Veteran socialist leader and former Science and Techonolgy Minister of Bihar Sheonandan Jha passed away today.
He was 90.
Jha breathed his last this morning at his Jhaja residence.
He had represented Jhaja assembly constituency for five terms. He was elected to the state assembly for the first time in 1967.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar condoled the death of Jha saying it was a personal loss.
In a condolence message issued from New Delhi, Kumar said Jha would be cremated with full state honours at Jhaja this evening.
Kumar had gone to Delhi to attend chief ministers' conference convened by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.link
Monday 17 August 2009
Sunday 16 August 2009
Farmers use guns to guard water in drought-hit Bihar
Bihar has declared 26 of the 38 districts drought-hit and the water crisis in the state in now turning dangerous with farmer guarding their water sources with guns.
After scanty rainfall in many districts, the battle for water is being fought with guns.
"We are farmers. It has not rained properly this year. There is little water in the canals that we use. So we have to protect the water. We carry our agricultural equipments and guns together. When we are in the fields we use our agricultural equipments and when the need for the guns arises, then we use the guns," says Bal Bhushan Sharma, a farmer in Aurangabad which is one of the worst-hit districts.
Sharma is voice of desperation and of little hope. They are no robbers or henchmen but farmers.
With no rains and most canals drying up, water is more precious than gold and the farmers have now chosen to risk their lives to guard it.
They are ready to kill and get killed to protect their water.
"There is very little water. The villagers from neighbouring areas are on the lookout to divert the water in the canals towards their fields. We are trying to stop them. We don't want a fight but if some one diverts the canal water then how will we irrigate our fields," says another farmer Narendra Singh.
Farmers with guns in their hands are just a reflection of how bad the scene is at the ground. For them it's a question of their survival as the scarce rainfall has made the water flowing out of the canal the most precious commodity for them.
Canals irrigate most of central Bihar and the prolonged dry spell means no water for cultivation.
Out of 79.46 lakh hectares of land under cultivation, only 45.67 lakh hectares are irrigated.
"Just 20 per cent of canal system is functioning and the remaining 80 per cent are not functioning. The report of the Planning Commission has also pointed this," claims agricultural and social scientist Dr Ssachidanand Sinha.
With 39 per cent shortfall of rain, only 40 per cent canals have water and their water level is much below the normal.
Life has changed and farmers have little hope of revival. Celebrations have been postponed
More than half of Nand Kishore's 10 acres of land is barren and he struggles to feed his family of 12, to arrange food for cattle.
Even his sister's wedding will now have to wait for another year.
"If we don't have money then how will we survive? We are not able to sleep and keep on think about how we will get our next meal," says Nand Kishore's mother Sushila Devi.
Drought resulting in food crisis has not only affected the kitchens but has upset the entire life of millions of farmers who even otherwise live on a threshold.
Managing one full year without a penny being generated out of farming is a situation they have never faced before.
Foodgrains are cultivated in over 90 per cent of the fertile land in Bihar and little or no rain only adds to the farmers' woes, perhaps leaving the only option of fighting their destiny with guns.
But while farmers fight each other with guns, Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad has fired the latest salvo blaming the drought on Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, for eating during the recent solar eclipse, an act considered an omen by some.
"Bihar Chief Minister, my younger brother Nitish, was eating bisuits in front of everyone during a solar eclipse. He thinks he can take on the Sun God," says Lalu.
An angry Nitish has called Lalu's superstitions and indulging in petty politics.
"He (Lalu) is desperate enough to use superstition to come into power again," says Nitish.link
After scanty rainfall in many districts, the battle for water is being fought with guns.
"We are farmers. It has not rained properly this year. There is little water in the canals that we use. So we have to protect the water. We carry our agricultural equipments and guns together. When we are in the fields we use our agricultural equipments and when the need for the guns arises, then we use the guns," says Bal Bhushan Sharma, a farmer in Aurangabad which is one of the worst-hit districts.
Sharma is voice of desperation and of little hope. They are no robbers or henchmen but farmers.
With no rains and most canals drying up, water is more precious than gold and the farmers have now chosen to risk their lives to guard it.
They are ready to kill and get killed to protect their water.
"There is very little water. The villagers from neighbouring areas are on the lookout to divert the water in the canals towards their fields. We are trying to stop them. We don't want a fight but if some one diverts the canal water then how will we irrigate our fields," says another farmer Narendra Singh.
