From a state that had become synonymous with 'poor' governance, Bihar has now emerged as a role model for other states through a specially-crafted programme, the Central government feels.
The Centre has asked nine Naxal-affected states to adopt Bihar's novel initiative 'Aapki Sarkar Aapke Dwaar' programme for providing essential services to people in gram panchayats.
The Union Panchayati Raj Ministry in a recent circular pointed out that weak governance structures and weakness of the local administration are both cause and effect of Left-wing extremism.
Every panchayat should be on the lines of 'Aapki Sarkar Aapke Dwaar' programme of Bihar, it said and asked the affected states to improve quality of governance and service delivery by delegating sufficient administrative and financial powers to panchayat raj institutions.
"This is needed urgently in at least the 33 most extremist-affected districts," the Ministry said in its circular to chief secretaries of the Naxal-hit states.
It further said that the innovative use of Backward Regions Growth Fund (BRGF) grants to address specific local problems, updating and computerising land records including forest land and common property resources and adopting an integrated strategy for tackling development and security challenges can also help check the menace.link
Thursday 20 August 2009
Lalu wants janata hotels for Bihar's poor
Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad on Thursday asked the Bihar government to open "janata hotels" in rural areas to provide cheap food to poor people in view of the drought.
Last week, 26 of the state's 38 districts were declared drought-hit. Bihar has recorded a 38 percent rainfall deficit so far this monsoon season.
"The government should initiate a move to provide lunch and dinner at Rs.2 for the poor who are likely to be hit hard by the drought," Lalu Prasad said on Thursday.
The former railway minister also asked middle class and affluent people to restrict their intake of food to save food grains.
"We should take care to consume less to save food grains," he said, adding that as per official records India has a foodstock buffer for just 13 months.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had requested Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for an aid package of Rs.23,071 crore to meet the financial burden caused by the "unprecedented drought".
A 11-member central team Wednesday embarked on a three-day visit to the drought-hit districts.
The drought has affected about 1.26 crore families in 26 districts with paddy coverage showing an overall shortfall of 57 percent. link
Last week, 26 of the state's 38 districts were declared drought-hit. Bihar has recorded a 38 percent rainfall deficit so far this monsoon season.
"The government should initiate a move to provide lunch and dinner at Rs.2 for the poor who are likely to be hit hard by the drought," Lalu Prasad said on Thursday.
The former railway minister also asked middle class and affluent people to restrict their intake of food to save food grains.
"We should take care to consume less to save food grains," he said, adding that as per official records India has a foodstock buffer for just 13 months.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had requested Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for an aid package of Rs.23,071 crore to meet the financial burden caused by the "unprecedented drought".
A 11-member central team Wednesday embarked on a three-day visit to the drought-hit districts.
The drought has affected about 1.26 crore families in 26 districts with paddy coverage showing an overall shortfall of 57 percent. link
Wednesday 19 August 2009
After mangoes, now export litchis to US
India, which exported mangoes to US in 2007 after a 17 year long ban, will now export fresh litchi to US for the first time. Export may begin in next summer season.
“We are gearing up for export of litchi to US for the first time. The procedures for treating the fruits have been mutually agreed. Farmers in Bihar, which is the country’s largest litchi producer, will be the main beneficiary,” said Asit Tripathy, chairman of Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA).
Ranjan Kedia, promoter of Radha Krishna Impex Ltd, the country’s largest litchi exporter said the modalities have been worked out and a formal application will now go from APEDA to the USFDA. Permission is expected by the end of year.
“Currently, we only export processed litchi to US. Now, we shall be in a position to export fresh litchi as well. We will use sulphur dioxide as a post harvest fumigant and this will prevent blackening of skin and improves shelf life,” said Kedia.
