Bihar PHED minister Ashwani Choubey has directed officials to confirm excess fluoride content in water sources at Rampura village of Sighwara block in Darbhanga.
"Till date excess Fluoride was not detected Darbhnga. But I have asked officials to confirm the newpaper reports so that we can take appropriate steps," Choubey said pointing out that 12 districts of the state were afflicted by fluoride which causes fluorosis, a disease nicknamed by medical professionals as "bone crusher". Reported the detection of excess floride by a team of researchers.
Choubey conceded that fluoride and arsenic had been emerging as a major health problem in Bihar. "There are 13 districts in the state where arsenic poisioning have been detected and another 12 district where excess fluoride have been identified from the water source, There are three districts common in this list which have both arsenic and fluoride poisoning. They include Bhagalpur and Munger," he said. He pointed out that around 600 tolas and localities have been identified across the state which were identified as places where arsenic and floride were detected from the water source.
The minister claimed that the state government had mooted a Rs 1000- crore scheme for meeting the challenge. "It's a multi-village scheme in which tanks will be contructed and surface water will be supplied to the effected localities," he said. He said work has already started in Ara where 35 villages are hit due to arscenic, Vaishali and Patna(Maner). The three projects alone will cost over Rs 200 crore", he said.
He said the department had amlso mooted setting-up mini-plants for treatment of floride and arscenic water. "We will run these plants with solar power at places where there are no power", he stressed. He said in addtion to all these the department will install 2000 special tubewells which have mechanism to prevent fluoride and arsenic posioning",he remarked.
The minister claimed that the department had achieved about 60 per cent of its target in sinking 1.09 lakh tubewells across the state. He also spoke about the "Muktidham" Yojna of the state government aimed at making crematory ghats equiped with furnaces for burning bodies, shades, toilet, gardens and shops. He said that out of 50 such ghats selected, work was under progress in 21 of them and 15 would be copleted during this financial year. He, however, said that work was still to begin in many ghats because the land either belonged to private persons or the railways. link
Wednesday 16 December 2009
Friday 11 December 2009
SC directs Bihar govt to appoint 34,540 primary teachers
If you are a trained teacher and unemployed, you should head for Bihar which has just been directed by the Supreme Court to recruit a whopping 34,540 primary teachers within six months.
The recruitment cannot be delayed as the apex court has kept pending a contempt petition to see the sincerity of the Nitish Kumar government to abide by its undertaking given to SC on January 18 and 23 of 2006.
The Patna High Court on September 26, 1996, had directed the state government to resume recruitment of teachers and it was of the opinion that the order was meant to force the state government to execute a public plan to help eradicate illiteracy.
The Bihar government had appealed against the HC judgment. However, during the pendency of the appeal, it sought to withdraw it in view of the state's decision to comply with the HC judgment, saying, "The government has prepared a policy framework for education in the state."
It had stated that recruiting teachers and filling vacancies of teachers posts in primary schools was its top priority. Recording this undertaking, the SC had disposed of the appeal on January 23, 2006.
However, one Nand Kishore Ojha filed a petition alleging that the Nitish Kumar government had done precious little to fulfil its promise to the apex court. Appearing for the state, attorney general G E Vahanvati and senior advocate Kailash Vas dev tried to convince the court that it was not the intention of the state to sidestep the undertaking before the SC.
Accepting the vacancy figure as mentioned in the 2003 advertisement, a Bench comprising Justices Altamas Kabir and H L Dattu said, "Notwithstanding the number of trained teachers available, we direct that the said available vacancies of 34,540, shown in the advertisement for appointment of primary teachers, be filled up with the said number of trained teachers as a one-time measure to give effect to the undertaking which had been given on January 18, 2006 and January 23, 2006."
The Bench added, "Let the contempt petition be adjourned for a further period of six months to enable the state government to implement this order and to submit a report on the next date as to the result of the discussions held between the petitioner and the concerned authorities."
The recruitment cannot be delayed as the apex court has kept pending a contempt petition to see the sincerity of the Nitish Kumar government to abide by its undertaking given to SC on January 18 and 23 of 2006.
The Patna High Court on September 26, 1996, had directed the state government to resume recruitment of teachers and it was of the opinion that the order was meant to force the state government to execute a public plan to help eradicate illiteracy.
