Poverty and hunger forced an elderly couple in a Bihar village to commit suicide, villagers said Sunday. However, a local official maintained the couple died of cancer but was unable to explain how the deaths occurred at the same time.
Farm labourers Inderdeo Mahto and his wife Kari Devi, both in their 60s and residents of Khushalpur village in Gaya district, allegedly consumed poison Saturday after going without food for days as they found no work since early July, villagers claimed.
'They were left in the lurch, no one helped them and hunger forced them to commit suicide,' Manoj Prasad, a villager, said.
'Mahto and his wife used to work as farm labourers to earn their livelihood but for over a month, there was no work available because of the drought like situation and people were reluctant to hire them for other jobs due to their age. He was not supported by his two sons, both of whom live separately and also work as labourers,' Suresh Singh, another resident of the village, said.
Village council head Rambha Devi also told Sunday that the couple died due to poverty and hunger.
The names of the couple reportedly did not figure in the list of those below poverty line (BPL). Villagers said the couple had requested authorities to add their names to the list but this was not done. However, both of Mahto's sons figure in the list.
Block Development Officer (BDO) Shivnarain Singh said the couple died of cancer but was unable to explain how the deaths occurred at the same time.
Police have recovered the bodies and sent them for post mortem. A case has been filed.
Scanty rainfall has affected millions of farmers in Bihar as transplanting of paddy seedlings has been badly hit. The state has seen a deficit of 43 percent rainfall so far in this monsoon season.
The state government admitted that a drought-like situation was prevailing in 32 of the state's 38 districts and has set up a crisis management team, headed by Chief Secretary Anup Mukherjee, for measures to tackle the situation.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has called an all-party meeting here Sunday to discuss the issue. The government is considering declaring some worst affected districts drought-hit.link
Sunday 9 August 2009
Six dead, 1,000 afflicted with cerebral malaria in Bihar
Six people have died and at least 1,000 were suffering from cerebral malaria in state of Bihar, news reports said Sunday.
All the victims were residents of Haveli Kharagpur area of Munger district, about 200 kilometres west of state capital Patna.
At least 80 villages in the area had reported cases of cerebral malaria, district health official RN Pandey was quoted as saying.
Local residents said at least 30 people including several children had succumbed to the disease.
"We are taking all measures on war-footing to provide medical care to affected people and spraying DDT in the villages," Munger district civil surgeon KC Singh said.
Cerebral malaria is caused by a type of mosquito bite and can be fatal if not treated in time. The disease, which causes high fever, can affect the brain.
A team of federal health officials are visiting the affected villages to assess the situation.
Senior Bihar health official RN Mishra said malaria was endemic in the hilly area along the border of Bihar and Jharkhand state.
Malaria parasite-carrying mosquitos tend to breed in rainwater that collects in pits and crags in the hill area during the monsoon season.
The region is largely inhabited by poor tribal people and has few hospitals or clinics.link
All the victims were residents of Haveli Kharagpur area of Munger district, about 200 kilometres west of state capital Patna.
At least 80 villages in the area had reported cases of cerebral malaria, district health official RN Pandey was quoted as saying.
Local residents said at least 30 people including several children had succumbed to the disease.
"We are taking all measures on war-footing to provide medical care to affected people and spraying DDT in the villages," Munger district civil surgeon KC Singh said.
Cerebral malaria is caused by a type of mosquito bite and can be fatal if not treated in time. The disease, which causes high fever, can affect the brain.
A team of federal health officials are visiting the affected villages to assess the situation.
Senior Bihar health official RN Mishra said malaria was endemic in the hilly area along the border of Bihar and Jharkhand state.
Malaria parasite-carrying mosquitos tend to breed in rainwater that collects in pits and crags in the hill area during the monsoon season.
The region is largely inhabited by poor tribal people and has few hospitals or clinics.link
Most areas of Bihar to be declared 'calamity-hit' tomorrow
Chief minister Nitish Kumar today said that most parts of Bihar will be declared 'calamity-hit' tomorrow in the wake of deficient rainfalls in the state.
Emerging from an all-party meeting here, Kumar asked prime minister Manmohan Singh to immediately send a ministerial team to the state to assess the magnitude of the damage due to calamity and recommend for financial package.
The representatives of all the political parties who turned up in the all-party meeting voiced unanimity over the issue of tackling severe drought conditions, Kumar told reporters.
He said a special meeting of the state cabinet will take place tomorrow to specify the areas to be declared calamity-hit in keeping with the guidelines under the Disaster Management Act and the National Calamity Fund (NCF).link
Emerging from an all-party meeting here, Kumar asked prime minister Manmohan Singh to immediately send a ministerial team to the state to assess the magnitude of the damage due to calamity and recommend for financial package.
The representatives of all the political parties who turned up in the all-party meeting voiced unanimity over the issue of tackling severe drought conditions, Kumar told reporters.
He said a special meeting of the state cabinet will take place tomorrow to specify the areas to be declared calamity-hit in keeping with the guidelines under the Disaster Management Act and the National Calamity Fund (NCF).link
Saturday 8 August 2009
Friday 7 August 2009
Cerebral malaria kills 25 in Munger
A Central team Friday visited the eastern state of Bihar to take stock of the situation in cerebral malaria-hit Munger district even as the death toll due to the disease rose to 25.
The four-member panel headed by joint director of Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry Dr S N Sharma would assist in providing medical care to the affected people, Munger District Malaria Officer B Sahu said.
Five more children succumbed to cerebral malaria during last two days in Kharagpur sub-division and Dharhara block in the district, he said, adding that the disease has so far claimed 25 lives and affected more than 1,500 others.
