Bihar to pay MGNREGA wages through banks

 "We have directed all district magistrates to make wage payments only through public sector banks to workers under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA)," Rural Development Secretary Amrit Lal Meena told IANS.

Meena said officials had been asked to open bank accounts for all job card holders.

"This new system will be effective into from Feb 1, 2013," he said.

Rural Development Minister Nitish Mishra has said the new system of wage payment through banks was an effort to make the process more transparent and check corruption.

Last week, Delhi’ based Centre for Environment and Food Security (CEFS) said a performance audit of MGNREGA in Bihar found that 73 percent of the Rs.8,189 crore scheme funds, spent in the state's 38 districts in six years (2006−12), were embezzled by the implementing authorities.

The jobs scheme aims at enhancing the livelihood security of villagers by guaranteeing 100 days of wage’ employment in a financial year to a rural household whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work.

Suprem Court raps Bihar govt for not enforcing 1977 teachers' notification

The Supreme Court has come down heavily on Bihar government for not implementing its 1977 notification that provided "promotional avenues" to secondary school teachers like other government employees.

"The attitude of the state government in this matter has caused unnecessary anxiety to a large number of teachers. The state government must realise that in a country where there is so much illiteracy and where there are a large number of first generation students, the role of the primary and secondary teachers is very important.

"They have to be treated honourably and given appropriate pay and chances of promotion. It is certainly not expected of the state government to drag them to the court in litigation for years altogether," a bench of justices Surinder Singh Nijjar and H L Gokhale said while allowing the plea of Bihar State Government Secondary School Teachers Association (BSGSSTA).

The teachers' body had moved the apex court seeking a direction to implement the 35-year-old notification which provided that their cadre be merged with grade-II officers of Bihar Education Service Association to provide "promotional avenues" to them also.

Justice Nijjar, writing the judgement, took strong exception to the fact that state government changed stands, delayed implementation of notification and pursued three rounds of litigations from high court to the Supreme Court.

The court also expressed its displeasure over the fact that a single judge and the division bench of the Patna High Court heard the matter afresh in third round of litigation, when it had already been decided by the Supreme Court.

"We do not expect such an approach from the state government and least from the high court," it said.

The apex court also ticked off the Patna High Court for ignoring the fact that the apex court had already heard and decided the matter.

"The hierarchy of the courts requires the high courts also to accept the decision of this Court, and its interpretation of the orders issued by the executive. Any departure therefrom will lead only to indiscipline and anarchy," the bench said, in its 42-page judgement.

"The high courts cannot ignore Article 141 of the Constitution which clearly states that the law declared by this Court is binding on all courts within the territory of

India," it added.

"In the same vein we may state that when the judgement of a Court is confirmed by the higher court, the judicial discipline requires that Court to accept that judgement and it should not in collateral proceedings write a judgement contrary to the confirmed judgement."

Disposing of the appeals of teachers' body, it said, "We do record our strong displeasure for the manner in which the State of Bihar kept on changing its stand from time to time. This is not expected from the state government."

The court, however, said the chances of promotion for secondary teachers are "very less" and there was "serious stagnation" as far as subordinate teachers were concerned.

The teachers' body had raised the question of promotional avenues for them on the lines of Bihar Civil Services and Bihar Engineering Service and sought implementation of the notification.

The government-appointed committee, in its report, had said, "Education department may get the posts of engineers included in the cadre of the PWD and obtain their services on deputation basis...The remaining posts should be included in general cadre and manned by officers of Bihar Educational Service as far as practicable."

The report was accepted and a notification was issued on April 11, 1977, but, it was not implemented and that led to litigations in the high court and Supreme Court.

In one of the proceedings, the government said there was no proposal to merge sub-ordinate teachers into Bihar Education Service Class-II.

Ending first round of litigation, the apex court, in 2001, had asked the government to implement its notification.

Another round of litigation started in the high court and ended with the apex court issuing the similar direction.

However, in the third round, Bihar Education Service Class-II moved the high court alleging that teachers' group cannot be treated at par with them for promotion purposes.

The high court set aside the notification, leading the affected teachers' body to move the apex court again.

The apex court allowed the plea of teachers' body and rapped the government and criticised the high court for hearing the case after it had decided the issue.

MSMEs in Bihar needsupport from all corners

About 95% of the industries in Bihar fall under the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) category, of which, according to a recent RBI report, only 5% were exposed to banks.

Difficulty in obtaining capital, inadequate and unreliable power supply, zero access to modern technology, dearth of latest information and lack of market and infrastructure were outlined as the major reasons for the dismal growth of MSMEs in the state, at a conference for "Facilitating Finance for MSMEs in Bihar".

