid 20s, gave birth to a boy on Tuesday in Lohit Express at Desari railway station on the Hajipur-Bachabar rail section of East Central Railway.
"I named my son Lalu Prasad so that he becomes like Lalu Prasad. I like Lalu's style and his pro-poor talk," she said.
Railway official B Ram said Gayatri Devi, who was travelling in a sleeper coach, gave birth with the help of co-passengers. She and her child have been admitted to a private clinic.
Gayatri Devi boarded the train from Siliguri in West Bengal where her husband works. She was coming to Bihar to visit her native village.link
Wednesday 25 November 2009
Sunday 8 November 2009
Woman ends life after being diagnosed with AIDS
A 25-year-old woman in Bihar ended her life by immolating herself in bathroom moments after being diagnosed with deadly AIDS, police said today.
Police said the victim, a resident of More Pashchimi under Mokama police station in Patna district, entered into her bathroom on Saturday night and immolated herself. She died on the spot.
Police said the victim had stuffed rags in her mouth to let cries of her pain not reach her neighbours.
According to reports, on the fateful day the victim had visited a local hospital to find out if she had the killer disease.
“She was tested HIV positive in the hospital report and the revelation shocked her so much that she committed suicide at night out of fear of being socially ostracised”, local villagers told the police.
According to an official report, there are 8,228 identified cases of HIV positive Bihar and more than 1,100 cases of full blown AIDS in Bihar.
The deadly disease has, so far, claimed 80 lives, including that of 13 children. link
Police said the victim, a resident of More Pashchimi under Mokama police station in Patna district, entered into her bathroom on Saturday night and immolated herself. She died on the spot.
Police said the victim had stuffed rags in her mouth to let cries of her pain not reach her neighbours.
According to reports, on the fateful day the victim had visited a local hospital to find out if she had the killer disease.
“She was tested HIV positive in the hospital report and the revelation shocked her so much that she committed suicide at night out of fear of being socially ostracised”, local villagers told the police.
According to an official report, there are 8,228 identified cases of HIV positive Bihar and more than 1,100 cases of full blown AIDS in Bihar.
The deadly disease has, so far, claimed 80 lives, including that of 13 children. link
IGNOU To Set Up 400 Training Centres In Bihar
Indira Gandhi National Open University has plans for developing 400 training centres in Bihar to improve educational facilities in the state and provide more vocational opportunities of the youths.
The IGNOU training centres "will be equipped with computer labs to provide distance education through information technology to the remotest parts of the state", said IGNOU.
In addition "it is estimated that during the year 2009-10, 25,000 government officials will be trained by the IGNOU”.
Despite the fact that the value of the Human Development Index has been constantly increasing, it is yet to reach the level of other states.
"These programmes will not only enable them become competitively skilled, on par with the workforce of other states, but also help Bihar to significantly improve its Human Development Index," the official said.
A deal has been signed between IGNOU and the state government of Bihar for the rolling out of projects, which are backed by government, called 'Samarth'.
The IGNOU training centres "will be equipped with computer labs to provide distance education through information technology to the remotest parts of the state", said IGNOU.
In addition "it is estimated that during the year 2009-10, 25,000 government officials will be trained by the IGNOU”.
Despite the fact that the value of the Human Development Index has been constantly increasing, it is yet to reach the level of other states.
"These programmes will not only enable them become competitively skilled, on par with the workforce of other states, but also help Bihar to significantly improve its Human Development Index," the official said.
A deal has been signed between IGNOU and the state government of Bihar for the rolling out of projects, which are backed by government, called 'Samarth'.
Wednesday 4 November 2009
Polio virus goes wild in Bihar, 98 kids affected
The alarming rise in number of polio cases has baffled the health officials with fresh 98 cases reported till October this year.
Health officials said of the total cases, 93 were reported from those children who were covered in the last seven rounds of the Polio Immunization Drive.
Experts are now questioning the maintenance of cold chain required fro maintaining the efficacy of the Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV).
“How do you expect OPV vials to work when the volunteers carry them in bare hands and they are exposed to sun rays”, asked a health expert Dr SA Krishna.
Of the total cases reported this year, the maximum number of 22 cases have been reported from Saharsa district, followed by 15 cases in Khagaria and 13 in Patna.
