Bihar exceeds procurement of foodgrains target by Jan end

The Bihar government has exceeded the target set up for procurement of foodgrains from farmers by by purchasing 3.43 lakh tonnes of grains till January end.

The government had set a target to purchase 3 lakh tonne of grains during the period.

A total of 2.75 lakh tonnes of grains was procured by the government by January end in 2011-12 fiscal, state Food Minister Shyam Rajak said.

The Nitish Kumar government has set a target to procure 30 lakh tonne of foodgrains by April this year.

The process of purchase of produce from the farmers have picked up with the easing of winter when grains are not in good condition due to moisture.

"We will achieve the procurement target within time," Rajak said.

The official figures reveal that procurement by the end of January was maximum in Magadh region comprising Gaya, Jehanabad, Arwal, Nawada and Aurangabad with lifting of 68,928 tonne of grains against the target of 42,800 tonne.

The minister said as part of efforts to augment storage capacity for foodgrains the state government has sanctioned creation of 500 tonne capacity godown in all the blocks of the state.

A total of 423 godowns would be established across the state of which 300 have already been achieved, he said.

Rajak said the department was taking effective steps for strengthening distribution of subsidised foodgrains through 42,000 ration shops in the state.

To streamline the PDS functioning, the government has ordered observation of "Foodgrains diwas (day)" across the state during last three days of every month.

Though the Union government is providing ration to 65 lakh BPL and APL beneficiaries in Bihar, the state government is providing subsidised ration to 80 lakh more people from its own kitty as according to its count, on the basis of Saxena committee and Tendulkar committee, there are 1.45 crore eligible people for subsidised ration in the state.

4,311 cases pending in SC/ST police stations in Bihar

Even as the Nitish Kumar government has laid thrust on justice for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, cases relating to atrocities on SC/ST are increasing and a good number of them are pending in police stations. "The cases are piling up because of the slow pace of their disposal,'' officials claim. According to official records available at the state police headquarters here, 4311 cases lodged under SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act, 1989 are still pending with different SC/ST police stations up to May this year. The then National SC/ST Commission chairman Buta Singh, during his visit to Bihar on April 6, 2010, had expressed serious concern over the growing number of cases of atrocities, noting that hardly two per cent of them reach logical conclusion. While the number of cases of atrocities and repression were reported to be 3,723 in 2008, it rose to 5,129 in 2009 but then declined to 3,551 in 2010. State Additional Director-General of Police (Crime Investigation Department) A S Nimbran said there are seven to eight such districts where 50 per cent of cases of atrocities are pending and these are normally the districts where very less number of cases are registered every year. Nimbran confided that there are 200 cases of atrocities and repression being registered in Bihar every month. There are 239, 196, 186, 180, 167, 141 and 121 cases pending in the districts of Muzaffarpur, Saran, Begusarai, Motihari, Gaya, Patna and Gopalganj districts, respectively, he said.

Bihar government may be hard put to explain starvation deaths

The Bihar government is likely to face trouble over a lawsuit alleging at least 100 people have died of hunger in the state in the last three years, as the Patna High Court has directed the petitioner to take it up with the state human rights commission.

Social activist Ramashray Singh, who had filed the public interest litigation (PIL), said he would approach the commission this week. Officials say the state government may not be in a position to answer all the questions asked by the commission.

An official appointed by the Supreme Court had said in October that at least 100 people have died of hunger in the past three years in Bihar. But the state government dismissed the claim.

"It is a hard fact that 100 people died of hunger in Bihar in the last three years due to the failure of food- and work-related government schemes," said Rupesh, state adviser to the commissioner of the Supreme Court to monitor the implementation of food-related schemes of the Bihar government.

Rupesh said he had submitted a report on hunger deaths in Bihar to the state government in August and another in October. The reports were also sent to the commissioner of Supreme Court N.C. Saxena.

Rupesh said the reports not only confirm the deaths due to hunger but "reveal the pathetic situation regarding implementation of food and social security schemes in Bihar".

These schemes include the Integrated Child Development Scheme, the Midday Meal Scheme, the public distribution system, the Antyodaya Anna Yojana, the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, the National Maternity Benefit Scheme, the National Social Assistance Programme, the National Family Benefit Scheme and the Annapurna Yojana.