Farmers with guns in their hands are just a reflection of how bad the scene is at the ground. For them it's a question of their survival as the scarce rainfall has made the water flowing out of the canal the most precious commodity for them.
Canals irrigate most of central Bihar and the prolonged dry spell means no water for cultivation.
Out of 79.46 lakh hectares of land under cultivation, only 45.67 lakh hectares are irrigated.
"Just 20 per cent of canal system is functioning and the remaining 80 per cent are not functioning. The report of the Planning Commission has also pointed this," claims agricultural and social scientist Dr Ssachidanand Sinha.
With 39 per cent shortfall of rain, only 40 per cent canals have water and their water level is much below the normal.
Life has changed and farmers have little hope of revival. Celebrations have been postponed
More than half of Nand Kishore's 10 acres of land is barren and he struggles to feed his family of 12, to arrange food for cattle.
Even his sister's wedding will now have to wait for another year.
"If we don't have money then how will we survive? We are not able to sleep and keep on think about how we will get our next meal," says Nand Kishore's mother Sushila Devi.
Drought resulting in food crisis has not only affected the kitchens but has upset the entire life of millions of farmers who even otherwise live on a threshold.
Managing one full year without a penny being generated out of farming is a situation they have never faced before.
Foodgrains are cultivated in over 90 per cent of the fertile land in Bihar and little or no rain only adds to the farmers' woes, perhaps leaving the only option of fighting their destiny with guns.
But while farmers fight each other with guns, Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad has fired the latest salvo blaming the drought on Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, for eating during the recent solar eclipse, an act considered an omen by some.
"Bihar Chief Minister, my younger brother Nitish, was eating bisuits in front of everyone during a solar eclipse. He thinks he can take on the Sun God," says Lalu.
An angry Nitish has called Lalu's superstitions and indulging in petty politics.
"He (Lalu) is desperate enough to use superstition to come into power again," says Nitish.link
Growth and development cannot overlook hungry stomachs: Amartya Sen
Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen while speaking at a Right to Food campaign recently said, "India's stride towards development, prosperity and economic growth cannot happen with a major chunk of the children (around 40%) being malnourished or born underweight."
Appreciating the government for bringing about the Food Security Act, he said that improper distribution of food and malnourishment were injustice done onto the citizens of the country.
Amartya narrated his experience of his stay in regions like Nalanda, Gaya, Rajgir and Patna in Bihar. He could see the change in the administration even in the backward areas. According to him, India had a reason to be optimistic about, as a wider cross-section of people had access to food and that illustrated the change an able leadership can bring about.
The Right to Food Act was a pre election promise of the Congress government. It later proposed National Food Security Bill and mentioned the same in the Budget speech under which poor families would get 25 kg of rice/wheat per month at Rs 3 per kg.
The magnitude of malnourishment, especially in woman, mothers, children and babies at birth, in India was tremendous.
As reported by the Sunday Tribune, Amartya Sen said that India had beaten African nations in child malnourishment. Malnourishment incapacitates the mind and debilitates the body. It is a situation of manifest injustice and we have the means to remove it but there is a certain level of smugness about India's achievements. He said, one must recognise that poverty, lack of food, illnesses and state of education in India were closely linked and were of the same magnitude."
The Indian distribution system though has achieved a level, still needed to be strengthened and effective ways of distribution needed to be designed.
There was a general perception that if the supply of food has been ensured, then the poor do not need the employment guarantee scheme. But the way of getting to all is through diverse necessities.
Commenting on the mid-day meal scheme, Sen said that India had finally achieved what Europe achieved 200 years earlier. Europe had introduced the scheme in the 19th century.
Kids belonging to the wealthier families complain that they find it uncomfortable having food with the kids belonging to the poor families and prefer eating their Tiffin. Media is obsessed with the richer kids and consequently the quality of food gets more weight-age than the fact that many are able to fill their hungry stomachs.
Sen asserted that we have to stand by the mid-day meal scheme so that poorest schools do not lose the grants and benefits they have." Sen, who teaches at Harvard University in US, concluded, "It was easier to teach children in a full stomach than hungry children who could not concentrate and had short attention spans." The discussion was hosted by an umbrella of non-profit groups campaigning for the right to food.link
Appreciating the government for bringing about the Food Security Act, he said that improper distribution of food and malnourishment were injustice done onto the citizens of the country.
Amartya narrated his experience of his stay in regions like Nalanda, Gaya, Rajgir and Patna in Bihar. He could see the change in the administration even in the backward areas. According to him, India had a reason to be optimistic about, as a wider cross-section of people had access to food and that illustrated the change an able leadership can bring about.