The WHO provides technical support to the polio eradication programme whereas the UNICEF takes care of the social mobilisation exercise.
“The latest polio statistics are indeed perplexing. Either the affected children suffer from serious immunity deficiency or the OPV has failed to produce required immunity to them”, the state immunization officer Dr Gopal Krishna said.
last year, Bihar had recorded 300 new polio cases.link
Health officials said of the total cases, 93 were reported from those children who were covered in the last seven rounds of the Polio Immunization Drive.
Experts are now questioning the maintenance of cold chain required fro maintaining the efficacy of the Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV).
“How do you expect OPV vials to work when the volunteers carry them in bare hands and they are exposed to sun rays”, asked a health expert Dr SA Krishna.
Of the total cases reported this year, the maximum number of 22 cases have been reported from Saharsa district, followed by 15 cases in Khagaria and 13 in Patna.
The WHO provides technical support to the polio eradication programme whereas the UNICEF takes care of the social mobilisation exercise.
“The latest polio statistics are indeed perplexing. Either the affected children suffer from serious immunity deficiency or the OPV has failed to produce required immunity to them”, the state immunization officer Dr Gopal Krishna said.
last year, Bihar had recorded 300 new polio cases.link
Power Project for 2000 Off-Grid Villages in Bihar
Shell Foundation announced the second round of support for Husk Power Systems (HPS), a rural electrification company, to further scale up operations of their unique biomass gasification technology which converts rice husks into electricity.
HPS owns and operates 35-100 kW "mini power-plants" that deliver electricity as a pay-for-use service to villages of 2,000 to 4,000 inhabitants in the Indian Rice Belt. Each plant becomes operationally profitable in the first six months of operations. HPS has successfully implemented projects in 50 villages in Bihar and will expand its footprint to 100 villages in 2009, 400 in 2010, and 2000 in 2012.
The second round of support will help deliver more power plants, increase the operational and technical capacity of the company and develop the Husk Power Systems brand in India and the US. Shell Foundation has been a partner to Husk Power Systems since November 2008, providing ongoing business development assistance and technical support.
Rice husks (the casing on the outside of rice grains) have traditionally been discarded. However, upon heating, rice husk releases gas and which HPS uses to run modified diesel engines to generate electricity. The waste product of the process is high in silica and can be sold to concrete manufacturers. The business has also been awarded the first prize in the 2009 Global Business Plan Competition by leading global venture capital firm Draper Fisher Jurvetson (DFJ) and Cisco.
Simon Desjardins, Analyst, Shell Foundation, said: "Today, more than 40% of the Indian population, or approximately 1,25,000 villages, have no access to reliable electricity. Existing energy options in rural communities such as diesel generator sets and kerosene lanterns are polluting, prohibitively expensive, and logistically difficult to disseminate. Those villages which do have access to electricity are often subject to frequent power cuts and shortages in power supply. This directly impedes the economic development of the affected communities and indeed India as a whole."
"Husk Power Systems is using unique technology and processes to tackle the rural energy deficit in India in an environmentally and commercially sustainable way. They are proving that rural Indian communities are willing and able to pay for reliable electricity and that Bihar represents a viable market in which to deliver modern energy services. The Husk Power Systems team has surpassed Shell Foundation's expectations and we are excited to build on this partnership with a second round of financing required to lay the groundwork for a wider scaling up of operations," he further added.
Chip Ransler, Chief Strategy Officer, Husk Power Systems, said "The first round of Shell Foundation financing provided access to energy for 15 villages and critical improvements to scale our business. This new round of support will take us over the hump: funding more expansion, but also the people and resources we need to make Husk Power Systems an important player in the Indian rural power market."
"The Shell Foundation gets our vision - that power is critical to creating a new reality for rural Indians and that innovative technology and service models are critical to delivering it in a meaningful, sustainable way."