"Apart from major leakages and corruption, the coverage of government food schemes is so meagre that they leave huge holes in the social security net through which large numbers of most destitute women and men, girls and boys slip into starvation and hunger," said Rupesh.

The reports warned that the situation can worsen "if all possible action is not taken before it becomes uncontrollable".

Bihar has been hit very badly by drought and flood. As many as 26 districts are drought-affected. Nearly 40 percent of Bihar's 83 million people live below the poverty line, the highest in India, according to a World Bank report.

Rupesh said researchers led by him visited Begusarai, Muzaffarpur, Gaya, Jehanabad, Nalanda and Patna between June and August. These are the districts where starvation deaths have been reported by the media in the last two-three years.

Rupesh said that in Ratubigha village in Jehanabad district and Jhamawara village in Nalanda district, the block development officer (BDO) did not feel it necessary to send the body for postmortem or get a medical report after alleged starvation death.

In Tetua Tola Kharuna village in Gaya district, Murti Devi in her late 40s died Oct 10. Although the local administration denied that she died of hunger, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has ordered a probe.

In Ratubigha village in Jehanabad district, about 50 km from here, three starvation deaths took place over four days in August, Rupesh said.

Ajay Dome, the son of one of the victims, Chalitar, claimed that his father went without food for eight days before he died. Rupesh's report points out that Ajay and his wife Renu Kumari were not on the list of people below the poverty line, so they did not get subsidised food. Chalitar' unemployed son said the family was fighting for survival.link

First Children's Film Festival in Patna

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday inaugurated children's film festival at Mona Theater in Patna organized by the state Information and Public Relations department in coordination with the Children's Film Society of India.

The festival that will run until November 14 would feature a host of nationally and internationally acclaimed film for the younger audience and would be replayed in Gaya, Muzaffarpur, and Bhagalpur later next month.

Kumar, in the presence of hundreds of children, wished them success in future and urged them to grow up to be good citizens and contribute towards a better, developed Bihar.

Prior to the screening of the first movie, children associated with 'Kilkari' presented a short play 'Sheikh Chilli' that left the audience laughing aloud.

The Chief Minister announced a grant of Rs. 5 lakh for developing 'Kilkari' and suggested an annual award event for its young artists.

Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi, in his address, lamented the decline – both in quantity and quality – in children's films saying the proliferation of television had resulted in the loss of interest in films.

"There used to be a certain pleasure in going to films with friends and family members and this film festival aims to revive that tradition," Modi said.

Information and Public Relations Minister Ramnath Thakur, department director Rajesh Bhushan and a number of senior bureaucrats were present on the occasion.link

Magadh University 2009 PG Results

Magadh University, Bihar has declared Under Graduate (UG) and Post Graduate (PG) Results For Academic Year 2009.

Magadh University is today one of the largest universities of Bihar and India. The University has developed horizontally and vertically having 24 post Graduate Departments, 44 Constituent and 85 affiliated Colleges, altogether with above 2 lakh students and 2 thousand teachers. Prof. B.N.Pandey, an academician of excellence is the Vice – Chancellor. The university expands over an area comprising of Gaya, Jehanabad, Patna, Nalanda, Nawada and Aurangabad districts. The areas of Bhojpur, Buxar and Rohtas and Kaimur districts have been separated under a new University – Veer Kunwar Singh University, with its headquarters at Ara in October 1992. The headquarters of this university is established at Gaya, about 2.5 Km away from the world famed heritage site of Mahabodhi Mahavihara or the Great Temple.

The Gaya – Dobhi National Highway No. 83 passes by and gives it passage to east – west connections with other urban centres of the country. It is 16 Km from Gaya, linked with Railways communication getting linkages with Delhi – Kolkata and also from Patna – the Capital city of the state. The recently built up International Airport will further facilitate its academic importance to countries like Thailand, Srilanka, Myanmar, Colombia, Vietnam, Japan, Korea, China, Singapore and others. Naturally, the University is fortunate to have this background to remain developing in coming days.

Results on Magadh University Website – http://magadhuniversity.ac.in

Shatrughan Sinha against online pinda daan

After two Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ministers, now actor-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha of the party has also come out against the Bihar government’s proposal for an online facility for Hindus to offer ‘pinda daan’ ritual, terming it a “short cut method” minus any “feeling”.