The Right to Food Act was a pre election promise of the Congress government. It later proposed National Food Security Bill and mentioned the same in the Budget speech under which poor families would get 25 kg of rice/wheat per month at Rs 3 per kg.
The magnitude of malnourishment, especially in woman, mothers, children and babies at birth, in India was tremendous.
As reported by the Sunday Tribune, Amartya Sen said that India had beaten African nations in child malnourishment. Malnourishment incapacitates the mind and debilitates the body. It is a situation of manifest injustice and we have the means to remove it but there is a certain level of smugness about India's achievements. He said, one must recognise that poverty, lack of food, illnesses and state of education in India were closely linked and were of the same magnitude."
The Indian distribution system though has achieved a level, still needed to be strengthened and effective ways of distribution needed to be designed.
There was a general perception that if the supply of food has been ensured, then the poor do not need the employment guarantee scheme. But the way of getting to all is through diverse necessities.
Commenting on the mid-day meal scheme, Sen said that India had finally achieved what Europe achieved 200 years earlier. Europe had introduced the scheme in the 19th century.
Kids belonging to the wealthier families complain that they find it uncomfortable having food with the kids belonging to the poor families and prefer eating their Tiffin. Media is obsessed with the richer kids and consequently the quality of food gets more weight-age than the fact that many are able to fill their hungry stomachs.
Sen asserted that we have to stand by the mid-day meal scheme so that poorest schools do not lose the grants and benefits they have." Sen, who teaches at Harvard University in US, concluded, "It was easier to teach children in a full stomach than hungry children who could not concentrate and had short attention spans." The discussion was hosted by an umbrella of non-profit groups campaigning for the right to food.link
Girl sacrificed to appease god
The mutilated body of a seven-year-old girl who had gone missing two days ago has been found in Motihari district of Bihar, police said Sunday, adding that it looked like a case of human sacrifice. Two people, including a witch doctor, have been arrested.
A villager found the body of Gudia Saturday. She was a resident of Khagni village in Motihari and had gone missing two days ago.
The family alleged that the girl was sacrificed to appease a Hindu god.
“The girl’s throat was silt, her legs chopped off, her head was tonsured and there was a red mark on it. It looks like a clear cut case of human sacrifice,” a police officer said.
A police complaint has been filed and six people named as accused.
A villager found the body of Gudia Saturday. She was a resident of Khagni village in Motihari and had gone missing two days ago.
The family alleged that the girl was sacrificed to appease a Hindu god.
“The girl’s throat was silt, her legs chopped off, her head was tonsured and there was a red mark on it. It looks like a clear cut case of human sacrifice,” a police officer said.
A police complaint has been filed and six people named as accused.
Friday 14 August 2009
Patna SSP to Receive Gallantry Medal
Seven IPS officer of Bihar, including Patna Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Vineet Vinayak, would be recognized with gallantry award at the Independence Day celebration at Gandhi Maidan in Patna this Saturday.
Two other cops including Sergeant Major Ramesh Kumar Tripathi (Saran) and Arun Kumar Singh, the Sergeant Major of Police Lines, (Muzaffarpur), will be honored with the President's police medal.
Besides Patna SSP, the other six to receive the gallantry awards are STF commandos Surendra Kumar Singh, Sunil Kumar Singh, Narendra Kumar Jha, and Manoj Kumar, Patna STF jawan Raj Kumar, and Motihari police officer Birendra Kumar Singh.
Vinayak is to receive the gallantry award for his role in bringing down the notorious Sattan Chowdhary gang in Khagaria in which seven hardcore criminals were killed and several sophisticated assault weapons seized.
Thirteen members of the Bihar police will also be honored with police medals for their braveries and performing beyond the call of their duties, Bihar ADG Neelmani said.
Two other cops including Sergeant Major Ramesh Kumar Tripathi (Saran) and Arun Kumar Singh, the Sergeant Major of Police Lines, (Muzaffarpur), will be honored with the President's police medal.
Besides Patna SSP, the other six to receive the gallantry awards are STF commandos Surendra Kumar Singh, Sunil Kumar Singh, Narendra Kumar Jha, and Manoj Kumar, Patna STF jawan Raj Kumar, and Motihari police officer Birendra Kumar Singh.
