The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has proposed to shift the Patna airport to Bihta and planning to approach the defence ministry for their nod for this.
“We hope there shouldn’t be any problem,” AAI chairman V P Agrawal said.
Jayaprakash Narayan International Airport at Patna runway length is only 5,500 feet as against the 9,000 feet required for operating international flights.
Agrawal said the extension of the Patna Airport was not possible because of hindrances such as the adjacent railway line and the Sanjay Gandhi Biological Park.
“One option before us is the IAF air-base at Bihta, and we are concentrating on it with a proposal to develop it into a civil enclave on 300 to 500 acres of land,” he said.
Agrawal said the Bihta air base has a 8,200-foot runway which can be extended up to 9,000 feet.link
Friday 28 August 2009
Thursday 27 August 2009
Bihar floods: 23 dead, 10 lakh homeless
In Bihar, nature is at its ironic best. The state is split - there is severe drought in one part and now, floods in another. Already, 23 people have died in the Bihar floods and 10 lakh have been displaced.
In north Bihar, when it finally started raining, farmers were a relieved lot. But 10 days later, the rain hasn't stopped and the fear of the drought has been washed away by the fear of floods.
Katihar is the worst affected. The Mahananda river is in spate - its embankment broken, ruin all around. The river flowed into 70 villages and 60,000 people have lost their homes.
Engineers are now inspecting the embankment breach on a boat. Rajeshwar Dayal, Chief Engineer, Public Works Department says: ''We are finding it difficult to source boulders required for the repair work . Also, not many labourers are available. We are trying to plug the breach as soon as we can.''
The villagers are angry. Ranjit Kumar says: ''This is a drama, a waste of government money. All this repair will come undone soon. Why do they build weak embankments in the first place?''
In Madhubani and nearby Darbhanga people have been washed away by flood waters. With them, the paddy and maize in the fields and thousands of homes are a gone.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar says: ''We will survey the losses and compensate all farmers. I have asked my officers to work overtime on this.''
Meanwhile, other parts of the state like Jehanabad, Aurangabad, Gaya, Rohtas, Bhojpur, Buxar, Vaishali, Saran, Sivan Gopalganj, Shekhpura and Nawada are still reeling under drought.link
In north Bihar, when it finally started raining, farmers were a relieved lot. But 10 days later, the rain hasn't stopped and the fear of the drought has been washed away by the fear of floods.
Katihar is the worst affected. The Mahananda river is in spate - its embankment broken, ruin all around. The river flowed into 70 villages and 60,000 people have lost their homes.
Engineers are now inspecting the embankment breach on a boat. Rajeshwar Dayal, Chief Engineer, Public Works Department says: ''We are finding it difficult to source boulders required for the repair work . Also, not many labourers are available. We are trying to plug the breach as soon as we can.''
The villagers are angry. Ranjit Kumar says: ''This is a drama, a waste of government money. All this repair will come undone soon. Why do they build weak embankments in the first place?''
In Madhubani and nearby Darbhanga people have been washed away by flood waters. With them, the paddy and maize in the fields and thousands of homes are a gone.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar says: ''We will survey the losses and compensate all farmers. I have asked my officers to work overtime on this.''
Meanwhile, other parts of the state like Jehanabad, Aurangabad, Gaya, Rohtas, Bhojpur, Buxar, Vaishali, Saran, Sivan Gopalganj, Shekhpura and Nawada are still reeling under drought.link
Wednesday 26 August 2009
Man blinded and lynched over land dispute
A daily wage labourer in Bihar was blinded and then beaten to death allegedly by a group of powerful villagers over a land dispute, police said Thursday.
Chhotelal Bind, who was in his 20s, was killed Wednesday in Aurangabad's Lohri village, over a small piece of land, police said.
"The victim was blinded after his eyes were badly damaged and then he was beaten to death. Preliminary investigations suggest that the dispute was over land," a police official said.
Over half a dozen people have been named as accused in the case.
Over 50 cases of lynching have been reported from the state over the last two-and-half months.link
Chhotelal Bind, who was in his 20s, was killed Wednesday in Aurangabad's Lohri village, over a small piece of land, police said.
"The victim was blinded after his eyes were badly damaged and then he was beaten to death. Preliminary investigations suggest that the dispute was over land," a police official said.
Over half a dozen people have been named as accused in the case.
Over 50 cases of lynching have been reported from the state over the last two-and-half months.link
Tuesday 25 August 2009
Patna university expels student
Patna university has expelled a BBA Part I student of Bihar National College for abusing a girl student.
The university disciplinary committee headed by its Vice Chancellor Shyam Lal met here yesterday and decided to expel the student both from the college and the hostel.
