In the infamous fodder scam the special Court of CBI sentenced ten people on Monday including former MP Dr R K Rana and former MLA Dhruv Bhagat, both close to the former Chief Minister of Bihar Lalu Prasad Yadav. Rana and Bhagat would go to jail for a term of five years and pay a fine of two and a half lac Rupees. The others were also given various periods of imprisonment ranging from four to six years and case fine were also imposed.
Showing posts with label Lalu Prasad Yadav. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lalu Prasad Yadav. Show all posts
Monday 3 June 2013
Monday 24 August 2009
Business Reformer of the Year Award to Nitish Kumar
Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar is the Economic Times Business Reformer of the Year. The jury members were unanimous in their choice, giving Mr Nitish Kumar
Kumar’s performance a higher rating than Delhi chief minister Sheila Dixit.
The national calamity in Bihar following the Kosi river changing its course highlights the state of affairs in Bihar, once rated as the best in administration. Since taking over as the state chief minister, Nitish Kumar has been trying to rebuild the system of governance that has virtually broken down.
When the Janata Dal (United)-BJP alliance came to power in Bihar in 2005, it was heralded as the beginning of a new chapter in the history of the state.
Ending Lalu Prasad Yadav family’s 15-year reign, Nitish Kumar became the chief minister, with a promise to turn the state around. Three years on, Mr Kumar seems to be on track, although Bihar might take a while to show results.
The JD (U) leader, who is often referred to as the state’s last hope, wants to make Bihar a developed state by 2015. Bihar being primarily an agricultural state, Mr Kumar has been stressing on agro-based industries.
He believes this will help in keeping land acquisition to a minimum. The chief minister has gone to the extent of saying that he does not want SEZs in the state and his government has identified agro-processing, handloom and textiles, handicrafts, pharmaceuticals and leather as areas with comparative advantage.
The other areas where he has made a good start are employment generation and infrastructure development. He beat other states to put in place an employment-guarantee programme for agricultural labourers, which promises 80 days of work, in addition to the 100 days mandated by the National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme.
His government has adopted a new poverty measurement method, so that a bulk of the families living below the poverty line could be identified Nitish Kumar and have schemes targeted at them. His goal to develop roads in Bihar has been tagged to a three-year timeline, by when he hopes to have Bihar rival the best road networks in India.
Even on the administrative front, there are several big tasks waiting for his attention. For almost 15 years, Bihar didn’t even have a proper budget.
Mr Kumar has also identified promotion of investment opportunities as equally important. With poor infrastructure and the absence of long-term policies hindering private investment, he has kickstarted a series of legislative and administrative reforms. A new industrial policy was put in place in 2006, as was the Bihar Infrastructure Development Enabling Act. A new policy for the sugar processing sector — an important crop in the state — was also brought in.
The new industrial policy makes land available at concessional rates and promises reimbursement of 80% of VAT deposited. And these initiatives seem to have paid off, with the government receiving proposals from a number of big sugar manufacturers. An industrial complex with sugar mills, ethanol and power generation plants has been cleared. Measures to revive the textile industry have also been pushed through. With the state relying almost entirely on the Centre for its power needs, Bihar plans to put up new thermal and hydel power plants. ink
Kumar’s performance a higher rating than Delhi chief minister Sheila Dixit.
The national calamity in Bihar following the Kosi river changing its course highlights the state of affairs in Bihar, once rated as the best in administration. Since taking over as the state chief minister, Nitish Kumar has been trying to rebuild the system of governance that has virtually broken down.
When the Janata Dal (United)-BJP alliance came to power in Bihar in 2005, it was heralded as the beginning of a new chapter in the history of the state.
Ending Lalu Prasad Yadav family’s 15-year reign, Nitish Kumar became the chief minister, with a promise to turn the state around. Three years on, Mr Kumar seems to be on track, although Bihar might take a while to show results.
The JD (U) leader, who is often referred to as the state’s last hope, wants to make Bihar a developed state by 2015. Bihar being primarily an agricultural state, Mr Kumar has been stressing on agro-based industries.
He believes this will help in keeping land acquisition to a minimum. The chief minister has gone to the extent of saying that he does not want SEZs in the state and his government has identified agro-processing, handloom and textiles, handicrafts, pharmaceuticals and leather as areas with comparative advantage.
The other areas where he has made a good start are employment generation and infrastructure development. He beat other states to put in place an employment-guarantee programme for agricultural labourers, which promises 80 days of work, in addition to the 100 days mandated by the National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme.