The Bihar government had appealed against the HC judgment. However, during the pendency of the appeal, it sought to withdraw it in view of the state's decision to comply with the HC judgment, saying, "The government has prepared a policy framework for education in the state."
It had stated that recruiting teachers and filling vacancies of teachers posts in primary schools was its top priority. Recording this undertaking, the SC had disposed of the appeal on January 23, 2006.
However, one Nand Kishore Ojha filed a petition alleging that the Nitish Kumar government had done precious little to fulfil its promise to the apex court. Appearing for the state, attorney general G E Vahanvati and senior advocate Kailash Vas dev tried to convince the court that it was not the intention of the state to sidestep the undertaking before the SC.
Accepting the vacancy figure as mentioned in the 2003 advertisement, a Bench comprising Justices Altamas Kabir and H L Dattu said, "Notwithstanding the number of trained teachers available, we direct that the said available vacancies of 34,540, shown in the advertisement for appointment of primary teachers, be filled up with the said number of trained teachers as a one-time measure to give effect to the undertaking which had been given on January 18, 2006 and January 23, 2006."
The Bench added, "Let the contempt petition be adjourned for a further period of six months to enable the state government to implement this order and to submit a report on the next date as to the result of the discussions held between the petitioner and the concerned authorities."
Friday 4 December 2009
Bihar to promote litchi liquor
Time to get tipsy with litchi — literally. Bihar has accepted a proposal of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) to produce litchi liquor or wine, the first of its kind in India.
An official at the chief minister’s office said the Shahi litchi variety, largely grown in Bihar’s Muzaffarpur district, will be used to make the liquor or wine.
According to him, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has accepted ICAR director general Mangala Ram’s proposal. “The government will formally make an announcement.”
The official said during a recent meeting with the chief minister, Ram explained the potential use of litchi, abundant in Bihar. “He said Bihar could increase its revenues by manufacturing litchi liquor or wine.”
Impressed by the proposal, the state government has decided to set up plants in Muzaffarpur for this purpose.
Officials at the National Research Centre for Litchi at Muzaffarpur said the making of liquor would be a shot in the arm for litchi farmers.
“They would not be forced to sell litchi at throwaway prices and there will be less chance of damage due to poor processing and packaging facilities,” they said.
About 70 percent of litchis produced in India are grown in Muzaffarpur and neighbouring districts, with the number of farmers engaged in growing the fruit increasing in the last decade.
However, in a report released last year, the World Bank had noted that litchis good enough for export were being grown in only about 10 percent of the 2,000-odd orchards in Muzaffarpur.
Countries that import litchis from India include the Netherlands, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Canada, Russia and Yemen.link
An official at the chief minister’s office said the Shahi litchi variety, largely grown in Bihar’s Muzaffarpur district, will be used to make the liquor or wine.
According to him, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has accepted ICAR director general Mangala Ram’s proposal. “The government will formally make an announcement.”
The official said during a recent meeting with the chief minister, Ram explained the potential use of litchi, abundant in Bihar. “He said Bihar could increase its revenues by manufacturing litchi liquor or wine.”
Impressed by the proposal, the state government has decided to set up plants in Muzaffarpur for this purpose.
Officials at the National Research Centre for Litchi at Muzaffarpur said the making of liquor would be a shot in the arm for litchi farmers.
“They would not be forced to sell litchi at throwaway prices and there will be less chance of damage due to poor processing and packaging facilities,” they said.
About 70 percent of litchis produced in India are grown in Muzaffarpur and neighbouring districts, with the number of farmers engaged in growing the fruit increasing in the last decade.
However, in a report released last year, the World Bank had noted that litchis good enough for export were being grown in only about 10 percent of the 2,000-odd orchards in Muzaffarpur.
Countries that import litchis from India include the Netherlands, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Canada, Russia and Yemen.link
Thursday 3 December 2009
Manpower shortage hits passport office
At least 39,000 passport applications are pending in Bihar because of acute shortage of manpower. On an average, the Patna passport office receives 16,000 applications per month of which 30 per cent of the applications are from the two districts of Siwan and Gopalganj.
