With Spurt in crime, the city police in Patna, is all set to go hi-tech, thanks to initiative taken by police head quarters in this regard. Police Patrol cars will now carry GPS. Only a few weeks ago, police officers from IG to Dy SP and many SHO of the state capital were reshuffled after a bizarre incident, in which one girl was stripped in a public place on a busy exhibition road round. It earned lot of criticism for the police and national media, both electronic and print, got flooded with news related to police apathy and non-competence.
The young IPS Manu Maharaj was made city SP and crackdown has been unleashed on the criminals bring the morale of criminals down to a considerable level. Now herculean task with the top cop of the city is to keep constant watch on the movement of patrol cars, which is said to be 100 odd in number, so that the police personnel performs up to the expectations. IG PN Roy, who is also an expert in disaster management and has undergone trainings in countries like USA has chalked out plans to install Global Positioning System (GPS) on all the patrolling cars of the city in first phase.
It has been seen in the recent times that Police patrol cars remained conspicuously absent from the site of crime and could only be located when the criminals left the place of occurrence (PO). The arrangement has already been done that at least one police patrol should touch one particular place within 10-15 minutes. But due to absence of any device, the police parties on the patrol cars could easily lie about their locations at the time of commitment of crimes. Now with the installation of GPS, this problem can be checked and no police patrol can lie about its location. The SP or any other senior police official can locate the particular police parties.
If this experiment gets successfully implemented, it will certainly enhance the mobility of the police patrol parties and also help, in a better way, to keep watch on the movement of police patrol cars. At present the city police use primitive method of wireless as the sole method of communication which is far from satisfaction. There are several electronic devices easily available in the market which can intercept and leak the messages. Naxalites are using this methodology on large scale and thus they easily track the movement of police force. The leakage of wireless messages are said to be major cause of attacks on police by Naxalites.
The use of GPS will certainly improve the efficiency and communication network of the police, provided it is implemented religiously. While Nitish Kumar, the CM, has been relentlessly trying to improve the police force to bring the house in order, there are large numbers of elements in the police department itself who leave no stone unturned to thwart the reform process. The official website of the police department still carries the name of DN Gautam as DGP, whereas he has retired few weeks ago. Such is the apathy and irresponsibility of the senior police officers. Hopefully this innovation would go un-sabotaged and is implemented in letter and spirit. If it happens so will improve efficiency of the city police and help improve law and order, bring down crime rate and un-choke the traffic of the city.link
Friday, 28 August 2009
Bihar government demands commission to define BPL families
Finding holes in the computation method of the Centre for calculating the number of BPL families, Bihar government today demanded setting up of a commission to fix the criteria to define the people living below poverty line.
"Centre's criteria with regard to computation of below poverty line (BPL) families is not correct and has many shortcomings which need a relook," Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi claimed.
He demanded setting up of a commission to fix the criteria to define the people living below poverty line saying "the Centre's criteria is marks based, which in most cases have adversely affected the poor itself".
Modi, who also holds Finance portfolio, said the state government has identified 1.50 lakh families living below the poverty line whereas Centre's figure stood at 60 lakh.link
"Centre's criteria with regard to computation of below poverty line (BPL) families is not correct and has many shortcomings which need a relook," Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi claimed.
He demanded setting up of a commission to fix the criteria to define the people living below poverty line saying "the Centre's criteria is marks based, which in most cases have adversely affected the poor itself".
Modi, who also holds Finance portfolio, said the state government has identified 1.50 lakh families living below the poverty line whereas Centre's figure stood at 60 lakh.link
Junior doctors' strike claims 6 lives in Bihar
Six patients admitted to the Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) here died amid a strike by junior doctors which entered its second day Friday crippling medical services.
Three patients died late Thursday while three others died Friday, an official said. More than 400 junior doctors went on an indefinite strike Thursday, demanding hike in stipends.
The strike has badly hit the emergency services and dozens of surgeries have been postponed. Meanwhile, the hospital authorities have sought the help of the health department to cope with the situation. More than 50 doctors have been requisitioned from nearby hospitals.
A leader of the junior doctors' association said their demand for hike in stipend has been pending for the last couple of years now.
