Tough times are ahead for bureaucrats in Bihar. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is back on the job with huge task in hand with a deadline to meet targets and and challenges.
"No execuses would be tolerated at any cost. All complaints should be addressed in a proper manner without violating any human rights norms," was the CM's clear message to officials.
Now development has become the buzz word among babus. Keeping in the mind of state assembly election next year, the CM is serious about meeting deadlines of key projects in sectors like education, road, health, flood control and rural development, said an official.
"Gone are those days when officials were hardly taken to task. Now each one of them will have to updated before meeting the CM," admits an official. Any financial leakage and slackness in the various on-going projects would not be tolerated, the officials added.
Till few years ago, the secretariat was largely dysfunctional because of the long delays in financial approvals. Now, the situation has changed and the NDA led government which completed over three years in the office has started showing positive results.
For, the officials are now "forced" to perform. Known as a hard taskmaster, Nitish has set deadline for the bureaucrats. With less number of ministers from Bihar expected in the new UPA government at the Centre, Nitish would have to single-handedly deal with all centrally-sponsored projects.
District level field officials, who have been at the receiving end of random phone calls from the CM office in recent days with enquires regarding progress on various projectrs in their respective districts, have already pressed the panic button.
This has given babus the jitters. The corridors of the main secretariat have started buzzing with activities again. The practise of calling DMs from the CM office asking for for favours has virtually been stopped.
All this despite the fact the state government has been facing an acute crisis of IAS officers to run various key departments smoothly. Out of the total strength of 326 IAS cadre, 44 officials are already on the central deputation. There are 105 vacant posts of IAS in the state, said an official. link
Wednesday 20 May 2009
Antique idols stolen from Bodhgaya temple seized
Uttar Pradesh police have busted an inter-state racket of idol smugglers after recovering 19 antique idols worth Rs.10 crore (one million) stolen from Bihar's Bodhgaya temple.
Three people have been arrested from a town in Chandauli district and police said they were going to Varanasi to sell the stolen idols to a person there.
'Acting on a tip-off, we intercepted a Tata Sumo late Tuesday in the Mugalsarai town and arrested the three smugglers along with 19 antique idols,' Chandauli Superintendent of Police M.D. Karndhar told. One of arrested hails from Bihar.link
Three people have been arrested from a town in Chandauli district and police said they were going to Varanasi to sell the stolen idols to a person there.
'Acting on a tip-off, we intercepted a Tata Sumo late Tuesday in the Mugalsarai town and arrested the three smugglers along with 19 antique idols,' Chandauli Superintendent of Police M.D. Karndhar told. One of arrested hails from Bihar.link
Father kills son for refusing to marry again
A man in a village in Bihar's Bhojpur district declined to carry out his father's order to desert his wife and marry another woman. The enraged father and other relatives beat the son to death, police said Wednesday.
Dharmendra Choudhary, in his late 20s, was killed Tuesday, allegedly by his father and other family members in Saropur village of Bhojpur district, 60 km from state capital Patna.
"Dharmendra was beaten to death by his father and others after he refused to marry again," a police officer said.
Dharmendra's father-in-law Budhan Choudhary has lodged an FIR (first information report) at the Piro police station and blamed Dharmendra's father and other family members for the killing.
Budhan said his daughter Anita Kumari married Dharmendra in 2003 and the couple had no children. "Dharmendra's family members were pressurising him to marry again but he refused time and again as he was happy with his life."
Dharmendra had a heated conversation with his father and other family members Tuesday. After that he was beaten to death.
It is common in rural Bihar for families to force their sons to marry again if the couple do not have children after three years of marriage.link
Dharmendra Choudhary, in his late 20s, was killed Tuesday, allegedly by his father and other family members in Saropur village of Bhojpur district, 60 km from state capital Patna.
"Dharmendra was beaten to death by his father and others after he refused to marry again," a police officer said.
Dharmendra's father-in-law Budhan Choudhary has lodged an FIR (first information report) at the Piro police station and blamed Dharmendra's father and other family members for the killing.
Budhan said his daughter Anita Kumari married Dharmendra in 2003 and the couple had no children. "Dharmendra's family members were pressurising him to marry again but he refused time and again as he was happy with his life."
Dharmendra had a heated conversation with his father and other family members Tuesday. After that he was beaten to death.
It is common in rural Bihar for families to force their sons to marry again if the couple do not have children after three years of marriage.link
Maoist arrested with a huge cache of arms in Bihar
A Maoist was arrested today and a huge cache of firearms including pistols, hand grenades, detonators and magazines were seized from him during a raid by the Special Task Force (STF) in a village in Bihar&aposs Rohtas district.