At 250,000 tonnes of litchi production, India is the second biggest litchi producer after China. Bihar accounts for nearly 80 per cent of the produce. India exports around 1,300 tonnes of fresh and processed litchi, mainly to Europe and Asian countries. According to Kedia, the value of litchi export would be close to Rs 5 crore.link
“We are gearing up for export of litchi to US for the first time. The procedures for treating the fruits have been mutually agreed. Farmers in Bihar, which is the country’s largest litchi producer, will be the main beneficiary,” said Asit Tripathy, chairman of Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA).
Ranjan Kedia, promoter of Radha Krishna Impex Ltd, the country’s largest litchi exporter said the modalities have been worked out and a formal application will now go from APEDA to the USFDA. Permission is expected by the end of year.
“Currently, we only export processed litchi to US. Now, we shall be in a position to export fresh litchi as well. We will use sulphur dioxide as a post harvest fumigant and this will prevent blackening of skin and improves shelf life,” said Kedia.
At 250,000 tonnes of litchi production, India is the second biggest litchi producer after China. Bihar accounts for nearly 80 per cent of the produce. India exports around 1,300 tonnes of fresh and processed litchi, mainly to Europe and Asian countries. According to Kedia, the value of litchi export would be close to Rs 5 crore.link
18 child labourers from Bihar rescued from Delhi
Eighteen child labourers, who were rescued from New Delhi by the officers of Bihar Labour department with the help of Delhi police and and NGO were brought to Patna by a train.
Mukhatarul Haque, State convenor of Bacchpan Bachao Andolan, a Patna based NGO told reporters here that the child labourers reached Patna by Shramjeevi express who were received by deputy labour commissioner Ramchandra Choudhry.
Choudhry later sent the child labourers to their respective villages under escort.
Of the 18 released children, six each belonged to Darbhanga and Sitamarhi, two to Samastipur and one each to Motihari, Purnea, Katihar and Begusarai districts, Haque said adding that they were engaged in the bakery, shoe factory and zari making factories located in different parts of the national capital.
He said a fine of Rs 20,000 would be realised from the owners of these factories and the amount would be deposited in the account of state government's Child labour development fund. The fine money would be spent on the rehabilitation of the released child labourers, Haque said.link
Mukhatarul Haque, State convenor of Bacchpan Bachao Andolan, a Patna based NGO told reporters here that the child labourers reached Patna by Shramjeevi express who were received by deputy labour commissioner Ramchandra Choudhry.
Choudhry later sent the child labourers to their respective villages under escort.
Of the 18 released children, six each belonged to Darbhanga and Sitamarhi, two to Samastipur and one each to Motihari, Purnea, Katihar and Begusarai districts, Haque said adding that they were engaged in the bakery, shoe factory and zari making factories located in different parts of the national capital.
He said a fine of Rs 20,000 would be realised from the owners of these factories and the amount would be deposited in the account of state government's Child labour development fund. The fine money would be spent on the rehabilitation of the released child labourers, Haque said.link
Huge quantity of explosives seized
One person was arrested with a huge cache of explosives near Kunda village in Bihar's Sheikhpura district, police said today.
Sub-Divisional Police Officer Santosh Kumar Gupta said police during patrolling last night intercepted a vehicle on Sheikhpura-Puraina road near Kunda village, about 3 km from the district headquarters, and held Mohammad Wahid for illegally carrying 76 packets of gelatine sticks and 100 kg of ammonium nitrate.
The license for these items, mainly used for mining purposes and destroying bunkers, is issued by the Defence Ministry, Gupta said, adding that the arrested person was being interrogated.link
Sub-Divisional Police Officer Santosh Kumar Gupta said police during patrolling last night intercepted a vehicle on Sheikhpura-Puraina road near Kunda village, about 3 km from the district headquarters, and held Mohammad Wahid for illegally carrying 76 packets of gelatine sticks and 100 kg of ammonium nitrate.
The license for these items, mainly used for mining purposes and destroying bunkers, is issued by the Defence Ministry, Gupta said, adding that the arrested person was being interrogated.link
Bihar officer found possessing property worth several crore
19 An enforcement officer of Bihar transport department has been found in possession of property worth several crore rupees during raids by the state vigilance authorities.
