On the second day of Bangalore’s first-ever Fashion Week, conniesuers of life-style witnessed extensive glamour, style and colour.
Designer Samant Chauhan presented his collection woven in silk from Bhagalpur region of Bihar. Thus he enabled promotion of fabrics of marginalised weavers.
‘It’s my signature style that I use Bhagalpur silk. This time, I have used linen, which is again, weaved in Bhaglpur. The collection name was ‘Green Collar’. ‘Green Collar’ is new concept which most of designers are working now-days like, how you can use more eco-friendly fabric and eco-friendly dyes. There is no colour in my collection. So, I am not using any chemical. It’s all 100 percent natural,’ said Chauhan.
Model-turned television actor Julfi Syed walked the ramp for Chauhan’s collection.
Designers Ramesh Demla showcased exquisite collection of colourful Indo-western apparels.
The four-day event will have thirty designers, sixty models and 11 hours of fashion. It will conclude on July 26.
The Fashion Week comes after the success of the Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata Fashion Weeks and the organisers hope to do good business during the event.link
Saturday 25 July 2009
Five arrested after lizard found in mid-day meal
Five people, including the headmaster and two teachers, were arrested in Bihar's Nalanda district after a lizard was found in the mid-day meals served to school children, officials said Friday. In the last three weeks various such cases have been reported in the state.
Bihar's Human Resource Development Minister Hari Narain Singh said that the headmaster and two teachers of a middle school in Basniawa under Harnaut block have been arrested after a lizard was found in the mid-day meal. They were also suspended on charge of negligence of duty.
More than 25 students of the school fell ill soon after eating the mid-day meal Wednesday.
It was not the first such case in Bihar.
In the last three weeks, a lizard was found in the mid-day meal in at least three schools and insects were also found in mid-day meals in different schools in half a dozen districts.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has admitted that there were shortcomings in the mid-day meals scheme being implemented in more than 80,000 schools of the state.
During an all-party meeting over the issue Thursday Nitish Kumar said that he had asked the human resource department to study the scheme's implementation in other states.
Bihar is spending more than Rs.2,000 crore on the scheme.
The mid-day meal scheme is one of the world's largest nutrition-supplement programmes, covering more than a million schools across India. Under it, students in government-run schools are given free lunch. It was launched in July 1995 to tackle the twin problems of dropouts in primary schools and malnutrition among children from poor families.
A latest CAG report said that there was 'absence' of internal controls and 'regular' monitoring in implementation of mid-day meal scheme in Bihar during the year 2007-200.
'There has been complete absence of internal controls, regular monitoring and evaluation of the mid-day meal scheme for children during 2007-08', the report said.link
Bihar's Human Resource Development Minister Hari Narain Singh said that the headmaster and two teachers of a middle school in Basniawa under Harnaut block have been arrested after a lizard was found in the mid-day meal. They were also suspended on charge of negligence of duty.
More than 25 students of the school fell ill soon after eating the mid-day meal Wednesday.
It was not the first such case in Bihar.
In the last three weeks, a lizard was found in the mid-day meal in at least three schools and insects were also found in mid-day meals in different schools in half a dozen districts.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has admitted that there were shortcomings in the mid-day meals scheme being implemented in more than 80,000 schools of the state.
During an all-party meeting over the issue Thursday Nitish Kumar said that he had asked the human resource department to study the scheme's implementation in other states.
Bihar is spending more than Rs.2,000 crore on the scheme.
The mid-day meal scheme is one of the world's largest nutrition-supplement programmes, covering more than a million schools across India. Under it, students in government-run schools are given free lunch. It was launched in July 1995 to tackle the twin problems of dropouts in primary schools and malnutrition among children from poor families.
A latest CAG report said that there was 'absence' of internal controls and 'regular' monitoring in implementation of mid-day meal scheme in Bihar during the year 2007-200.
'There has been complete absence of internal controls, regular monitoring and evaluation of the mid-day meal scheme for children during 2007-08', the report said.link
Man dies as doctor stealthily removes kidney, eyes during treatment
A dalit in Bihar died after doctors stealthily removed his kidney and eyes during his treatment at a local hospital here, police said today.