"MSME sector is at a very nascent stage in Bihar and needs much more aid than just finance", said, Satyajit Singh, CEO, Shakti Sudha Makhana, at the meeting of entrepreneurs and bankers of the state. He suggested the formation of a task force of stakeholders of MSMEs under the government that would address the reasons of sickness in the sector and recommend solutions for its development in a time-bound manner.

Minister of industry and disaster management, Bihar, Renu Kumari Kushwaha, who was the chief guest on the occasion, assured the delegates of the state government's help and said, "These conferences enable us to deliberate various aspects of MSMEs. However, it's time to take such coffee-table assemblage to villages and districts so that the actual stakeholders are be able to benefit from it."

The minister lambasted the financial institutions who assure of help at such platforms but get into "technicalities and formalities" when entrepreneurs approach them to seek finance. Kushwaha said, "We have also sent a proposal (to the Centre) for establishment of an institute in the state that would be a skill development and training centre for food processing industries."

Also present on the occasion was RBI general manager C S Azad, who informed the participants about the customer-friendly "Application Tracking System" by the Union government, where loan applications and their status tracking could be done online and the banks would have to give reasons if they decline finance. "However, only a few banks have started it and it is still in pipeline at most banks," said Azad. He added that RBI had altered the definition of "sickness" on November 1 to recognize sick MSME units early and take necessary action to revive them.

MSME Development Institute director Pradeep Kumar said, "Credit-Linked Capital Subsidy Scheme (CLCSS) and Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises (CGTMSE) are two schemes of the government where bank loans up to Rs 1 crore are given without any collateral. However, even bankers are not quite aware about the schemes." He added that awareness programmes for bankers would be held in four districts, including Patna, Bhojpur and Bhagalpur.

The daylong conference was organized by the PHD Chamber of Commerce of Industries (PHDand Central Bank of India. Also present at the conference were Debjit Talapatra, director (states), PHDCCI, Pushpa Chopra, president, Bihar Mahila Udyog, K P S Keshri, president, BIA, A K Mallik, director, department of industry, Bihar and S C Singh, zonal manager, Central Bank of India.

Bihar 7th on list of tourist arrivals among 10 state

Bihar ranked seventh among 10 states of the country in receiving the highest number of foreign tourists last year. The states ahead of it in the list include Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and West Bengal. Buddhist sites like the Mahabodhi temple at Bodh Gaya, the ruins of ancient Nalanda University and the Stupa at Vaishali, which yielded Lord Buddha’s relic, have remained hot favourites among tourists, particuarly from the Buddhist countries.

Besides, the recently launched cruise tourism in river Ganga, too, has also attracted a number of foreign tourists from Germany, UK and France.

Enthused by the trend, tourism minister Sunil Kumar Pintu said, “Take a look at the footfall of foreign tourists in the state. A ministry of tourism report says, one out of six foreign tourists is heading towards Bihar to visit our historical sites. It also says, that the state received more holidayers from abroad than Goa, which is considered the hotspot among foreigners due to its beaches.”

The minister said, that the number of foreign tourists in the state was expected to cross 10 lakh this year. “More than 8.4 lakh foreign tourists have already visited different historical sites of the state between January and August this year and more are expected in the coming tourism season, which will start from October. In 2011, the total number of international tourists coming here was pitched at 8.78 lakh.” he added.

Pintu said, the latest report showed a more than ten-fold increase in the number of foreign tourists in the last one decade. “Not just that. We have started taking steps to attract more foreign as well domestic tourists. A road show on Bihar tourism was conducted during an international meet at Mauritius last month. And, we have also participated in the ongoing four-day world travel market (WTM), 2012, in London,” he said. Pintu said, out of nine pavilions booked by India tourism, one has been allotted to Bihar tourism to showcase its rich historical background for the benefit of foreigners.

River Ganga, a Source of Cancer

Ganga is considered the sacred river and the deep bond that the people of India share with this spiritual entity is immense. Now this bond is making many pay a high price, after being diagnosed with cancer. The river was placed on the list of five most polluted rivers back in 2007. Adding to the state of its pollution in is the raised amount of industrial waste which is drained out into the river ravaging it further into a life threatening source, contradicting its real purpose.
Traces of heavy metals and mercury has been detected in the river water says a survey compiled by the National Cancer Registry Programme (NCRG) supported by the Indian Council of Medical Research. It has resulted in the largest number of gall bladder cancer cases worldwide, especially among the Indian population settled on the river plains.

The river was known to be threatening to the lives of the many people who consume and use its water even before the report was compiled. The pollution is also a concern to the lives of over 140 fish species, about 90 amphibian species and the rare Ganga river dolphins. There was an initiation of cleaning up the river with the Ganga Action Plan. It didn’t culminate because of the deficient number of technical expertise and corruption, no good environmental planning, no support from religious authorities and due to religious beliefs and Indian traditions.With the high level of gall bladder cancer cases due to the river water Dr Sameer Kaul, a cancer consultant with Apollo Hospital in Delhi, remarks “High gall bladder cancer cases are understandable. The gall bladder is a digestive organ and if anything goes wrong with it, the causative is linked with food and water,” as reported by Deccan Chronicle.