'We are getting stipend of Rs.13,000 in the first year, Rs.14,000 in second year followed by Rs.15,000 in third year of post-graduation. We are demanding that this amount be increased to Rs.22,500 at par with some of the neighbouring states,' he said.
Hundreds of poor patients, who came for treatment from across the state, are victims of the ongoing strike.
'We are the main victims of the strike because there is no doctor to attend to patients,' said Kumtia Devi, who came from a village in Vaishali district three days ago with her husband. Devi's husband is admitted to the hospital.
Chandeshwar Yadav, a poor farmer whose son is a patient at PMCH, said: 'No doctor, no nurse to give injection to the patients... What more can I say, we are at the mercy of god.'
The state government has asked the hospital authorities to hold a meeting with the striking junior doctors and persuade them to end the strike.link
Three patients died late Thursday while three others died Friday, an official said. More than 400 junior doctors went on an indefinite strike Thursday, demanding hike in stipends.
The strike has badly hit the emergency services and dozens of surgeries have been postponed. Meanwhile, the hospital authorities have sought the help of the health department to cope with the situation. More than 50 doctors have been requisitioned from nearby hospitals.
A leader of the junior doctors' association said their demand for hike in stipend has been pending for the last couple of years now.
'We are getting stipend of Rs.13,000 in the first year, Rs.14,000 in second year followed by Rs.15,000 in third year of post-graduation. We are demanding that this amount be increased to Rs.22,500 at par with some of the neighbouring states,' he said.
Hundreds of poor patients, who came for treatment from across the state, are victims of the ongoing strike.
'We are the main victims of the strike because there is no doctor to attend to patients,' said Kumtia Devi, who came from a village in Vaishali district three days ago with her husband. Devi's husband is admitted to the hospital.
Chandeshwar Yadav, a poor farmer whose son is a patient at PMCH, said: 'No doctor, no nurse to give injection to the patients... What more can I say, we are at the mercy of god.'
The state government has asked the hospital authorities to hold a meeting with the striking junior doctors and persuade them to end the strike.link
Gaya International Airport runway to be extended
The State government also promised to transfer over 100 acres of land, which is in the process of acquisition, to the Airports Authority of India (AAI) for extension of the international airport at Gaya.
Chief minister Nitish Kumar conveyed this to V P Agrawal during a two-hour meeting they had at the CM’s secretariat at 4, Deshratna Marg here.
“Operating international flights will become easier after the Gaya airport runway is extended to 9,000 feet,” Agrawal said, adding regular Haj flights may be introduced from Gaya after the runway extension.
Agrawal said the proposal airport in Bhagalpur has for now been shelved due to congested inhabitation there.
Nitish and Agrawal had a detailed discussions on AAI’s airports and aerodromes in Bihar. The issue of extra land for Raxaul and Muzaffarpur aerodromes was also discussed.
Apart from airports at Patna and Gaya, there are aerodromes at Raxaul, Muzaffarpur and Jogbani.
There are 29 airports, aerodromes and airstrips in Bihar. Of them, 18 are under the state government, five under the defence ministry and five under the AAI. There’s also a private aerodrome at Kursela.link
Chief minister Nitish Kumar conveyed this to V P Agrawal during a two-hour meeting they had at the CM’s secretariat at 4, Deshratna Marg here.
“Operating international flights will become easier after the Gaya airport runway is extended to 9,000 feet,” Agrawal said, adding regular Haj flights may be introduced from Gaya after the runway extension.
Agrawal said the proposal airport in Bhagalpur has for now been shelved due to congested inhabitation there.
Nitish and Agrawal had a detailed discussions on AAI’s airports and aerodromes in Bihar. The issue of extra land for Raxaul and Muzaffarpur aerodromes was also discussed.
Apart from airports at Patna and Gaya, there are aerodromes at Raxaul, Muzaffarpur and Jogbani.
There are 29 airports, aerodromes and airstrips in Bihar. Of them, 18 are under the state government, five under the defence ministry and five under the AAI. There’s also a private aerodrome at Kursela.link
New airport at Bihta
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
“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
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
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