The committee also suspended three students of Patna College -- Santan Raj, Ram Kishore Paswan and Niranjan Kumar, mass communiation students --- for one month for creating nuisance on the campus.link
The university disciplinary committee headed by its Vice Chancellor Shyam Lal met here yesterday and decided to expel the student both from the college and the hostel.
The committee also suspended three students of Patna College -- Santan Raj, Ram Kishore Paswan and Niranjan Kumar, mass communiation students --- for one month for creating nuisance on the campus.link
Sexploited minor is now chained at home
Poverty at times spawns the weirdest of tragedies. A poor woman has to keep her 11-year-old daughter chained in their house to save her from further exploitation by a handful of lechers who lured the gullible girl into a blue film racket while her parents were away at work.
Meena and Devendra, parents of Munni (name changed), worked as a domestic help and a daily wager respectively. They had married off their eldest daughter and, as such, Munni used to be all alone at their house at Chhoti Badalpura in Khagaul, while her parents were away at work for whole day.
"Three months ago, we allowed Munni to work as a help for a fisherman, Mantu, so as to augment our income," Meena told, tears rolling down her cheeks.
That was a blunder. The 30-plus fisherman sexually abused the girl. "I initially failed to fathom what he was up to," the girl told, Mantu introduced her to a photo studio owner who too sexually exploited the girl. He also made movies of the girl doing the act with a few other youths in his studio.
For reasons unknown, the minor girl clandestinely visited the studio every time she was called by the lechers. "I would not have known all this had my neighbours not told me about Munni's `awargardi' behind our back," Meena said, adding she then thrashed her daughter like no parent would ever have beaten her child.
Meena admitted she now locks her house while leaving behind her daughter inside whenever she and her husband both have to go for work. Asked why didn't she take police's help, the harried mother said she feared for her daughter's life. link
Meena and Devendra, parents of Munni (name changed), worked as a domestic help and a daily wager respectively. They had married off their eldest daughter and, as such, Munni used to be all alone at their house at Chhoti Badalpura in Khagaul, while her parents were away at work for whole day.
"Three months ago, we allowed Munni to work as a help for a fisherman, Mantu, so as to augment our income," Meena told, tears rolling down her cheeks.
That was a blunder. The 30-plus fisherman sexually abused the girl. "I initially failed to fathom what he was up to," the girl told, Mantu introduced her to a photo studio owner who too sexually exploited the girl. He also made movies of the girl doing the act with a few other youths in his studio.
For reasons unknown, the minor girl clandestinely visited the studio every time she was called by the lechers. "I would not have known all this had my neighbours not told me about Munni's `awargardi' behind our back," Meena said, adding she then thrashed her daughter like no parent would ever have beaten her child.
Meena admitted she now locks her house while leaving behind her daughter inside whenever she and her husband both have to go for work. Asked why didn't she take police's help, the harried mother said she feared for her daughter's life. link
Bihar policemen under fire for wearing khadi
Hundreds of members of two police associations in Bihar, who are wearing khadi instead of their uniform, are in trouble. The police headquarters will set up a committee to decide whether policemen should be allowed to wear khadi instead of their uniform.
The state's Director General of Police (DGP) Anand Shankar said Tuesday a committee would decide on uniform issues in the state. "The members of associations have to wear uniforms if the committee recommends it," he said.
Last week Shankar asked policemen to wear their uniforms since they get an allowance of Rs.4,500 per annum for it.
"What is wrong in being asked to wear the uniform?" he said.
"You all are members of an uniformed force. It does not suit you to present yourself before senior police officials in their offices in khadi," Shankar said.link
The state's Director General of Police (DGP) Anand Shankar said Tuesday a committee would decide on uniform issues in the state. "The members of associations have to wear uniforms if the committee recommends it," he said.
Last week Shankar asked policemen to wear their uniforms since they get an allowance of Rs.4,500 per annum for it.
"What is wrong in being asked to wear the uniform?" he said.
"You all are members of an uniformed force. It does not suit you to present yourself before senior police officials in their offices in khadi," Shankar said.link
Monday 24 August 2009
Business Reformer of the Year Award to Nitish Kumar
Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar is the Economic Times Business Reformer of the Year. The jury members were unanimous in their choice, giving Mr Nitish Kumar
Kumar’s performance a higher rating than Delhi chief minister Sheila Dixit.
The national calamity in Bihar following the Kosi river changing its course highlights the state of affairs in Bihar, once rated as the best in administration. Since taking over as the state chief minister, Nitish Kumar has been trying to rebuild the system of governance that has virtually broken down.