Police said the victim Sachen Ram who worked as a farm labour in Punjab was returning to his village by a train but got badly injured while alighting from the train at the Begusarai station on July 13.
He was immediately admitted to the local Buddha hospital in Panta for treatment. A week later, his body was found among the dead at the postmortem room of the Patna Medical College and Hospital, victim’s family alleged today.
The victim family has alleged that the doctors at the Buddha hospital allegedly removed patients’ kidney and eyes before getting him transferred to the PMCH when his condition deteriorated.
“The hospital administration told us to deposit Rs 26,000 for his treatment which we did instantly but later asked for more money. But when he returned with money we were told that the patient had been shifted to the PMCH. On reaching there we found my uncle body at the postmortem room”, victim’s cousin Kiran Ram told the police at the local Patrakarnagar police station where the case was lodged.
The police are investigating the case.link
Police said the victim Sachen Ram who worked as a farm labour in Punjab was returning to his village by a train but got badly injured while alighting from the train at the Begusarai station on July 13.
He was immediately admitted to the local Buddha hospital in Panta for treatment. A week later, his body was found among the dead at the postmortem room of the Patna Medical College and Hospital, victim’s family alleged today.
The victim family has alleged that the doctors at the Buddha hospital allegedly removed patients’ kidney and eyes before getting him transferred to the PMCH when his condition deteriorated.
“The hospital administration told us to deposit Rs 26,000 for his treatment which we did instantly but later asked for more money. But when he returned with money we were told that the patient had been shifted to the PMCH. On reaching there we found my uncle body at the postmortem room”, victim’s cousin Kiran Ram told the police at the local Patrakarnagar police station where the case was lodged.
The police are investigating the case.link
Friday 24 July 2009
Center to shoulder 50% burden on diesel subsidy
Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar on Friday said that the Centre had agreed to shoulder 50% of the burden incurred by Bihar for its diesel subsidies.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had sought help from Centre for diesel subsidy given to farmers in the state for irrigation purpose.
“The Centre will also extend this facility to other states,” Pawar added.
“UP, Bihar, Punjab, Haryana, Assam, Manipur and parts of some other states are likely to be affected by deficient rainfall. Manipur has declared drought in all districts and Assam and Jharkhand have declared drought in 14 and four districts respectively,” Pawar said while responding to BJP’s ‘calling attention motion’ over the issue.
Pawar said rainfall deficiency in the country, which stood at 62% in June, had gone down to 17% leading to considerable improvement in overall situation.
Replying to queries on uncertainty resulting from insufficient monsoon rainfall, Pawar said the situation had improved in most parts of the country except northwest, north-east, UP and Bihar.
On paddy cultivation, he said substantial shortfall had been witnessed in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. But Punjab and Haryana were not a problem as the farmers had sustained the transplanted crop with irrigated water.
Pawar said while 100 MW of additional power from the Central pool was released to the farmers in Punjab and Haryana, the Centre had agreed to release another 100 MW for the next 15 days.
He also informed the Rajya Sabha that exports of non-Basmati rice and wheat, which was allowed through diplomatic channel, would be completely banned.
“We are going to stop it. We will take the financial burden,” he said, replying to a Calling Attention Notice.
Allaying fears of shortage of foodgrains, Pawar said, “Stock position is quite comfortable. We have sufficient stock position for 13 months in our kitty.”
Pawar was worried over runaway rise in prices of Arhar dal to Rs 95-100 a kg, he said “this will be a temporary phenomenon. A financial support for states is under consideration to help in this regard.”
Centre will also consider how loans taken by farmers can be rescheduled, the minister said, adding “We are going to extend some concessions or other facilities. We will take decision. We will not take any coercive method for loan recovery”.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had sought help from Centre for diesel subsidy given to farmers in the state for irrigation purpose.
“The Centre will also extend this facility to other states,” Pawar added.
“UP, Bihar, Punjab, Haryana, Assam, Manipur and parts of some other states are likely to be affected by deficient rainfall. Manipur has declared drought in all districts and Assam and Jharkhand have declared drought in 14 and four districts respectively,” Pawar said while responding to BJP’s ‘calling attention motion’ over the issue.