The company which has set up 10 plants is creating new job opportunities locally in Bihar. Ransler continued, "We are currently looking for 3 regional managers (to oversee 35-50 plants each) dozens of mid-level managers (in terms of fresher mechanical engineers, talented fresher management trainees, and experienced project managers), and close to 100 field workers (mainly skilled mechanical technicians from local technical schools) to join the Husk Power team. As we scale up, we'll hire hundreds of employees - most of them coming from Bihar. Candidates will be trained at our training facility where they will become skilled in large engine repair and maintenance, facility management, and continuous improvement processes.link
HPS owns and operates 35-100 kW "mini power-plants" that deliver electricity as a pay-for-use service to villages of 2,000 to 4,000 inhabitants in the Indian Rice Belt. Each plant becomes operationally profitable in the first six months of operations. HPS has successfully implemented projects in 50 villages in Bihar and will expand its footprint to 100 villages in 2009, 400 in 2010, and 2000 in 2012.
The second round of support will help deliver more power plants, increase the operational and technical capacity of the company and develop the Husk Power Systems brand in India and the US. Shell Foundation has been a partner to Husk Power Systems since November 2008, providing ongoing business development assistance and technical support.
Rice husks (the casing on the outside of rice grains) have traditionally been discarded. However, upon heating, rice husk releases gas and which HPS uses to run modified diesel engines to generate electricity. The waste product of the process is high in silica and can be sold to concrete manufacturers. The business has also been awarded the first prize in the 2009 Global Business Plan Competition by leading global venture capital firm Draper Fisher Jurvetson (DFJ) and Cisco.
Simon Desjardins, Analyst, Shell Foundation, said: "Today, more than 40% of the Indian population, or approximately 1,25,000 villages, have no access to reliable electricity. Existing energy options in rural communities such as diesel generator sets and kerosene lanterns are polluting, prohibitively expensive, and logistically difficult to disseminate. Those villages which do have access to electricity are often subject to frequent power cuts and shortages in power supply. This directly impedes the economic development of the affected communities and indeed India as a whole."
"Husk Power Systems is using unique technology and processes to tackle the rural energy deficit in India in an environmentally and commercially sustainable way. They are proving that rural Indian communities are willing and able to pay for reliable electricity and that Bihar represents a viable market in which to deliver modern energy services. The Husk Power Systems team has surpassed Shell Foundation's expectations and we are excited to build on this partnership with a second round of financing required to lay the groundwork for a wider scaling up of operations," he further added.
Chip Ransler, Chief Strategy Officer, Husk Power Systems, said "The first round of Shell Foundation financing provided access to energy for 15 villages and critical improvements to scale our business. This new round of support will take us over the hump: funding more expansion, but also the people and resources we need to make Husk Power Systems an important player in the Indian rural power market."
"The Shell Foundation gets our vision - that power is critical to creating a new reality for rural Indians and that innovative technology and service models are critical to delivering it in a meaningful, sustainable way."
The company which has set up 10 plants is creating new job opportunities locally in Bihar. Ransler continued, "We are currently looking for 3 regional managers (to oversee 35-50 plants each) dozens of mid-level managers (in terms of fresher mechanical engineers, talented fresher management trainees, and experienced project managers), and close to 100 field workers (mainly skilled mechanical technicians from local technical schools) to join the Husk Power team. As we scale up, we'll hire hundreds of employees - most of them coming from Bihar. Candidates will be trained at our training facility where they will become skilled in large engine repair and maintenance, facility management, and continuous improvement processes.link
Teacher held on charge of vehicle lifter
The chemistry teacher of a Patna college have been arrested on charge of being the mastermind of a gang of vehicle lifters.
Police said Amarnath Gupta, a chemistry teacher of the Guru Gobind Singh College, was arrested by a police team from state's Kaimur district from his Rajendra Nagar residence here yesterday. Another person Girija Kesri was also apprehended from the city.
The arrests were made in the wake of one Raju Kumar lodging an FIR with the Mohania police station in Kaimur district alleging Gupta and Kesri sold him a vehicle with fake documents.
The complainant said he returned the vehicle on discovery that the chassis number did not match the one mentioned in the document. However, he failed to get his money back despite repeated pleas, the FIR said.
Superintendent of police, Kaimur, PK Srivastava said the police were probing if Keshri and Gupta had links with other vehicle lifter gangs.
Police said Amarnath Gupta, a chemistry teacher of the Guru Gobind Singh College, was arrested by a police team from state's Kaimur district from his Rajendra Nagar residence here yesterday. Another person Girija Kesri was also apprehended from the city.