When the Janata Dal (United)-BJP alliance came to power in Bihar in 2005, it was heralded as the beginning of a new chapter in the history of the state.
Ending Lalu Prasad Yadav family’s 15-year reign, Nitish Kumar became the chief minister, with a promise to turn the state around. Three years on, Mr Kumar seems to be on track, although Bihar might take a while to show results.
The JD (U) leader, who is often referred to as the state’s last hope, wants to make Bihar a developed state by 2015. Bihar being primarily an agricultural state, Mr Kumar has been stressing on agro-based industries.
He believes this will help in keeping land acquisition to a minimum. The chief minister has gone to the extent of saying that he does not want SEZs in the state and his government has identified agro-processing, handloom and textiles, handicrafts, pharmaceuticals and leather as areas with comparative advantage.
The other areas where he has made a good start are employment generation and infrastructure development. He beat other states to put in place an employment-guarantee programme for agricultural labourers, which promises 80 days of work, in addition to the 100 days mandated by the National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme.
His government has adopted a new poverty measurement method, so that a bulk of the families living below the poverty line could be identified Nitish Kumar and have schemes targeted at them. His goal to develop roads in Bihar has been tagged to a three-year timeline, by when he hopes to have Bihar rival the best road networks in India.
Even on the administrative front, there are several big tasks waiting for his attention. For almost 15 years, Bihar didn’t even have a proper budget.
Mr Kumar has also identified promotion of investment opportunities as equally important. With poor infrastructure and the absence of long-term policies hindering private investment, he has kickstarted a series of legislative and administrative reforms. A new industrial policy was put in place in 2006, as was the Bihar Infrastructure Development Enabling Act. A new policy for the sugar processing sector — an important crop in the state — was also brought in.
The new industrial policy makes land available at concessional rates and promises reimbursement of 80% of VAT deposited. And these initiatives seem to have paid off, with the government receiving proposals from a number of big sugar manufacturers. An industrial complex with sugar mills, ethanol and power generation plants has been cleared. Measures to revive the textile industry have also been pushed through. With the state relying almost entirely on the Centre for its power needs, Bihar plans to put up new thermal and hydel power plants. ink
Kumar’s performance a higher rating than Delhi chief minister Sheila Dixit.
The national calamity in Bihar following the Kosi river changing its course highlights the state of affairs in Bihar, once rated as the best in administration. Since taking over as the state chief minister, Nitish Kumar has been trying to rebuild the system of governance that has virtually broken down.
When the Janata Dal (United)-BJP alliance came to power in Bihar in 2005, it was heralded as the beginning of a new chapter in the history of the state.
Ending Lalu Prasad Yadav family’s 15-year reign, Nitish Kumar became the chief minister, with a promise to turn the state around. Three years on, Mr Kumar seems to be on track, although Bihar might take a while to show results.
The JD (U) leader, who is often referred to as the state’s last hope, wants to make Bihar a developed state by 2015. Bihar being primarily an agricultural state, Mr Kumar has been stressing on agro-based industries.
He believes this will help in keeping land acquisition to a minimum. The chief minister has gone to the extent of saying that he does not want SEZs in the state and his government has identified agro-processing, handloom and textiles, handicrafts, pharmaceuticals and leather as areas with comparative advantage.
The other areas where he has made a good start are employment generation and infrastructure development. He beat other states to put in place an employment-guarantee programme for agricultural labourers, which promises 80 days of work, in addition to the 100 days mandated by the National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme.
His government has adopted a new poverty measurement method, so that a bulk of the families living below the poverty line could be identified Nitish Kumar and have schemes targeted at them. His goal to develop roads in Bihar has been tagged to a three-year timeline, by when he hopes to have Bihar rival the best road networks in India.
Even on the administrative front, there are several big tasks waiting for his attention. For almost 15 years, Bihar didn’t even have a proper budget.
Mr Kumar has also identified promotion of investment opportunities as equally important. With poor infrastructure and the absence of long-term policies hindering private investment, he has kickstarted a series of legislative and administrative reforms. A new industrial policy was put in place in 2006, as was the Bihar Infrastructure Development Enabling Act. A new policy for the sugar processing sector — an important crop in the state — was also brought in.
The new industrial policy makes land available at concessional rates and promises reimbursement of 80% of VAT deposited. And these initiatives seem to have paid off, with the government receiving proposals from a number of big sugar manufacturers. An industrial complex with sugar mills, ethanol and power generation plants has been cleared. Measures to revive the textile industry have also been pushed through. With the state relying almost entirely on the Centre for its power needs, Bihar plans to put up new thermal and hydel power plants. ink
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