Normally, it takes at least three months to issue passport to an individual.According to a rough estimate, the pending list has touched approximately 39,000 till November-end. Out of the total 90 sanctioned staff, only 45 are on the rolls here which has caused delay in issuing the passports. The existing sanctioned posts were allotted way back in 1997.
"Since then, the work load here in issuing passports has increased four fold," says newly appointed passport officer Anand Kumar.
Kumar, who is an Indian Railway Account Service (2000) cadre, joined as the new passport officer here only on Tuesday.
"There is also a lack of infrastructural facility here. We have only two existing passport printing machines out of the total requirement of four. We have already written to the ministry of external affairs (MEA) to increase the number of machines," Kumar said.
He said the existing daily passport issuing capacity was only 450 as against the normal capacity of 700. "Right now we have only two passport issuing officials here as against the normal requirement of four," Kumar said.
Asked about the corrupt practises in issuing passports, Kumar said he would utilize his experiences in the railways in dealing it corrupt practices and touts. Kumar, who hails from Buxar district, had also worked in various various other centres including Ambala Cantt., Lucknow and Delhi for the railways prior to joining the passport office here.
"I am committed to check corrupt practises in the passport office. I'll certainly utilize my vast experiences in the railways to contain corruption. First, I will have to streamline my internal system," Kumar said.
The two districts of Siwan and Gopalganj still maintain their top position in applying for passports. "Out of the total 16,000 applications for passports per month, nearly 5,330 come from these two districts alone," he said.
For the issuing of Tatkal passports, "we normally take one week to deliver the passport. But most of the applicants do not provide the copy of identity card. It is now essential to provide a copy of I-card for issuing passport," Kumar said.link
Normally, it takes at least three months to issue passport to an individual.According to a rough estimate, the pending list has touched approximately 39,000 till November-end. Out of the total 90 sanctioned staff, only 45 are on the rolls here which has caused delay in issuing the passports. The existing sanctioned posts were allotted way back in 1997.
"Since then, the work load here in issuing passports has increased four fold," says newly appointed passport officer Anand Kumar.
Kumar, who is an Indian Railway Account Service (2000) cadre, joined as the new passport officer here only on Tuesday.
"There is also a lack of infrastructural facility here. We have only two existing passport printing machines out of the total requirement of four. We have already written to the ministry of external affairs (MEA) to increase the number of machines," Kumar said.
He said the existing daily passport issuing capacity was only 450 as against the normal capacity of 700. "Right now we have only two passport issuing officials here as against the normal requirement of four," Kumar said.
Asked about the corrupt practises in issuing passports, Kumar said he would utilize his experiences in the railways in dealing it corrupt practices and touts. Kumar, who hails from Buxar district, had also worked in various various other centres including Ambala Cantt., Lucknow and Delhi for the railways prior to joining the passport office here.
"I am committed to check corrupt practises in the passport office. I'll certainly utilize my vast experiences in the railways to contain corruption. First, I will have to streamline my internal system," Kumar said.
The two districts of Siwan and Gopalganj still maintain their top position in applying for passports. "Out of the total 16,000 applications for passports per month, nearly 5,330 come from these two districts alone," he said.
For the issuing of Tatkal passports, "we normally take one week to deliver the passport. But most of the applicants do not provide the copy of identity card. It is now essential to provide a copy of I-card for issuing passport," Kumar said.link
Bihar government may be hard put to explain starvation deaths
The Bihar government is likely to face trouble over a lawsuit alleging at least 100 people have died of hunger in the state in the last three years, as the Patna High Court has directed the petitioner to take it up with the state human rights commission.
Social activist Ramashray Singh, who had filed the public interest litigation (PIL), said he would approach the commission this week. Officials say the state government may not be in a position to answer all the questions asked by the commission.
An official appointed by the Supreme Court had said in October that at least 100 people have died of hunger in the past three years in Bihar. But the state government dismissed the claim.
"It is a hard fact that 100 people died of hunger in Bihar in the last three years due to the failure of food- and work-related government schemes," said Rupesh, state adviser to the commissioner of the Supreme Court to monitor the implementation of food-related schemes of the Bihar government.
