Author: meraapnabihar

No compromise on corruption, communalism: Bihar CM Nitish Kumar on Independence Day

Source: indiatoday.in

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday asserted that there would be no compromise on “crime, corruption and communalism” under his rule, which has been characterized by “nyay ke saath vikas” (development with justice) and “sampradayik sauhardra” (communal harmony).

In his hour-long address at Gandhi Maidan here on the occasion of Independence Day, Kumar said a new system of policing was being introduced in the state for effective maintenance of law and order.

“We are never going to compromise on crime, corruption and communalism. ‘Nyay ke saath vikas and sampradayik sauhardra’ have been and will always remain our priority.

“From today, we have introduced a new system of policing wherein maintenance of law and order and investigation shall stand separated so that personnel engaged in either are not distracted by other demands of duty,” Kumar said after unfurling the tricolour.

The chief minister also inspected the tableaux depicting the various schemes launched and the measures taken during his 14-year-long rule in the state.

“Our crackdown on corruption will continue. Bribery, amassing of wealth disproportionate to assets and through misuse of public office will be severely dealt with. None of those who are involved in earning money through illegal and immoral means will be spared,” the chief minister said.

Kumar pointed out that a Public Service Grievances Redressal Act is in place which guarantees resolution of complaints in a transparent manner and a mechanism has been devised for deciding service-related issues of government servants in a time-bound manner.

“People must be made aware that ill-gotten wealth may bring momentary pleasure, but its long-term impact is perilous. We must always keep in mind the words of Mahatma Gandhi that we must consume only as much as we need, giving up greed in any form,” he maintained.

Recalling that he had ordered a complete ban on sale and consumption of alcohol three years ago, in line with the demand of women in the state, Kumar said it had evoked enthusiasm, with people forming a massive human chain on the theme of prohibition, though “many who think it is their right to drink, seem to be unhappy over this move.”

People must realize that consumption of alcohol cannot be a matter of rights, he asserted.

“I would also like to draw the attention of youth towards a report of World Health Organization which has done a study on the ill effects of consuming liquor,” he added.

The CM also spoke at length about the measures taken by his government to improve education scenario in the state, including the proposed launch of “Unnayan Bihar” programme next month which aims to emulate across the state a successful e-learning experiment carried out in Banka district.

He said that his government was committed to providing people with better health care facilities and that the expansion and upgrading of premier hospitals at Patna, Muzaffarpur and Gaya have been approved.

Kumar mentioned that his government was taking steps to boost agriculture, including the setting up of a separate power feeder for farmers.

He lamented that the effects of climate change are being felt in Bihar, where there has been a decline in average rainfall over the years, while untimely showers have caused flash floods.

“We are doing our bit to reverse the damage. Our Jal-Jeevan-Hariyali drive, launched recently, is a step in this direction”, he added.

The CM, after attending the Independence Day ceremony, visited the Rajdhani Vatika adventure park in the city where he tied a thread around a tree in presence of cabinet colleagues, including his deputy Sushil Kumar Modi.

The state government is observing the festival of “Rakshabandhan”, which falls on this date, as “Vriksh Suraksha Diwas” (Day for protection of trees).

Ranchi Metro a must but where’s the will

Source: telegraphindia.com

The proposed monorail/metro project for Ranchi, which chief minister Raghubar Das had announced in November 2015, has been struck off from the priority list of the government ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections.

Ministers and members of the BJP tasked with the job to highlight the achievements of the government ahead of the crucial polls no longer broach the sensitive topic of “Metro Rail”.

The central government, which was supposed to provide funds for the project, has also rejected the state’s proposal on technical grounds but residents feel that monorail or metro railway is the need of the hour for better public transport in the state capital.

“In the next three decades Ranchi is bound to expand because of the growing population but the government has not taken any step for planned development of the capital. The main city is spread over a few square kilometres but people are gradually settling down in the fringes of the city. In such a situation, metro rail would have served future purposes. Now, the Jharkhand High Court and the Assembly are being shifted outside the city limits and people will require a rapid transport system,” said city-based contractor Arun Kumar Mishra.

Ranchi entrepreneur Chandra Bhushan Jha, however, feels metro is not feasible for a city like Ranchi that is growing vertically.

“Patna will soon have metro railway but we don’t even have proper city bus services. A bus fleet was purchased under JNNURM to improve urban transportation but most of these buses are in bad shape because of lack of maintenance. Metro is indeed required since Ranchi has the worst traffic system but the big question is whether we have enough space within the city to execute the project,” said Jha.