The arrests were made in the wake of one Raju Kumar lodging an FIR with the Mohania police station in Kaimur district alleging Gupta and Kesri sold him a vehicle with fake documents.
The complainant said he returned the vehicle on discovery that the chassis number did not match the one mentioned in the document. However, he failed to get his money back despite repeated pleas, the FIR said.
Superintendent of police, Kaimur, PK Srivastava said the police were probing if Keshri and Gupta had links with other vehicle lifter gangs.
Monday 2 November 2009
Bamboo toilets for the poor
The government in Bihar is constructing bamboo toilets for the poor living in the rural parts of the state, according to a senior state government official.
The low cost toilets, the official said, will have their doors and roofs made of treated bamboo easily available in the region.
As of now, 1.8 crore households in Bihar do not have toilet facilities compelling the villagers to defecate in the open.
“The initial response has been tremendous and we hope this model will be a running success”, the principal secretary of Public Health and Engineering Department HC Sirohai said.
He said the department was training carpenters and masons for constructing such toilets for the poor.
Very recently, the department had begun constructing toilets for the families below poverty line (BPL) and above poverty line (APL) under its total sanitation plan but the government was able to construct only 21 lakh toilets so far.
The low cost toilets, the official said, will have their doors and roofs made of treated bamboo easily available in the region.
As of now, 1.8 crore households in Bihar do not have toilet facilities compelling the villagers to defecate in the open.
“The initial response has been tremendous and we hope this model will be a running success”, the principal secretary of Public Health and Engineering Department HC Sirohai said.
He said the department was training carpenters and masons for constructing such toilets for the poor.
Very recently, the department had begun constructing toilets for the families below poverty line (BPL) and above poverty line (APL) under its total sanitation plan but the government was able to construct only 21 lakh toilets so far.
Finnair launches initiative for children of Bihar
Nordic carrier Finnair has launched a new programme as part of its corporate social responsibility initiative in India to ensure safe drinking water and proper sanitation for the children of Bihar.
Called the "Change for Good Campaign", the carrier will start collecting money from its passengers - even small change, and hence the name - that would be routed via the United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef) to the children of the state.
"We want a safe learning environment for the children of Bihar. Our objective is also to encourage children, families and communities to adopt hygienic practices and practical water treatment measures," said Kari Stolbow, Finnair director for the Indian subcontinent.
The collection starts end of this month and will continue till Jan 10 next year, he said, adding Finnair will also make its own contributions to the programme.
The Change for Good Campaign has been arranged on nearly all the international flights of Finnair. The donated cash/change can be placed in a collection envelope on seatback pockets, which can be sealed and given to the cabin crew.
Donations can also be made online at www.unicef.fi/lahjoitaverkossa. This apart, people can also participate by giving their donations to the airline's passengers, who can put it into the collection boxes located at Finnair lounges at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport.
This is the 14th time the carrier has arranged the campaign. Over the years, it has been directed to education programmes in Rwanda and Nepal, HIV/AIDS in Vietnam and Kaliningrad and an emergency relief project in Kosovo.link
Called the "Change for Good Campaign", the carrier will start collecting money from its passengers - even small change, and hence the name - that would be routed via the United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef) to the children of the state.
"We want a safe learning environment for the children of Bihar. Our objective is also to encourage children, families and communities to adopt hygienic practices and practical water treatment measures," said Kari Stolbow, Finnair director for the Indian subcontinent.
The collection starts end of this month and will continue till Jan 10 next year, he said, adding Finnair will also make its own contributions to the programme.
The Change for Good Campaign has been arranged on nearly all the international flights of Finnair. The donated cash/change can be placed in a collection envelope on seatback pockets, which can be sealed and given to the cabin crew.
Donations can also be made online at www.unicef.fi/lahjoitaverkossa. This apart, people can also participate by giving their donations to the airline's passengers, who can put it into the collection boxes located at Finnair lounges at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport.
This is the 14th time the carrier has arranged the campaign. Over the years, it has been directed to education programmes in Rwanda and Nepal, HIV/AIDS in Vietnam and Kaliningrad and an emergency relief project in Kosovo.link
Madhubani paintings attract attention from Mauritius
Madhubani paintings attract attention from MauritiusPatna, Nov 2 - Mauritius has invited two experts of the famous Madhubani paintings of Bihar to train its artists and art teachers at a workshop beginning Nov 4, an official said here Monday.