Rupesh said he had submitted a report on hunger deaths in Bihar to the state government in August and another in October. The reports were also sent to the commissioner of Supreme Court N.C. Saxena.
Rupesh said the reports not only confirm the deaths due to hunger but "reveal the pathetic situation regarding implementation of food and social security schemes in Bihar".
These schemes include the Integrated Child Development Scheme, the Midday Meal Scheme, the public distribution system, the Antyodaya Anna Yojana, the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, the National Maternity Benefit Scheme, the National Social Assistance Programme, the National Family Benefit Scheme and the Annapurna Yojana.
"Apart from major leakages and corruption, the coverage of government food schemes is so meagre that they leave huge holes in the social security net through which large numbers of most destitute women and men, girls and boys slip into starvation and hunger," said Rupesh.
The reports warned that the situation can worsen "if all possible action is not taken before it becomes uncontrollable".
Bihar has been hit very badly by drought and flood. As many as 26 districts are drought-affected. Nearly 40 percent of Bihar's 83 million people live below the poverty line, the highest in India, according to a World Bank report.
Rupesh said researchers led by him visited Begusarai, Muzaffarpur, Gaya, Jehanabad, Nalanda and Patna between June and August. These are the districts where starvation deaths have been reported by the media in the last two-three years.
Rupesh said that in Ratubigha village in Jehanabad district and Jhamawara village in Nalanda district, the block development officer (BDO) did not feel it necessary to send the body for postmortem or get a medical report after alleged starvation death.
In Tetua Tola Kharuna village in Gaya district, Murti Devi in her late 40s died Oct 10. Although the local administration denied that she died of hunger, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has ordered a probe.
In Ratubigha village in Jehanabad district, about 50 km from here, three starvation deaths took place over four days in August, Rupesh said.
Ajay Dome, the son of one of the victims, Chalitar, claimed that his father went without food for eight days before he died. Rupesh's report points out that Ajay and his wife Renu Kumari were not on the list of people below the poverty line, so they did not get subsidised food. Chalitar' unemployed son said the family was fighting for survival.link
Social activist Ramashray Singh, who had filed the public interest litigation (PIL), said he would approach the commission this week. Officials say the state government may not be in a position to answer all the questions asked by the commission.
An official appointed by the Supreme Court had said in October that at least 100 people have died of hunger in the past three years in Bihar. But the state government dismissed the claim.
"It is a hard fact that 100 people died of hunger in Bihar in the last three years due to the failure of food- and work-related government schemes," said Rupesh, state adviser to the commissioner of the Supreme Court to monitor the implementation of food-related schemes of the Bihar government.
Rupesh said he had submitted a report on hunger deaths in Bihar to the state government in August and another in October. The reports were also sent to the commissioner of Supreme Court N.C. Saxena.
Rupesh said the reports not only confirm the deaths due to hunger but "reveal the pathetic situation regarding implementation of food and social security schemes in Bihar".
These schemes include the Integrated Child Development Scheme, the Midday Meal Scheme, the public distribution system, the Antyodaya Anna Yojana, the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, the National Maternity Benefit Scheme, the National Social Assistance Programme, the National Family Benefit Scheme and the Annapurna Yojana.
"Apart from major leakages and corruption, the coverage of government food schemes is so meagre that they leave huge holes in the social security net through which large numbers of most destitute women and men, girls and boys slip into starvation and hunger," said Rupesh.
The reports warned that the situation can worsen "if all possible action is not taken before it becomes uncontrollable".
Bihar has been hit very badly by drought and flood. As many as 26 districts are drought-affected. Nearly 40 percent of Bihar's 83 million people live below the poverty line, the highest in India, according to a World Bank report.
Rupesh said researchers led by him visited Begusarai, Muzaffarpur, Gaya, Jehanabad, Nalanda and Patna between June and August. These are the districts where starvation deaths have been reported by the media in the last two-three years.
Rupesh said that in Ratubigha village in Jehanabad district and Jhamawara village in Nalanda district, the block development officer (BDO) did not feel it necessary to send the body for postmortem or get a medical report after alleged starvation death.
In Tetua Tola Kharuna village in Gaya district, Murti Devi in her late 40s died Oct 10. Although the local administration denied that she died of hunger, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has ordered a probe.