The Maoist, identified as Maan Dev, was a regular supplier of firearms to the CPI (M) since 1999. He was arrested from his rented house at East Mohan Bigaha village after a tip-off, district Superintendent of Police Vikas Vaibhav told reporters.
A pistol, 150 hand grenades, 5,500 detonators, 460 live cartridges of revolver, seven magazines of self loading rifles (SLR) and carbine were seized from him, police said.
Some survey maps of Patna and Kaimur- Rohtas ranges, geographical maps of Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh were also found in the house.
The raiding team also seized laser lights, CDs of past naxalite operations, compass, T-shirts and sarees for women naxalites, DVDs and naxalite literatures from Dev&aposs house, it said.
Police did not rule out the possibility of others also being involved in the arms supply racket.
Dev is a resident of Joga village in Palamu district in Jharkhand.link
The Maoist, identified as Maan Dev, was a regular supplier of firearms to the CPI (M) since 1999. He was arrested from his rented house at East Mohan Bigaha village after a tip-off, district Superintendent of Police Vikas Vaibhav told reporters.
A pistol, 150 hand grenades, 5,500 detonators, 460 live cartridges of revolver, seven magazines of self loading rifles (SLR) and carbine were seized from him, police said.
Some survey maps of Patna and Kaimur- Rohtas ranges, geographical maps of Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh were also found in the house.
The raiding team also seized laser lights, CDs of past naxalite operations, compass, T-shirts and sarees for women naxalites, DVDs and naxalite literatures from Dev&aposs house, it said.
Police did not rule out the possibility of others also being involved in the arms supply racket.
Dev is a resident of Joga village in Palamu district in Jharkhand.link
Bihar to develop Sher Shah's tomb as major tourist site
The tomb of Sher Shah Suri, the emperor who built the Grand Trunk Road from Kolkata to Peshawar in the 16th century and thus laid down the foundation of the Indian highway system, is being refurbished here at a cost of Rs.94 crore (Rs.940 million) so that it becomes one of Bihar's major tourist destinations.
Officials in the state tourism department said the surroundings of the tomb, in the emperor's home town, would be beautified; plus a luxury hotel, cafeteria and guest house would be built to attract tourists.
"The department has prepared a plan of over Rs.94 crore to develop and beautify the tomb premises," an official said. The state government has applied to the Unesco to accord World Heritage Site status to the tomb.
A famous army general, Sher Shah Suri wrested the throne of India from the second Mughal emperor Humayun and ruled for five years (1540-45) till his death. He was also a notable administrator who built resting and watering spots and joined existing roads to establish the Grand Trunk Road, which is now named after him.
His successors proved incapable of holding on to the throne, and the Mughals regained power in 1556.
Rohtas district authorities told that officials of the state tourism development corporation and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) held discussions Sunday on the projects to develop the tomb. Sasaram, about 150 km from state capital Patna, is the headquarters of the district.
Acting superintending archaeologist of Patna circle N.G. Nikose, who was also present at the meeting, assured all possible help to the department in developing the area around the tomb.
However, ASI officials made it clear that they would not allow any construction in the prohibited area of 100 metres around the tomb.
Last month, municipal authorities in Sasaram issued notices seeking explanations from all those who have constructed illegal structures in the vicinity of the tomb. The action followed orders of the district magistrate to free the tomb's premises of encroachment after the Patna High Court in November 2008 asked the ASI and the Rohtas district administration to take measures for its preservation.
Ruling on public interest litigation (PIL) filed by a Sasaram resident, who contended the state government was not taking adequate steps to preserve the tomb, the court had expressed unhappiness about the monument's condition due to years of neglect and exposure to pollution.
The ASI has long demanded removal of illegal constructions around the tomb and had also taken up the matter in the high court.
According to ASI guidelines, no construction can be allowed within a 100-metre radius of a historical monument as well as construction beyond a certain height within a radius of 200 metres. However, the rules have been violated time and again.
Also, the tank around the five-storey tomb, is filled with acidic industrial discharge.
Early this year, district authorities banned discharge of polluted water, immersion of idols and bathing in the tank. The ban was imposed early this year by the high court, after the ASI warned of the threats to the tomb as the tank's water had turned acidic, and the water level had gone down.
The historical tomb was declared a national heritage site under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958, and the ASI given the responsibility for its preservation and protection.link
Officials in the state tourism department said the surroundings of the tomb, in the emperor's home town, would be beautified; plus a luxury hotel, cafeteria and guest house would be built to attract tourists.
"The department has prepared a plan of over Rs.94 crore to develop and beautify the tomb premises," an official said. The state government has applied to the Unesco to accord World Heritage Site status to the tomb.
A famous army general, Sher Shah Suri wrested the throne of India from the second Mughal emperor Humayun and ruled for five years (1540-45) till his death. He was also a notable administrator who built resting and watering spots and joined existing roads to establish the Grand Trunk Road, which is now named after him.