Rabindra Nath Tagore Institute under the Youth, Sports, Art and Culture Ministry of Mauritius invited the two experts - noted art designer Amitabh Pandey and Madhubani painter Raj Kumar, son of internationally known Madhubani painter late Yashoda Devi.
Mauritius artists and art teachers will be trained at a 16-day workshop.
"Mauritius has invited two experts of famous Madhubani painting from Bihar to train its artists and art teachers," an official of art and culture department said.
For ages, rural people, mostly women, of Mithila in Bihar have developed their tradition of art, popularly known as Madhubani paintings - named after Madhubani district. This painting tradition dates back to the seventh century AD.
Traditionally, Madhubani paintings were made on the eve of certain religious festivals and weddings. In the last few decades, master painters have popularised Madhubanipaintings the world over.
The famous Madhubani paintings are now an exclusive brand as they have been registered under the provisions of Global Indications (GI) Act for patenting.
Mauritius has strong cultural ties with Bihar as the Indian state is the land of the ancestors of a large number of people of Mauritius.
Last year, Mauritius Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam visited Bihar and stressed on developing closer cultural ties with India.
Ramgoolam had touched the ground after alighting from the aircraft here, and quickly smeared some mud on his forehead.
His grandfather Mohit Ramgoolam was one of the hundreds of labourers forcibly taken by the British from Bihar to work in Mauritius sugarcane plantations in 1871. About 60 percent of the 1.2 million population of Mauritius is of Indian origin, a large number of them from Bihar with Bhojpuri as their mother tongue.link
Rabindra Nath Tagore Institute under the Youth, Sports, Art and Culture Ministry of Mauritius invited the two experts - noted art designer Amitabh Pandey and Madhubani painter Raj Kumar, son of internationally known Madhubani painter late Yashoda Devi.
Mauritius artists and art teachers will be trained at a 16-day workshop.
"Mauritius has invited two experts of famous Madhubani painting from Bihar to train its artists and art teachers," an official of art and culture department said.
For ages, rural people, mostly women, of Mithila in Bihar have developed their tradition of art, popularly known as Madhubani paintings - named after Madhubani district. This painting tradition dates back to the seventh century AD.
Traditionally, Madhubani paintings were made on the eve of certain religious festivals and weddings. In the last few decades, master painters have popularised Madhubanipaintings the world over.
The famous Madhubani paintings are now an exclusive brand as they have been registered under the provisions of Global Indications (GI) Act for patenting.
Mauritius has strong cultural ties with Bihar as the Indian state is the land of the ancestors of a large number of people of Mauritius.
Last year, Mauritius Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam visited Bihar and stressed on developing closer cultural ties with India.
Ramgoolam had touched the ground after alighting from the aircraft here, and quickly smeared some mud on his forehead.
His grandfather Mohit Ramgoolam was one of the hundreds of labourers forcibly taken by the British from Bihar to work in Mauritius sugarcane plantations in 1871. About 60 percent of the 1.2 million population of Mauritius is of Indian origin, a large number of them from Bihar with Bhojpuri as their mother tongue.link
Sunday 1 November 2009
Ex-Jharkhand CM Koda in illegal deals worth Rs 2000 cr
The noose around former Jharkhand chief minister Madhu Koda tightened further on Sunday with Income-Tax and ED officials carrying out Madhu Koda interacts with media persons in Ranchi raids at several places in the state as well as outside, including the home of a former secretary of senior leader Shibu Soren.
The I-T department, probing a disproportionate assets charge against Koda, conducted raids in eight cities and over 60 premises owned by the former CM and his associates.
A senior ED official claimed that the documents seized so far proved that Koda was involved in illegal transactions worth over Rs 2,000 crore.
The I-T department and Enforcement Directorate jointly raided houses of Harendra Singh, Koda’s personal secretary, and M N Pal, Soren’s secretary, on Saturday.
Koda to be summoned for questioning soon
As former Jharkhand CM Madhu Koda comes under increasing pressure over alleged financial irregularities, Income Tax director (investigation ) Ujjwal Choudhary said: “We have come across some deals when Koda was the mines and geology minister and Arjun Munda was the chief minister. The deals indicate unaccounted transaction of money.”