His government has adopted a new poverty measurement method, so that a bulk of the families living below the poverty line could be identified Nitish Kumar and have schemes targeted at them. His goal to develop roads in Bihar has been tagged to a three-year timeline, by when he hopes to have Bihar rival the best road networks in India.
Even on the administrative front, there are several big tasks waiting for his attention. For almost 15 years, Bihar didn’t even have a proper budget.
Mr Kumar has also identified promotion of investment opportunities as equally important. With poor infrastructure and the absence of long-term policies hindering private investment, he has kickstarted a series of legislative and administrative reforms. A new industrial policy was put in place in 2006, as was the Bihar Infrastructure Development Enabling Act. A new policy for the sugar processing sector — an important crop in the state — was also brought in.
The new industrial policy makes land available at concessional rates and promises reimbursement of 80% of VAT deposited. And these initiatives seem to have paid off, with the government receiving proposals from a number of big sugar manufacturers. An industrial complex with sugar mills, ethanol and power generation plants has been cleared. Measures to revive the textile industry have also been pushed through. With the state relying almost entirely on the Centre for its power needs, Bihar plans to put up new thermal and hydel power plants. ink
Thursday 20 August 2009
Lalu wants janata hotels for Bihar's poor
Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad on Thursday asked the Bihar government to open "janata hotels" in rural areas to provide cheap food to poor people in view of the drought.
Last week, 26 of the state's 38 districts were declared drought-hit. Bihar has recorded a 38 percent rainfall deficit so far this monsoon season.
"The government should initiate a move to provide lunch and dinner at Rs.2 for the poor who are likely to be hit hard by the drought," Lalu Prasad said on Thursday.
The former railway minister also asked middle class and affluent people to restrict their intake of food to save food grains.
"We should take care to consume less to save food grains," he said, adding that as per official records India has a foodstock buffer for just 13 months.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had requested Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for an aid package of Rs.23,071 crore to meet the financial burden caused by the "unprecedented drought".
A 11-member central team Wednesday embarked on a three-day visit to the drought-hit districts.
The drought has affected about 1.26 crore families in 26 districts with paddy coverage showing an overall shortfall of 57 percent. link
Last week, 26 of the state's 38 districts were declared drought-hit. Bihar has recorded a 38 percent rainfall deficit so far this monsoon season.
"The government should initiate a move to provide lunch and dinner at Rs.2 for the poor who are likely to be hit hard by the drought," Lalu Prasad said on Thursday.
The former railway minister also asked middle class and affluent people to restrict their intake of food to save food grains.
"We should take care to consume less to save food grains," he said, adding that as per official records India has a foodstock buffer for just 13 months.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had requested Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for an aid package of Rs.23,071 crore to meet the financial burden caused by the "unprecedented drought".
A 11-member central team Wednesday embarked on a three-day visit to the drought-hit districts.
The drought has affected about 1.26 crore families in 26 districts with paddy coverage showing an overall shortfall of 57 percent. link
Wednesday 1 July 2009
16 sent to jail in fodder scam case
A special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in the Jharkhand capital Wednesday awarded four to seven years of rigorous imprisonment to 16 convicts in the multi-million rupee fodder scam in Bihar’s animal husbandry department.
Special CBI judge Pankaj Kumar also slapped fines between Rs.50,000 and Rs.500,000 on the convicts in the case regarding fraudulent withdrawal of Rs.110.9 million (Rs.11.09 crore) from the Doranda treasury of Ranchi in the early 1990s.
The CBI court had Tuesday convicted 48 accused for withdrawing the amount by producing fake bills and nine convicts were awarded three-year imprisonment.
Remaining convicts would be sentenced Thursday.
Sixty-one cases were lodged by the CBI in relation to the fodder scam, which surfaced in 1996. Of them, 53 were transferred to Jharkhand after it was carved out of Bihar in November 2000.
According to CBI sources, government officials swindled more than Rs.9.5 billion in the name of fodder with help of fake suppliers and politicians.
Till now, special CBI courts have pronounced their judgements in 30 cases and more than 230 accused have been convicted.
Former railways minister and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad and former Bihar chief minister Jagannath Mishra were accused in five fodder scam cases.link
Special CBI judge Pankaj Kumar also slapped fines between Rs.50,000 and Rs.500,000 on the convicts in the case regarding fraudulent withdrawal of Rs.110.9 million (Rs.11.09 crore) from the Doranda treasury of Ranchi in the early 1990s.