“It is neither proper nor practical to go for an online facility to offer pinda daan. I am against online pinda daan,” Sinha said of the ritual performed by Hindus for the dead.

Sinha performed the ritual Sunday for his parents and ancestors at the Vishnupad Temple in Gaya.

“The proposed online pinda daan is a shortcut method to perform the rituals without any real touch and feeling. But physical presence to perform the rite gives peace of mind. I favour that people should visit Gaya and in person perform the pinda daan,” Sinha said.

The actor said the ritual for his parents was overdue for a long time because he had been busy despite regularly visiting Patna, his native town, but he was able to perform the pinda daan personally at last. “It was an amazing experience, I fulfilled my duty,” he said.

Sinha’s view has been welcomed by Hindu priests who are against the proposed online facility.

In June, Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi had announced the government’s decision to introduce a video-conferencing facility for Indians abroad to perform pinda daan.

However, priests in the holy town of Gaya who have been conducting the ritual described the government’s decision as “interference” and an “attack on an age-old religious service”.

The priests won support from a section of the BJP, with ministers Ashwani Kumar Choubey and Prem Kumar asking the government to reverse its decision.

Last month, the Bihar government decided to postpone its plan for an online facility.

Thousands of Hindus from across India and abroad gather in Gaya to offer pinda daan during the fortnight-long Pitrapaksh period that began last week. Legend has it that Lord Rama and his wife Sita performed this religious rite for his father, King Dasharath in Gaya.

Praying for ancestors' salvation, Hindus head for Gaya

The Hindu holy town of Gaya in Bihar is set to attract up to 400,000 devotees who are coming here to perform the pinda daan, a religious service for dead ancestors, during the fortnight-long pitrupaksh beginning Friday.

"Pitrupaksh has begun amid tight security in view of threats of terrorists and other trouble makers," Gaya District Magistrate Sanjay Kumar Singh told.

Magadh Commissioner Sanjeev Sinha said: "This time we expect more than four lakh people will come to Gaya to offer pind daan for the salvation of the souls of their ancestors during the pitrupaksha period."

Hindus believe offering pinda daan during the pitru paksh period ensures salvation for the wandering souls of their ancestors.

"The soul keeps wandering till this ritual is performed by male descendants of the dead," priest Murari Lal said.

Gaya, about 100 km from state capital Patna, is considered the holiest place for the purpose. Legend has it that Lord Rama and his wife Sita performed this religious rite for his father, King Dasharath, here.

The town drawing a large number of people from all parts of India and abroad every year during pitrupaksh, the 15 days of the waning moon during the Hindu month of Ashwin.

Pinda daan is traditionally offered on the banks of the Falgu river here.

According to a priest, the rituals are conducted at nearly 50 vedis, or altars, the more important ones being Vishnupad, Ramshila, Pretshila, Baiterni, Akshay Vat and Mahabodhi temple.

Gayawal pandas, claiming to be superior priests, perform the rituals.

It is mandatory for the devotees offering pinda daan to shave their heads and take a holy dip and head for the Baitarni pond. However, some rituals are conducted in the Falgu river nearby.

The prayers are performed at the famous Vishnupad temple named after Lord Vishnu.

Bihar floods: 23 dead, 10 lakh homeless

In Bihar, nature is at its ironic best. The state is split - there is severe drought in one part and now, floods in another. Already, 23 people have died in the Bihar floods and 10 lakh have been displaced.

In north Bihar, when it finally started raining, farmers were a relieved lot. But 10 days later, the rain hasn't stopped and the fear of the drought has been washed away by the fear of floods.

Katihar is the worst affected. The Mahananda river is in spate - its embankment broken, ruin all around. The river flowed into 70 villages and 60,000 people have lost their homes.

Engineers are now inspecting the embankment breach on a boat. Rajeshwar Dayal, Chief Engineer, Public Works Department says: ''We are finding it difficult to source boulders required for the repair work . Also, not many labourers are available. We are trying to plug the breach as soon as we can.''

The villagers are angry. Ranjit Kumar says: ''This is a drama, a waste of government money. All this repair will come undone soon. Why do they build weak embankments in the first place?''