Sleuths of Bihar Vigilance Investigation Bureau raided the house of Kapil Muni Rai and seized Rs 22.30 lakh in cash, jewellery worth Rs 16 lakh and three luxury cars, ADG (vigilance) Anil Sinha told.
Sinha said raids, which lasted till late last night, were conducted simultaneously at various premises owned by Rai in Purnia, Ara and Patna .
Rai owns a palatial house and flat at posh A G Colony in Patna apart from having a large house and a three-storey commercial complex at Jagdev Nagar in Ara (Bhojpur), Sinha said.
Documents related to investment in several real estate projects were also seized.
This is the second major operation by the bureau against corrupt public servants within a fortnight. Earlier the bureau officials had disclosed property worth several crore from an official of the state industrial training institute, Sinha said.link
Sleuths of Bihar Vigilance Investigation Bureau raided the house of Kapil Muni Rai and seized Rs 22.30 lakh in cash, jewellery worth Rs 16 lakh and three luxury cars, ADG (vigilance) Anil Sinha told.
Sinha said raids, which lasted till late last night, were conducted simultaneously at various premises owned by Rai in Purnia, Ara and Patna .
Rai owns a palatial house and flat at posh A G Colony in Patna apart from having a large house and a three-storey commercial complex at Jagdev Nagar in Ara (Bhojpur), Sinha said.
Documents related to investment in several real estate projects were also seized.
This is the second major operation by the bureau against corrupt public servants within a fortnight. Earlier the bureau officials had disclosed property worth several crore from an official of the state industrial training institute, Sinha said.link
Tuesday 18 August 2009
Eight children to compete for Bal Shree awards
Eight Bihari children would represent the state at regional-level competition, to be held later this year in Kolkata, for selection of children for the national-level competition for the prestigious Bal Shree awards.
Those qualifying from Bihar are: Satish Kumar (Patna) and Rishi Raj (Munger) under the painting category, Subhi (Patna) and Aakansha (Darbhanga) under performing art category, Sarika Soumya (Muzaffarpur) and Divya Bhardwaj (Katihar) under creative writing category and Animan Thakur (Patna) and Raj Babu Kumar (Gopalganj) under the science category.
Selection of these children was made through a state-level competition held in July in which 69 participants from all the nine divisions of Bihar took part.
They will now compete for the prestigious `Bal Shree' awards for the first time after the state set up its Bal Bhawan christened `Kilkari' last year. Instituted by the National Bal Bhawan in 1995, the award, meant for children in the age group of 9 to 16 years, aims at identification and promotion of creativity among children in art, science, writing and performing art.
Kilkari director Jyoti Parihar said that the selected eight children would be felicitated by the state government on November 14. She said that a three-day training programme was also organized for the selected children in which experts from different fields imparted specialized training to them. link
Those qualifying from Bihar are: Satish Kumar (Patna) and Rishi Raj (Munger) under the painting category, Subhi (Patna) and Aakansha (Darbhanga) under performing art category, Sarika Soumya (Muzaffarpur) and Divya Bhardwaj (Katihar) under creative writing category and Animan Thakur (Patna) and Raj Babu Kumar (Gopalganj) under the science category.
Selection of these children was made through a state-level competition held in July in which 69 participants from all the nine divisions of Bihar took part.
They will now compete for the prestigious `Bal Shree' awards for the first time after the state set up its Bal Bhawan christened `Kilkari' last year. Instituted by the National Bal Bhawan in 1995, the award, meant for children in the age group of 9 to 16 years, aims at identification and promotion of creativity among children in art, science, writing and performing art.
Kilkari director Jyoti Parihar said that the selected eight children would be felicitated by the state government on November 14. She said that a three-day training programme was also organized for the selected children in which experts from different fields imparted specialized training to them. link
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