As per the survey done in Bihar, UP and West Bengal by the NCRG it shows that in every 10,000 people reported 450 men and 1000 women suffer with gall bladder cancer. India also shows the highest number of prostate cancer cases. Kaul further explained “A high intake of animal protein is known to cause prostrate cancer. The people living in the river basin take large quantities of fish which are also infected by these polluting waters.”

“The Ganga water is now filled with arsenic, lead, cadium, fluoride and heavy metals,” said Dr Jaideep Biswas, director of the Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute in Kolkata, this has drastically increased the number of cancer cases near the flood plains of Ganga.

These pollutants drop down to the river bed, which eventually contaminate the ground water used by the public for drinking and cooking. Because of these pollutants 25 people in every one lakh population suffer with different types of cancer like urinary bladder, kidneys, food pipe, liver and skin cancer.Rajender Singh, the ‘waterman of India’ has said that with the series of meeting held by the National Ganga River Basin Authority it has caught the attention of the prime minister towards the mounting pollution in Ganga. “It is for the centre to press on the state governments to ban pollutants from being discharged into the Ganga. Unfortunately, nothing is being done on the ground and the result is that our national river is getting more polluted,” as reported by Deccan Chronicle.
Dr Kaul also stated that by 2020, if the government doesn’t employ stringent measures to curtail the environmental pollution, cancer will be an epidemic in India.
Apart from the industrial wastes Ganga also gets contaminated by sewers, religious offerings packed in non-biodegradable plastic, the ashes and bones thrown in Ganga after cremation. The river is believed to wash away the sins but this amount of dirt and pollution is like pushing its limits beyond its possible capacity.

Bihar Human Rights Commission summons Saharsa DIG

The Bihar Human Rights Commission (BHRC) on Tuesday summoned DIG, Saharsa range, and SP, Madhepura to appear personally before the commission on December 17 to explain the 'inordinate delay' in investigation of a case related to a girl's murder on April 17, 2004.

It has asked the two officers to inform the commission about action taken, if any, against the police officers responsible for the delay in investigation of the case.

Jaimala Devi, the mother of the deceased, Shivani, lodged an FIR against her relatives Shambhu Prasad, Shailendra Yadav and Ramesh Prasad Yadav of village Sahugarh, Diwani Tola, under Madhepura police station.

"Jaimala had complained about police inaction in the murder case. According to reports made available to the commission, the then SP, Madhepura, in 2004, had found true the allegations against the three accused named in the FIR. He had ordered the police station concerned for their immediate arrest. It is not clear why the above order by the SP was not executed till July, 2011, over seven years after the murder," BHRC member, Neelmani, said.

"According to the last report submitted to the commission by the DIG, Saharsa, vide his letter on July 7, 2012, Madhepura SP did not submit clarifications on certain points raised in the DIG's supervision despite reminders to him and, therefore, the DIG was not in a position to take decision in the case as yet," Neelmani's order read.

"The abnormal delay in taking the final decision in investigation of a murder case is pathetic and the commission is constrained to take a serious view of the matter," Neelmani said.

Copy of the order was faxed to DIG, Saharsa and SP, Madhepura, for compliance and to the IG, Darbhanga Zone, and the DGP for information.

Inquiry into incidents of fake admissions in schools

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Friday ordered an inquiry into incidents of fake admissions in schools for availing benefits such as free uniform, cycle, mid-day meal and scholarship.

Education department officials said that till date 336,000 fake admissions had come to light in less than a dozen districts.

The principal secretary in the education department, Anjani Kumar Singh, said the fake admissions were exposed following a special drive.

"It was shocking to find a student's name in more than one or two schools. Even attendance figure were less than the number of students in admission registers," he said.

Singh said that if a student took government doles from two schools, action would be taken against his or her parents.

The department has decided to withhold the salary of a dozen teachers in Sasaram.

"Admission of fake students has been cancelled and action initiated against teachers suspected to be involved in the racket," Omprash Singh, a district education official, said.

In Banka, around 70,000 fake admissions were reported, followed by about 57,000 in West Champaran, 53,000 in Sitamarhi, 50,000 in Rohtas, 34,000 in Katihar, 33,000 in Muzaffarpur, 32,000 in Jamui, 4,000 in Darbhanga and some 3,000 in Kaimur.

The government has cancelled all fake admissions in these districts.

In a bid to woo more students from poor families to schools, the government is giving out bicycles to those above Class 9.

Human Resource Development Minister P.K. Sahi says now cycles and uniforms will be given after six month attendance record.