"Out of the 1,450 people whose serum samples were tested, 565 were positive," Sahu said.link
The four-member panel headed by joint director of Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry Dr S N Sharma would assist in providing medical care to the affected people, Munger District Malaria Officer B Sahu said.
Five more children succumbed to cerebral malaria during last two days in Kharagpur sub-division and Dharhara block in the district, he said, adding that the disease has so far claimed 25 lives and affected more than 1,500 others.
"Out of the 1,450 people whose serum samples were tested, 565 were positive," Sahu said.link
Administration Gears up for Pitripaksha Mela
The core committee of the annual Pitripaksha Mela in Patna on Thursday held a high-level meeting to review the administration's preparedness for the two-week religious event in Gaya that attracts thousands of visitors each year from across the globe.
The fair, known for 'Pind Daan', a Hindu ritual intended to free the soul of one's ancestors, opens on September 3.
Land Reform and Revenue Minister Narendra Narayan Yadav, who also heads the Fair committee, said that the government has made elaborate arrangement to ensure non-stop supply of electricity and water supply in the region and has appointed a number of health officials to maintain a clean and safe environment throughout the period of the fair.
Yadav said that 15 transformers were to be replaced and 20 others were to be secured to maintain uninterrupted supply of electricity in Gaya. He further said that the officials were directed to ensure all tube wells in the region were operating smoothly and health camps were set up in each locality to effectively handle any health-related issues.
The government has also arranged for additional food inspectors in Gaya who would conduct checks at various hotels and restaurants to ensure utmost hygiene is maintained at all places and ambulances are available round-the-clock to deal with any emergency.
PHED Minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey, Public Relations Minister Ramnath Thakur, Road Construction Minister Prem Kumar, and a number of top officials attended the meeting.link
The fair, known for 'Pind Daan', a Hindu ritual intended to free the soul of one's ancestors, opens on September 3.
Land Reform and Revenue Minister Narendra Narayan Yadav, who also heads the Fair committee, said that the government has made elaborate arrangement to ensure non-stop supply of electricity and water supply in the region and has appointed a number of health officials to maintain a clean and safe environment throughout the period of the fair.
Yadav said that 15 transformers were to be replaced and 20 others were to be secured to maintain uninterrupted supply of electricity in Gaya. He further said that the officials were directed to ensure all tube wells in the region were operating smoothly and health camps were set up in each locality to effectively handle any health-related issues.
The government has also arranged for additional food inspectors in Gaya who would conduct checks at various hotels and restaurants to ensure utmost hygiene is maintained at all places and ambulances are available round-the-clock to deal with any emergency.
PHED Minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey, Public Relations Minister Ramnath Thakur, Road Construction Minister Prem Kumar, and a number of top officials attended the meeting.link
Handloom products buyer-seller meet in Patna from Aug 8
A buyer-seller meet to promote the handloom and silk industry in the state of Bihar is being jointly organised by the Government of Bihar and Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services Cluster Development Initiative Ltd.
This meet will be held during August 8-10 at Hotel Maurya in Patna and will be inaugurated by the Minister of Industries, Govt of Bihar and will be presided by Principal Secretary, Department of Industries, Bihar in presence of Additional Commisioner (Handlooms), Government of India.
A pool of buyers from countries like Canada, UAE and Bangladesh along with about ten buyers from India will be participating in this meet.
The clusters involved in this buyer seller meet are Bihar Sharif, Nalanda; Sigori, Patna; Manpur, Gaya; Bhuwara, Madhubani; Katoria, Banka; Hussainabad, Nathnagar, Champa Nagar and Kharik Bazaar, all in Bhagalapur.
On showcase will be handloom products made by weavers of Bihar. Amongst the products to be on display are high and medium end silk and silk mix materials for furnishing, dress materials, sarees, dupattas etc. (tasar, mulberry, linen etc.) from Bhagalpur region.
Also on view from Bhagalpur region will be low and medium end cotton products like dress material, dhoti, towels, lungi etc, tasar and cotton dress materials like kurta, shirting, bedsheets from Gaya and Nalanda.
Beautiful cotton dress materials from Patna and Madhubani including kurtas will also be on display at the nine stalls to be set up at the buyer-seller meet to be organised in the capital city of Bihar.link
This meet will be held during August 8-10 at Hotel Maurya in Patna and will be inaugurated by the Minister of Industries, Govt of Bihar and will be presided by Principal Secretary, Department of Industries, Bihar in presence of Additional Commisioner (Handlooms), Government of India.
A pool of buyers from countries like Canada, UAE and Bangladesh along with about ten buyers from India will be participating in this meet.
The clusters involved in this buyer seller meet are Bihar Sharif, Nalanda; Sigori, Patna; Manpur, Gaya; Bhuwara, Madhubani; Katoria, Banka; Hussainabad, Nathnagar, Champa Nagar and Kharik Bazaar, all in Bhagalapur.
On showcase will be handloom products made by weavers of Bihar. Amongst the products to be on display are high and medium end silk and silk mix materials for furnishing, dress materials, sarees, dupattas etc. (tasar, mulberry, linen etc.) from Bhagalpur region.
Also on view from Bhagalpur region will be low and medium end cotton products like dress material, dhoti, towels, lungi etc, tasar and cotton dress materials like kurta, shirting, bedsheets from Gaya and Nalanda.
Beautiful cotton dress materials from Patna and Madhubani including kurtas will also be on display at the nine stalls to be set up at the buyer-seller meet to be organised in the capital city of Bihar.link
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