Vinayak is to receive the gallantry award for his role in bringing down the notorious Sattan Chowdhary gang in Khagaria in which seven hardcore criminals were killed and several sophisticated assault weapons seized.
Thirteen members of the Bihar police will also be honored with police medals for their braveries and performing beyond the call of their duties, Bihar ADG Neelmani said.
Nuclear-power plant remains on paper
Inadequate water availability is proving a stumbling block in the way of setting up of Bihar's first nuclear power plant at Rajauli inNawada district.
According to Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) guidelines, at least 32,000 cubic metre water will be required per hour for running the proposed 4x700 MW plant. The water available at Phulwaria dam at Rajauli will fulfil only one third of the requirement, said an official.
Bihar State Electricity Board (BSEB) last month sent a letter to the NPCIL, requesting it to set up 4x450 MW or 2x700 MW power plant, instead of the earlier proposed 4x700 MW plant in view of the water problem. A response from the NPCIL is still awaited.
The water resources department (WRD) recently gave a commitment to provide a meagre 12,785 cubic metre water per hour from the nearby Phulwaria dam. The WRD had appointed a consultant for conducting a survey on the availability of water in the nearby rivers and reservoirs.
On the receipt of a go-ahead from the NPCIL, the state government will initiate the process of acquiring the land for the plant. The government has already identified 3,150 acres of land. However, some of the land owners have not consented for the land acquisition as they are totally dependent on their land.
BSEB had requested the Nawada DM to look into the matter and identify a suitable plot of land, which should be barren, undisputed and free from waterlogging.
A four-member expert team of the NPCIL had visited Nawada for the site selection in 2007. The team had made an on-the-spot assessment of the proposed site. NPCIL had even then raised doubts over the availability of adequate water required for the plant.
The total cost of the power plant is Rs 22,400 crore, and it would take four to five years to complete it.link
According to Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) guidelines, at least 32,000 cubic metre water will be required per hour for running the proposed 4x700 MW plant. The water available at Phulwaria dam at Rajauli will fulfil only one third of the requirement, said an official.
Bihar State Electricity Board (BSEB) last month sent a letter to the NPCIL, requesting it to set up 4x450 MW or 2x700 MW power plant, instead of the earlier proposed 4x700 MW plant in view of the water problem. A response from the NPCIL is still awaited.
The water resources department (WRD) recently gave a commitment to provide a meagre 12,785 cubic metre water per hour from the nearby Phulwaria dam. The WRD had appointed a consultant for conducting a survey on the availability of water in the nearby rivers and reservoirs.
On the receipt of a go-ahead from the NPCIL, the state government will initiate the process of acquiring the land for the plant. The government has already identified 3,150 acres of land. However, some of the land owners have not consented for the land acquisition as they are totally dependent on their land.
BSEB had requested the Nawada DM to look into the matter and identify a suitable plot of land, which should be barren, undisputed and free from waterlogging.
A four-member expert team of the NPCIL had visited Nawada for the site selection in 2007. The team had made an on-the-spot assessment of the proposed site. NPCIL had even then raised doubts over the availability of adequate water required for the plant.
The total cost of the power plant is Rs 22,400 crore, and it would take four to five years to complete it.link
Private air taxi service between Bihar, Jharkhand
Private air taxi service between Bihar and Jharkhand commenced today with a three-seater chartered plane making the first trip from Ranchi to Patna.
Spirit Air Private Ltd, a Lucknow-based private air-taxi service provider, entered into an agreement with DTDS Travel and Tour Planner Pvt Ltd, to begin its service on Airport Authority of India's (AAI) controlled airports such as Ranchi, Gaya and Patna.
Spirit Air has named its service provider company as 'Indian Air Taxi'.
"We have started our air-taxi service on the Ranchi-Gaya- Patna route from today...One person chartered the craft from Ranchi to Patna. For this, we have entered into an agreement with DTDS for one month," G C Biswas, Associate Vice-President (Marketing), told.link
Spirit Air Private Ltd, a Lucknow-based private air-taxi service provider, entered into an agreement with DTDS Travel and Tour Planner Pvt Ltd, to begin its service on Airport Authority of India's (AAI) controlled airports such as Ranchi, Gaya and Patna.
Spirit Air has named its service provider company as 'Indian Air Taxi'.
"We have started our air-taxi service on the Ranchi-Gaya- Patna route from today...One person chartered the craft from Ranchi to Patna. For this, we have entered into an agreement with DTDS for one month," G C Biswas, Associate Vice-President (Marketing), told.link
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