The CBI court had Tuesday convicted 48 accused for withdrawing the amount by producing fake bills and nine convicts were awarded three-year imprisonment.
Remaining convicts would be sentenced Thursday.
Sixty-one cases were lodged by the CBI in relation to the fodder scam, which surfaced in 1996. Of them, 53 were transferred to Jharkhand after it was carved out of Bihar in November 2000.
According to CBI sources, government officials swindled more than Rs.9.5 billion in the name of fodder with help of fake suppliers and politicians.
Till now, special CBI courts have pronounced their judgements in 30 cases and more than 230 accused have been convicted.
Former railways minister and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad and former Bihar chief minister Jagannath Mishra were accused in five fodder scam cases.link
Tuesday 23 June 2009
Banning Maoists not a solution: Lalu
RJD leader Lalu Prasad today said the Centre's decision to ban Maoists was not a solution and called for an all-party meeting to discuss threadbare the measures to be taken to end the problem.
"Banning the Maoists is neither a solution nor treatment. It is a delicate issue which cannot be resolved with application of force," Prasad told a press conference.
It would be better if a permanent solution to the problem was found and for it the Centre should call an all-party meeting to discuss how to resolve the vexed issue, he said.
Noting that the root of the problem was in poverty and non-development, Prasad said the representatives of the misguided Maoist rebels should be invited for a dialogue to end the problem.
Due to the ban the ultras might float a new group and become more intense in their acts of violence to press for their cause, he said.
"The ban is being considered to be an eyewash keeping in mind the Maoists laying siege to Lalgarh in West Bengal. It is a step taken in haste," the former Railway minister said. "The issue needs to be politically and cautiously solved," he said.
He said it was "unfortunate" that Naxalites had expanded their area of operation in Bihar after the NDA came to power.
"Banning the Maoists is neither a solution nor treatment. It is a delicate issue which cannot be resolved with application of force," Prasad told a press conference.
It would be better if a permanent solution to the problem was found and for it the Centre should call an all-party meeting to discuss how to resolve the vexed issue, he said.
Noting that the root of the problem was in poverty and non-development, Prasad said the representatives of the misguided Maoist rebels should be invited for a dialogue to end the problem.
Due to the ban the ultras might float a new group and become more intense in their acts of violence to press for their cause, he said.
"The ban is being considered to be an eyewash keeping in mind the Maoists laying siege to Lalgarh in West Bengal. It is a step taken in haste," the former Railway minister said. "The issue needs to be politically and cautiously solved," he said.
He said it was "unfortunate" that Naxalites had expanded their area of operation in Bihar after the NDA came to power.
Saturday 16 May 2009
People voted for development in Bihar : Nitish Kumar
Congratulating the people of the state for the Janata Dal (United) led NDA’s sweeping win in the general elections, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday said people voted for development and peace.
Addressing a press conference here, Kumar said the people wanted the development of the state and that is what they voted the NDA back to power.
He said the thumping success of the NDA in the state was in continuation of the 2005 Assembly elections.
“The verdict is continuity of what people of the state voted for in 2005, while giving us the majority in assembly elections,” Kumar said.
Criticising RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav and LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan, Kumar said the people had rejected the ‘negative politics’ of the two.
Kumar added that the verdict would certainly help the state in achieving what has been lost in the past, and it would witness a surge in developmental activities.
“I want the trend to go ahead,” Kumar said.
He constantly tried to evade questions regarding his future course of action and whether his party would support the UPA in forming the government at the Center,but reiterated that Bihar must be given a ‘Special Status’.link
Addressing a press conference here, Kumar said the people wanted the development of the state and that is what they voted the NDA back to power.
He said the thumping success of the NDA in the state was in continuation of the 2005 Assembly elections.
“The verdict is continuity of what people of the state voted for in 2005, while giving us the majority in assembly elections,” Kumar said.
Criticising RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav and LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan, Kumar said the people had rejected the ‘negative politics’ of the two.
Kumar added that the verdict would certainly help the state in achieving what has been lost in the past, and it would witness a surge in developmental activities.
“I want the trend to go ahead,” Kumar said.
He constantly tried to evade questions regarding his future course of action and whether his party would support the UPA in forming the government at the Center,but reiterated that Bihar must be given a ‘Special Status’.link
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