Raids were also conducted on the houses of two mediapersons, Arup Chatterji and Prem Shyankaran. “The raids were conducted at the houses and offices of Arup Chatterji and Prem Shyankaran. Arup was till last month a reporter with Sahara News channel. He is planning to open a news channel. Prem is a contractor who started a Hindi newspaper,” Ujjwal Chaudhary said.
The searches were being conducted by at least 70 teams comprising 400 I-T sleuths and assisted by ED men in New Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Lucknow, Nashik, Ranchi, Chaibasa and Jamshedpur.
Income tax sources confirmed after the raids that the department would soon summon Koda for questioning in the alleged hawala cases. They said notices would be sent under section 131 of Income Tax Act, 1961, which authorises the department to issue summons or to force attendance of any person for being examined on oath or to compel production of books of account and other documents.
Rags to illegal riches
Born into a poor family in Patahatu village in west Singhbhum, Koda worked as a labourer before joining BJP in 1994 Contested assembly polls in 2000 and became a minister when Jharkhand was carved out of Bihar. Between 2000 and 2005, served as minister during the Babulal Marandi and Arjun Munda regimes. Left BJP and fought 2005 state elections as an independent from Jagannathpur, won. Became mines and geology minister in BJP govt formed with support of 5 other independents.
Reports of corrupt dealings emerge. In September 2006, brought down Munda govt, became CM with support from Cong, RJD and Shibu Soren’s JMM. Several reports of corruption during tenure as CM from Sept 2006 to August 2008. In 2009, fought Lok Sabha election and won as independent from Singhbhum. Two corruption cases lodged against Koda, accused of purchasing mines in Liberia worth Rs 8.5 crore in the names of aides. Assets worth Rs 1800 cr alleged. Case lodged also under Prevention of Money Laundering Act. link
The I-T department, probing a disproportionate assets charge against Koda, conducted raids in eight cities and over 60 premises owned by the former CM and his associates.
A senior ED official claimed that the documents seized so far proved that Koda was involved in illegal transactions worth over Rs 2,000 crore.
The I-T department and Enforcement Directorate jointly raided houses of Harendra Singh, Koda’s personal secretary, and M N Pal, Soren’s secretary, on Saturday.
Koda to be summoned for questioning soon
As former Jharkhand CM Madhu Koda comes under increasing pressure over alleged financial irregularities, Income Tax director (investigation ) Ujjwal Choudhary said: “We have come across some deals when Koda was the mines and geology minister and Arjun Munda was the chief minister. The deals indicate unaccounted transaction of money.”
Raids were also conducted on the houses of two mediapersons, Arup Chatterji and Prem Shyankaran. “The raids were conducted at the houses and offices of Arup Chatterji and Prem Shyankaran. Arup was till last month a reporter with Sahara News channel. He is planning to open a news channel. Prem is a contractor who started a Hindi newspaper,” Ujjwal Chaudhary said.
The searches were being conducted by at least 70 teams comprising 400 I-T sleuths and assisted by ED men in New Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Lucknow, Nashik, Ranchi, Chaibasa and Jamshedpur.
Income tax sources confirmed after the raids that the department would soon summon Koda for questioning in the alleged hawala cases. They said notices would be sent under section 131 of Income Tax Act, 1961, which authorises the department to issue summons or to force attendance of any person for being examined on oath or to compel production of books of account and other documents.
Rags to illegal riches
Born into a poor family in Patahatu village in west Singhbhum, Koda worked as a labourer before joining BJP in 1994 Contested assembly polls in 2000 and became a minister when Jharkhand was carved out of Bihar. Between 2000 and 2005, served as minister during the Babulal Marandi and Arjun Munda regimes. Left BJP and fought 2005 state elections as an independent from Jagannathpur, won. Became mines and geology minister in BJP govt formed with support of 5 other independents.
Reports of corrupt dealings emerge. In September 2006, brought down Munda govt, became CM with support from Cong, RJD and Shibu Soren’s JMM. Several reports of corruption during tenure as CM from Sept 2006 to August 2008. In 2009, fought Lok Sabha election and won as independent from Singhbhum. Two corruption cases lodged against Koda, accused of purchasing mines in Liberia worth Rs 8.5 crore in the names of aides. Assets worth Rs 1800 cr alleged. Case lodged also under Prevention of Money Laundering Act. link
Sonepur Mela begins
The Sonepur fair in Bihar, described as Asia’s largest cattle fair, has formally begun attracting a huge number of cattle from across the country, officials said today.