Pawar said rainfall deficiency in the country, which stood at 62% in June, had gone down to 17% leading to considerable improvement in overall situation.
Replying to queries on uncertainty resulting from insufficient monsoon rainfall, Pawar said the situation had improved in most parts of the country except northwest, north-east, UP and Bihar.
On paddy cultivation, he said substantial shortfall had been witnessed in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. But Punjab and Haryana were not a problem as the farmers had sustained the transplanted crop with irrigated water.
Pawar said while 100 MW of additional power from the Central pool was released to the farmers in Punjab and Haryana, the Centre had agreed to release another 100 MW for the next 15 days.
He also informed the Rajya Sabha that exports of non-Basmati rice and wheat, which was allowed through diplomatic channel, would be completely banned.
“We are going to stop it. We will take the financial burden,” he said, replying to a Calling Attention Notice.
Allaying fears of shortage of foodgrains, Pawar said, “Stock position is quite comfortable. We have sufficient stock position for 13 months in our kitty.”
Pawar was worried over runaway rise in prices of Arhar dal to Rs 95-100 a kg, he said “this will be a temporary phenomenon. A financial support for states is under consideration to help in this regard.”
Centre will also consider how loans taken by farmers can be rescheduled, the minister said, adding “We are going to extend some concessions or other facilities. We will take decision. We will not take any coercive method for loan recovery”.
Tytler made AICC incharge for Bihar
Former Union minister Jagdish Tytler has been appointed AICC incharge for Bihar in place of Iqbal Singh, who was recently appointed lieutenant-governor of Puducherry.
Tytler, a veteran of Delhi politics, was given a Congress ticket for the Delhi North-East Lok Sabha seat. But he was dropped as the party candidate after a Sikh journalist hurled a shoe at home minister P Chidambaram on the anti-Sikh riots issue.
Tytler's appointemnt has raised doubts about the timing of the much-delayed revamp of the Congress organisational set-up. The appointment indicates that Congress appears to have deferred the larger shake-up.
Tytler, a veteran of Delhi politics, was given a Congress ticket for the Delhi North-East Lok Sabha seat. But he was dropped as the party candidate after a Sikh journalist hurled a shoe at home minister P Chidambaram on the anti-Sikh riots issue.
Tytler's appointemnt has raised doubts about the timing of the much-delayed revamp of the Congress organisational set-up. The appointment indicates that Congress appears to have deferred the larger shake-up.
Thursday 23 July 2009
Naked girls plow fields for rain
Farmers in Bihar have asked their unmarried daughters to plow parched fields naked in a bid to embarrass the weather gods to bring some badly needed monsoon rain, officials said.
Witnesses said the naked girls in Bihar plowed the fields and chanted ancient hymns after sunset to invoke the gods. They said elderly village women helped the girls drag the plows.
"They (villagers) believe their acts would get the weather gods badly embarrassed, who in turn would ensure bumper crops by sending rains," Upendra Kumar, a village council official, said from Bihar's remote Banke Bazaar town.
"This is the most trusted social custom in the area and the villagers have vowed to continue this practice until it rains very heavily."
India this year suffered its worst start to the vital monsoon rains in eight decades, causing drought in some states.link
Witnesses said the naked girls in Bihar plowed the fields and chanted ancient hymns after sunset to invoke the gods. They said elderly village women helped the girls drag the plows.
"They (villagers) believe their acts would get the weather gods badly embarrassed, who in turn would ensure bumper crops by sending rains," Upendra Kumar, a village council official, said from Bihar's remote Banke Bazaar town.
"This is the most trusted social custom in the area and the villagers have vowed to continue this practice until it rains very heavily."
India this year suffered its worst start to the vital monsoon rains in eight decades, causing drought in some states.link
Nitish wants Centre to help make Bihar ethanol hub
Chief minister Nitish Kumar has written to Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar urging him to relax the amendment in Sugar (control) order of December 2007 and strive for presidential assent to the Bihar Sugarcane (Regulation of supply and purchase) Amendment Bill, 2007, to help Bihar develop as an ethenol hub.
Referring to Pawar's statement in Parliament on Bihar's demand for promoting ethanol production directly from sugarcane juice, Nitish said Pawar's assurance on the floor of the House was still "short of expectations".