In Ratubigha village in Jehanabad district, about 50 km from here, three starvation deaths took place over four days in August, Rupesh said.
Ajay Dome, the son of one of the victims, Chalitar, claimed that his father went without food for eight days before he died. Rupesh's report points out that Ajay and his wife Renu Kumari were not on the list of people below the poverty line, so they did not get subsidised food. Chalitar' unemployed son said the family was fighting for survival.link
Tuesday 1 December 2009
Free condoms at fair price shops
People in Bihar will soon get free condoms at fair price shops. The distribution of free condoms will be made through PDS (public distribution system) shops in the state, official sources said Tuesday.
Bihar State AIDS Control Society (BSACS) has decided to use PDS shops to distribute free condoms in the state. "BSACS plans to distribute condoms through PDS shops to promote their use so that the spread of HIV/AIDS can be prevented," director of BSACS Ravi Parmar said here.
The aim of distributing free condoms at PDS shops is to check and control people from HIV and AIDS, Parmar told IANS. "We want to create awareness about the use of condoms by putting it on the shelves of PDS shops."
Last year, BSACS launched a programme under which barbers were given condoms and asked to distribute them to their customers in order to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS.
Bihar has distributed 1.4 million condoms this year. But the target is to distribute 28 million condoms during 2009-10. The state distributed 10.1 million condoms in 2007-08. The figure was 8.6 million in 2006-07 and 3.5 million in 2002-03.
Officials said most of the condoms were distributed through NGOs. BSACS has tied up with different NGOs and distributes condoms through social marketing at subsidised rates among target groups.
Experts regard Bihar as a highly vulnerable state in connection with HIV/AIDS. The total number of people in Bihar with HIV/AIDS is 24,835.
The condom distribution programme is also expected to aid family planning efforts. Bihar has a population growth rate of 4.1 percent, almost double the national average of 2.1 percent.
Bihar State AIDS Control Society (BSACS) has decided to use PDS shops to distribute free condoms in the state. "BSACS plans to distribute condoms through PDS shops to promote their use so that the spread of HIV/AIDS can be prevented," director of BSACS Ravi Parmar said here.
The aim of distributing free condoms at PDS shops is to check and control people from HIV and AIDS, Parmar told IANS. "We want to create awareness about the use of condoms by putting it on the shelves of PDS shops."
Last year, BSACS launched a programme under which barbers were given condoms and asked to distribute them to their customers in order to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS.
Bihar has distributed 1.4 million condoms this year. But the target is to distribute 28 million condoms during 2009-10. The state distributed 10.1 million condoms in 2007-08. The figure was 8.6 million in 2006-07 and 3.5 million in 2002-03.
Officials said most of the condoms were distributed through NGOs. BSACS has tied up with different NGOs and distributes condoms through social marketing at subsidised rates among target groups.
Experts regard Bihar as a highly vulnerable state in connection with HIV/AIDS. The total number of people in Bihar with HIV/AIDS is 24,835.
The condom distribution programme is also expected to aid family planning efforts. Bihar has a population growth rate of 4.1 percent, almost double the national average of 2.1 percent.
595 fresh HIV positive cases are recorded every month in Bihar in 2009
About 595 fresh HIV positive cases are recorded every month in Bihar in 2009 as against zero in the state before 2001, according to the figures of NACO's Integrated Counselling and Testing Centres (ICTC).
With 6550 fresh cases detected in the current year so far, the total number of HIV-infected now stands at 24,835 which is, however, far less than the estimated 82,000, the ICTC report said.
The rise in the positive cases has been registered despite crores of rupees being spent under the HIV Prevention and Treatment Programme.
On an average National Aids Control Organisation (NACO) spends about Rs22 crore every month in Bihar to contain the spread of the dreaded disease, NACO sources said.link
With 6550 fresh cases detected in the current year so far, the total number of HIV-infected now stands at 24,835 which is, however, far less than the estimated 82,000, the ICTC report said.
The rise in the positive cases has been registered despite crores of rupees being spent under the HIV Prevention and Treatment Programme.
On an average National Aids Control Organisation (NACO) spends about Rs22 crore every month in Bihar to contain the spread of the dreaded disease, NACO sources said.link
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