The fair began here last evening with deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi formally inaugurating it amid a galaxy of ministers.
“We will develop it as a modern fair having international look and quality of services”, Modi announced while inaugurating the fair.
According to officials, about 60 foreign tourists from Japan, Germany, Australia and Austria have booked their lodging in the tastefully-designed cottages having traditional look to enjoy the fair.
“We are providing every facility to the foreign guests to attract more and more tourists in our cottages decorated with traditional items”, said Ajay Kumar, in-charge of the cottages being managed by State Tourism Development Corporation.
Officials also said more than a lakh oxen, cows, bulls, elephants and horses have already reached the fair and have become the centre of attraction for the visitors.
One of the cattle businessmen Suresh Rai sold a pair of oxens for Rs 71,000 at the fair, officials said.
The fair will continue for 30 days, instead of 25 which was its earlier period.
The fair began here last evening with deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi formally inaugurating it amid a galaxy of ministers.
“We will develop it as a modern fair having international look and quality of services”, Modi announced while inaugurating the fair.
According to officials, about 60 foreign tourists from Japan, Germany, Australia and Austria have booked their lodging in the tastefully-designed cottages having traditional look to enjoy the fair.
“We are providing every facility to the foreign guests to attract more and more tourists in our cottages decorated with traditional items”, said Ajay Kumar, in-charge of the cottages being managed by State Tourism Development Corporation.
Officials also said more than a lakh oxen, cows, bulls, elephants and horses have already reached the fair and have become the centre of attraction for the visitors.
One of the cattle businessmen Suresh Rai sold a pair of oxens for Rs 71,000 at the fair, officials said.
The fair will continue for 30 days, instead of 25 which was its earlier period.
Find kidnapped doctors or face strike, says Bihar medicos
The Indian Medical Association (IMA) Monday threatened to paralyse medical services in Bihar if the two doctors who were allegedly abducted nearly forty-eight hours ago in the state’s Samastipur district were not found soon.
The association also protested against the “police’s failure” in recovering the abducted doctors.
A.K. Sahay and Santosh Kumar, doctors who work at a nursing home located in a village, went missing late Saturday evening from Sahpur Patauri in Samastipur. They were abducted when they were out on work, a police official said.
“Police have failed to make any breakthrough, though two suspected people involved in the abduction were detained,” an official in Samastipur said.
A hunt has been launched to find the doctors after their motorcycles were recovered and investigations have begun in the case, he added.
“A special police team has been constituted to look into the case,” Deputy Inspector General (Darbhanga range) Baldeo Prasad said.
Their families suspect that both were kidnapped over a property dispute.
Abductions are common in Bihar for ransom and revenge. According to police sources here, 45 people have been abducted for ransom in the state from January to July this year. Last year, 32 people were kidnapped during the same period.
Nearly four months ago, the Bihar government said that between 2001 and 2009, 2,167 children had been kidnapped. Of them, 1,752 were found and 75 killed while the fate of 340 was still unknown.link
The association also protested against the “police’s failure” in recovering the abducted doctors.
A.K. Sahay and Santosh Kumar, doctors who work at a nursing home located in a village, went missing late Saturday evening from Sahpur Patauri in Samastipur. They were abducted when they were out on work, a police official said.
“Police have failed to make any breakthrough, though two suspected people involved in the abduction were detained,” an official in Samastipur said.
A hunt has been launched to find the doctors after their motorcycles were recovered and investigations have begun in the case, he added.
“A special police team has been constituted to look into the case,” Deputy Inspector General (Darbhanga range) Baldeo Prasad said.
Their families suspect that both were kidnapped over a property dispute.
Abductions are common in Bihar for ransom and revenge. According to police sources here, 45 people have been abducted for ransom in the state from January to July this year. Last year, 32 people were kidnapped during the same period.
Nearly four months ago, the Bihar government said that between 2001 and 2009, 2,167 children had been kidnapped. Of them, 1,752 were found and 75 killed while the fate of 340 was still unknown.link
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