In Madhubani and nearby Darbhanga people have been washed away by flood waters. With them, the paddy and maize in the fields and thousands of homes are a gone.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar says: ''We will survey the losses and compensate all farmers. I have asked my officers to work overtime on this.''

Meanwhile, other parts of the state like Jehanabad, Aurangabad, Gaya, Rohtas, Bhojpur, Buxar, Vaishali, Saran, Sivan Gopalganj, Shekhpura and Nawada are still reeling under drought.link

Growth and development cannot overlook hungry stomachs: Amartya Sen

Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen while speaking at a Right to Food campaign recently said, "India's stride towards development, prosperity and economic growth cannot happen with a major chunk of the children (around 40%) being malnourished or born underweight."

Appreciating the government for bringing about the Food Security Act, he said that improper distribution of food and malnourishment were injustice done onto the citizens of the country.

Amartya narrated his experience of his stay in regions like Nalanda, Gaya, Rajgir and Patna in Bihar. He could see the change in the administration even in the backward areas. According to him, India had a reason to be optimistic about, as a wider cross-section of people had access to food and that illustrated the change an able leadership can bring about.

The Right to Food Act was a pre election promise of the Congress government. It later proposed National Food Security Bill and mentioned the same in the Budget speech under which poor families would get 25 kg of rice/wheat per month at Rs 3 per kg.

The magnitude of malnourishment, especially in woman, mothers, children and babies at birth, in India was tremendous.

As reported by the Sunday Tribune, Amartya Sen said that India had beaten African nations in child malnourishment. Malnourishment incapacitates the mind and debilitates the body. It is a situation of manifest injustice and we have the means to remove it but there is a certain level of smugness about India's achievements. He said, one must recognise that poverty, lack of food, illnesses and state of education in India were closely linked and were of the same magnitude."

The Indian distribution system though has achieved a level, still needed to be strengthened and effective ways of distribution needed to be designed.

There was a general perception that if the supply of food has been ensured, then the poor do not need the employment guarantee scheme. But the way of getting to all is through diverse necessities.

Commenting on the mid-day meal scheme, Sen said that India had finally achieved what Europe achieved 200 years earlier. Europe had introduced the scheme in the 19th century.

Kids belonging to the wealthier families complain that they find it uncomfortable having food with the kids belonging to the poor families and prefer eating their Tiffin. Media is obsessed with the richer kids and consequently the quality of food gets more weight-age than the fact that many are able to fill their hungry stomachs.

Sen asserted that we have to stand by the mid-day meal scheme so that poorest schools do not lose the grants and benefits they have." Sen, who teaches at Harvard University in US, concluded, "It was easier to teach children in a full stomach than hungry children who could not concentrate and had short attention spans." The discussion was hosted by an umbrella of non-profit groups campaigning for the right to food.link

Paswan makes unilateral announcemnt on Bihar candidates

In what could be considered as a jolt to the Congress-led UPA, Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) chief Ram Vilas Paswan on Monday announced candidates for 50% of the total Lok Sabha seats in Bihar.

Paswan announced candidates for 20 of the 40 LS seats in Bihar that include Araria, Purnea, Supaul, Khagaria, Hajipur, Jehanabad, Begusarai, Sheohar, Muzaffarpur, Samastipur, Ujiyarpur, Bettiah, Bagha, Motihari, Nawada, Gaya, Ara and Patliputra.

Though Paswan's announcement ahead of any seat sharing talks within the UPA allies in Bihar is seen as his bargaining tactic with the Congress to corner prized seats, the move could also be interpreted as his open defiance on accommodating RJD, much like the last time in 2005.

Speaking to a news agency in the Capital on Monday, Paswan said: "Party leaders in the state are in favour of contesting the elections alone." He added that no concrete proposal for seat sharing had, however, come to his party from either the Congress or the RJD.

Putting the RJD on the same pedestal as the ruling NDA in Bihar, a party leader was quoted as saying, "People have already seen RJD's Lalu Prasad and JD(U)'s Nitish Kumar and are now looking for a change."

Hinting at the fact that he may prefer to go it alone at the hustings, Paswan said, "The RJD's mass base among Muslims and Yadavs has eroded." link