His successors proved incapable of holding on to the throne, and the Mughals regained power in 1556.
Rohtas district authorities told that officials of the state tourism development corporation and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) held discussions Sunday on the projects to develop the tomb. Sasaram, about 150 km from state capital Patna, is the headquarters of the district.
Acting superintending archaeologist of Patna circle N.G. Nikose, who was also present at the meeting, assured all possible help to the department in developing the area around the tomb.
However, ASI officials made it clear that they would not allow any construction in the prohibited area of 100 metres around the tomb.
Last month, municipal authorities in Sasaram issued notices seeking explanations from all those who have constructed illegal structures in the vicinity of the tomb. The action followed orders of the district magistrate to free the tomb's premises of encroachment after the Patna High Court in November 2008 asked the ASI and the Rohtas district administration to take measures for its preservation.
Ruling on public interest litigation (PIL) filed by a Sasaram resident, who contended the state government was not taking adequate steps to preserve the tomb, the court had expressed unhappiness about the monument's condition due to years of neglect and exposure to pollution.
The ASI has long demanded removal of illegal constructions around the tomb and had also taken up the matter in the high court.
According to ASI guidelines, no construction can be allowed within a 100-metre radius of a historical monument as well as construction beyond a certain height within a radius of 200 metres. However, the rules have been violated time and again.
Also, the tank around the five-storey tomb, is filled with acidic industrial discharge.
Early this year, district authorities banned discharge of polluted water, immersion of idols and bathing in the tank. The ban was imposed early this year by the high court, after the ASI warned of the threats to the tomb as the tank's water had turned acidic, and the water level had gone down.
The historical tomb was declared a national heritage site under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958, and the ASI given the responsibility for its preservation and protection.link
Tuesday 19 May 2009
Engieerrs demand hike in I-T exemption
Welcoming the victory of the Congress in the Lok Sabha elections, the Bihar Engineering Services Association has demanded that the income-tax exemption be raised up to Rs 3 lakh for general salaried people and Rs 3.5 lakh for women employees on the ground that two months of their salaries are paid into the I-T account every year.
Despite a fall in the price index, the prices of essential commodities have gone up beyond paying capacities and therefore they have little in hand for other essential expenses at home, engineers feel.
Moreover, the 6th Pay Commission has categorised the pay-scale of both the assistant engineers and executive engineers under pay band-3 and those of superintending engineers, chief engineers as well as engineer in-chief under pay band-4.
The association has demanded a reform in the pay structure, according to the zonal secretary and state organizing secretary, Ram Swarath Sah.link
Despite a fall in the price index, the prices of essential commodities have gone up beyond paying capacities and therefore they have little in hand for other essential expenses at home, engineers feel.
Moreover, the 6th Pay Commission has categorised the pay-scale of both the assistant engineers and executive engineers under pay band-3 and those of superintending engineers, chief engineers as well as engineer in-chief under pay band-4.
The association has demanded a reform in the pay structure, according to the zonal secretary and state organizing secretary, Ram Swarath Sah.link
Special prelims for select BPSC candidates
The Patna High Court on Tuesday directed the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) to conduct a special preliminary test for the 48th to 52nd combined competitive examinations for state civil services for only those 94 candidates who had raised objections regarding wrong questions and answers.
A division bench comprising Justice S K Katariar and Justice K K Mandal, however, allowed BPSC to conduct the mains of the 48th to 52nd combined competitive examinations on the basis of the results of the preliminary test published earlier.
Giving the verdict on the Letters Patent Appeal (LPA) of BPSC, the division bench “modified” an earlier order of a single bench presided over by Justice Navin Sinha wherein he had set aside the entire preliminary test results and directed BPSC to hold the prelims afresh. The modified order means only a special test for the group of 94.
Pleading for BPSC, advocate general P K Shahi submitted that the 94 candidates appearing at the preliminary test held earlier ought to have raised objections soon after having gone through the questions. He added that instructions in this regard had been given in the questions.link
A division bench comprising Justice S K Katariar and Justice K K Mandal, however, allowed BPSC to conduct the mains of the 48th to 52nd combined competitive examinations on the basis of the results of the preliminary test published earlier.
Giving the verdict on the Letters Patent Appeal (LPA) of BPSC, the division bench “modified” an earlier order of a single bench presided over by Justice Navin Sinha wherein he had set aside the entire preliminary test results and directed BPSC to hold the prelims afresh. The modified order means only a special test for the group of 94.
Pleading for BPSC, advocate general P K Shahi submitted that the 94 candidates appearing at the preliminary test held earlier ought to have raised objections soon after having gone through the questions. He added that instructions in this regard had been given in the questions.link
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