Pawar, in his statement in Parliament, said the Centre had taken initiatives to blend up to 10 per cent of ethanol in petroleum products. He said the gap between prices of sugar and ethanol made production of ehtanol exclusively an unviable project.
Pawar also pointed out that 11 exclusive ethanol plants in Maharashtra were now closed and at present nobody would come up with such a proposal. He said after their visit to Patna, industrialists in their field and study reports mentioned they did not want to set up sugar mill there. Pawar stressed that in Brazil the mills had a crushing capacity of 35,000 tonnes compared to 2,000 tonnes in India.
Nitish, in his letter dated July 22, said Pawar' arguements we "not in consonance with facts". He said if the Union government was to make mandatory blending up to 10 per cent ethanol with petroleum, the requirement will be very large and it should encourage local ethanol production to meet the demand.
The Bihar CM also said the price of ethanol (Rs 22.50 per litre) was fixed six years ago when crude and petroleum prices was nearly half the current rates.
"There is enough justification to have a re-look at the price being offered for ethanol by petroleum companies," Nitish said stressing that the price difference between sugar and ethenol was an artificial one.
Nitish also stressed that experience of Maharashtra in ethanol production was not relevant to Bihar because the production is targeted to meet the export requirements, not domestic needs. Nitish said in Bihar proposals for setting up 25 sugar mills have been approved of which only four have initiated action.
"The main reason for the others not immediately showing interest is the fall in sugar prices. However, the scenario is likely to change with the rising sugar price," he said maintaining that the state has succeeded in reviving some of its closed sugar mills through privatization and firms like Hindustan Petroleum Corporation and M/s Reliance India made successful bids.
He also pointed out that the state investment promotion board had approved 13 mega projects for production of ethanol, ten of which were sugar-based and three maize-based.
"The proposed capacity of the sugarcane-based plants are 25,000 tonnes per day and in case of maize-based 1,25,000 tonnes," he said while pointing out that each of these mega projects will produce 200 MW power. link
Referring to Pawar's statement in Parliament on Bihar's demand for promoting ethanol production directly from sugarcane juice, Nitish said Pawar's assurance on the floor of the House was still "short of expectations".
Pawar, in his statement in Parliament, said the Centre had taken initiatives to blend up to 10 per cent of ethanol in petroleum products. He said the gap between prices of sugar and ethanol made production of ehtanol exclusively an unviable project.
Pawar also pointed out that 11 exclusive ethanol plants in Maharashtra were now closed and at present nobody would come up with such a proposal. He said after their visit to Patna, industrialists in their field and study reports mentioned they did not want to set up sugar mill there. Pawar stressed that in Brazil the mills had a crushing capacity of 35,000 tonnes compared to 2,000 tonnes in India.
Nitish, in his letter dated July 22, said Pawar' arguements we "not in consonance with facts". He said if the Union government was to make mandatory blending up to 10 per cent ethanol with petroleum, the requirement will be very large and it should encourage local ethanol production to meet the demand.
The Bihar CM also said the price of ethanol (Rs 22.50 per litre) was fixed six years ago when crude and petroleum prices was nearly half the current rates.
"There is enough justification to have a re-look at the price being offered for ethanol by petroleum companies," Nitish said stressing that the price difference between sugar and ethenol was an artificial one.
Nitish also stressed that experience of Maharashtra in ethanol production was not relevant to Bihar because the production is targeted to meet the export requirements, not domestic needs. Nitish said in Bihar proposals for setting up 25 sugar mills have been approved of which only four have initiated action.
"The main reason for the others not immediately showing interest is the fall in sugar prices. However, the scenario is likely to change with the rising sugar price," he said maintaining that the state has succeeded in reviving some of its closed sugar mills through privatization and firms like Hindustan Petroleum Corporation and M/s Reliance India made successful bids.
He also pointed out that the state investment promotion board had approved 13 mega projects for production of ethanol, ten of which were sugar-based and three maize-based.
"The proposed capacity of the sugarcane-based plants are 25,000 tonnes per day and in case of maize-based 1,25,000 tonnes," he said while pointing out that each of these mega projects will produce 200 MW power. link
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