The Bihar government Friday admitted that there has been a marked increase in the number of women and children being smuggled from the state since the launch of its Human Trafficking Prevention Programme in 2007.
Bihar Water Resources Minister Bijendra Prasad Yadav told that over 50 cases of human trafficking had been registered till July this year. There were 50 cases in 2008 and 21 in 2007.
The minister had told the state assembly last week that 128 human traffickers were arrested in 2009 and 91 women were freed from their clutches.
Most cases were reported from Kishanganj, Purnia, Araria, Katihar, Sitamarhi, Madhubani and Saharsa.
Yadav said it was a matter of serious concern that human trafficking was on the rise though special cells had been set up to initiate effective measures to check the crime.
The state government launched the Human Trafficking Prevention Programme for checking smuggling of women and child labourers and ensure a comprehensive rehabilitation scheme for the victims.
A senior police official said Bihar had become a hub of human trafficking due to large scale poverty and illiteracy.
Officials in the social welfare department said that last year’s devastating floods in the Kosi region had provided a golden opportunity to human traffickers to target poverty stricken people.
According to a report prepared by the state government along with NGOs, most children smuggled from the state end up as bonded labourers, domestic workers and employees at roadside restaurants or small textile units.
Most young girls are either forced to marry men from Punjab and Haryana or work in brothels.link
Showing posts with label Sitamarhi. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sitamarhi. Show all posts
Friday 31 July 2009
Monday 20 July 2009
Uproar in Bihar assembly
Several opposition MLAs on Monday made uproar in the Bihar assembly and staged a noisy walk-out in protest against "inordinate delay" in implementing the centrally-sponsored multi-sectoral development schemes in seven minority concentrated districts in the state.
Replying to a call-attention notice of RJD's Akhtarul Iman, Shakeel Ahmed Khan, Surendra Prasad Singh and others state Minority Welfare Minister Shahid Ali Khan said the union minority works ministry had in April 2008 earmarked a sum of Rs 523.20 crore for the multi-sectoral development projects for seven muslim concentrated districts of Kishanganj, Araria, Purnia, Sitamarhi, Katihar, West Champaran and Darbhanga.
Mr. Khan said on he basis of the baseline surveys conducted by a Delhi-based institution, the detailed project reports for sanctioning the funds for these schemes were submitted to the Centre
The Centre later allotted Rs 36.63 crore in February 2009 for various projects to be implemented in three of these districts-- Darbhanga, Araria and Katihar and subsequently, released Rs 16.75 Crore to the state government, he said.
Once again, the union ministry for minority works released of Rs 74.72 crore in May, 2009, Mr. Khan informed..link
Replying to a call-attention notice of RJD's Akhtarul Iman, Shakeel Ahmed Khan, Surendra Prasad Singh and others state Minority Welfare Minister Shahid Ali Khan said the union minority works ministry had in April 2008 earmarked a sum of Rs 523.20 crore for the multi-sectoral development projects for seven muslim concentrated districts of Kishanganj, Araria, Purnia, Sitamarhi, Katihar, West Champaran and Darbhanga.
Mr. Khan said on he basis of the baseline surveys conducted by a Delhi-based institution, the detailed project reports for sanctioning the funds for these schemes were submitted to the Centre
The Centre later allotted Rs 36.63 crore in February 2009 for various projects to be implemented in three of these districts-- Darbhanga, Araria and Katihar and subsequently, released Rs 16.75 Crore to the state government, he said.
Once again, the union ministry for minority works released of Rs 74.72 crore in May, 2009, Mr. Khan informed..link
Friday 3 July 2009
Major rivers in spate in Bihar
Major rivers in north Bihar, especially the Kosi, Gandak, Budhi and Bagmati, are in spate following heavy rains in their catchment areas and are posing a threat of floods, officials said Friday.
With heavy rainfall recorded in the catchments areas in neighbouring Nepal, the water levels of these rivers have been rising to dangerous levels for the last two days.
"The Bagmati has crossed the danger mark at some points and the water level in Gandak also increased following water discharge into the river from Nepal," said an official of the central water commission.
In view of the spate in major rivers, the state government has alerted the administrations of flood prone Madhepura, Supaul, Saharsa, Araria, Purnia, Darbhanga, Samastipur and Sitamarhi districts.
Official sources said engineers of the water resource department have been directed to keep a vigil on the vulnerable embankments.
According to reports reaching here, an embankment on the Bagmati river in Aurai block was breached, resulting in inundation of several villages Thursday.
The fear of a repeat of last year's devastating floods is haunting thousands of people in the region from where Kosi flows following a record water discharge into the river from Nepal.
However, Bihar Water Resources Development Minister Bijendra Prasad Yadav said the Kosi embankment was safe and there was no need to panic.
He stressed that the eastern Kosi embankment, which was breached Aug 18 last year, flooding five districts of northern Bihar, was totally safe.
Last year, more than three million people were rendered homeless in Bihar when the Kosi river breached its bank upstream in Nepal and changed course Aug 18. Large tracts of land were flooded, forcing people to flee their homes.
Thousands of people were affected in the floods that were said to be the worst in Bihar in the last 50 years. People were forced to live along roads under the open sky without food and drinking water or in relief camps set up by the state government. link
With heavy rainfall recorded in the catchments areas in neighbouring Nepal, the water levels of these rivers have been rising to dangerous levels for the last two days.
"The Bagmati has crossed the danger mark at some points and the water level in Gandak also increased following water discharge into the river from Nepal," said an official of the central water commission.
In view of the spate in major rivers, the state government has alerted the administrations of flood prone Madhepura, Supaul, Saharsa, Araria, Purnia, Darbhanga, Samastipur and Sitamarhi districts.
Official sources said engineers of the water resource department have been directed to keep a vigil on the vulnerable embankments.
According to reports reaching here, an embankment on the Bagmati river in Aurai block was breached, resulting in inundation of several villages Thursday.
The fear of a repeat of last year's devastating floods is haunting thousands of people in the region from where Kosi flows following a record water discharge into the river from Nepal.
However, Bihar Water Resources Development Minister Bijendra Prasad Yadav said the Kosi embankment was safe and there was no need to panic.
He stressed that the eastern Kosi embankment, which was breached Aug 18 last year, flooding five districts of northern Bihar, was totally safe.
Last year, more than three million people were rendered homeless in Bihar when the Kosi river breached its bank upstream in Nepal and changed course Aug 18. Large tracts of land were flooded, forcing people to flee their homes.
Thousands of people were affected in the floods that were said to be the worst in Bihar in the last 50 years. People were forced to live along roads under the open sky without food and drinking water or in relief camps set up by the state government. link
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