Sidharth Tiwary, a business consultant, however, feels otherwise.

“Three cities of Jharkhand — Ranchi, Jamshedpur and Dhanbad — have been categorised as tier-II cities. Trade, commerce and industry in Ranchi is expanding. Inter-connectivity of districts should be priority for the government now. Urban development remained pivotal for the government and a number of good works were done by Das but I am surprised why the government did not take up the metro railway project,” said Tiwary.

State urban development minister C.P. Singh, who also holds the additional charge of transport, said the project had been aborted on technical grounds.

“We had submitted a proposal to the Centre but it was rejected on technical grounds. In future I don’t think neither monorail nor metro railway would be taken up for Ranchi. We don’t have sufficient land in the city to start the project. People want facilities but they won’t part with land. Even in executing small projects we face problems and protests. To commission a project the government is forced to use force and then attract criticism. Without public cooperation it is impossible to start a mega project like this,” minister Singh said.

He added that the urban development department had identified government land at Dubalia to set up the Transport Nagar but people had started protesting against the project.

“Like at Bajara, the department had identified government land to execute a housing project for the poor, but we have been facing protests. In fact, the government drags its foot from any project fearing people’s protest,” said Singh.

RMC, cops fight for footpath

Source: telegraphindia.com

pring posts with iron and plastic chains will be used along the footpath area on the Ranchi Main Road to prevent illegal parking and give pedestrians space to walk.

Ranchi Municipal Corporation (RMC) and city traffic police have jointly decided to install spring posts — road safety products that bend when hit and bounce back, preventing vehicles from damage — fitted with iron and plastic chains along the footpath area.

“We have procured most of the spring posts along with iron and plastic chains and their installation would be done in a couple of months. This, we hope, will prevent illegal parking of bikes and other vehicles on spaces reserved for pedestrians,” said Ranchi traffic SP Ajit Peter Dungdung.

A dedicated footpath is sorely needed along the capital’s artery. According to a survey by the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (an NGO focusing on rapid mass transit system in cities), Ranchi Main Road during peak hours has over 3,300 pedestrians walking and 572 vehicles crossing it every hour.

RMC had last week demarcated a 4-metre wide area along the 400-metre stretch between Albert Ekka Chowk and Sarjana Chowk on Main Road for pedestrians on a trial basis, marking the area with white line. The RMC installed sliding road barriers. But the two-wheelers managed to squeeze into the gaps of the sliding barriers and parked their vehicles on the dedicated footpath causing inconvenience to pedestrians.

“The road has been divided into two, with 6 metres left for vehicles and 4 metres for walkers. By and large, vehicle-owners have cooperated but at some points manual rickshaws and bikes do cross (the white line) and tend to park illegally, admitted RMC city manager (transport), Saurav Verma. “However, the police have completed tender for the spring posts and chains and we will soon start installing them. After that, it would be very difficult to park vehicles on the dedicated footpath,” Verma added.

The spring posts would be placed at a gap of every metre and chain links tied on the top of the posts along the entire stretch of the nearly 3km Main Road.

“Vehicles should be parked on the 12 dedicated parking bays and not along the footpath at any cost. Violators will be prosecuted by the RMC and police,” Saurav added.

In July, the flanks of the Main Road were cleared of vendors who were allotted shops at Atal Smriti vendor market in Kutchery Road. But, the place left vacant by them immediately started being used as illegal parking spots. That’s when RMC and police decided to make them into dedicated footpaths.

Villagers Help to Declare Gogabeel as Bihar’s 1st Community Reserve

Source: newsclick.in

Patna: Ten days back, the Gogabeel lake in Katihar district was declared as Bihar’s first Community Reserve. Nearly 250 villagers including farmers and tribals expressed their happiness and said that they have offered 140 acres of land to develop it as a bird sanctuary.

A local environmentalist T N Tarak said local villagers are happy and upbeat following the Principal Secretary, Department of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Dipak Kumar’s notification declaring Gogabeel part (140.29 acre) as a Community Reserve and another part (73.78 acre) as the Conservation Reserve on August 2 .

Jeet Narayan Yadav, a retired defence personnel, who is residing in village near the Gogabeel lake, told NewsClick that local villagers, mostly farmers, have contributed to turn it into a community reserve and to develop it as a bird sanctuary. “We have offered our land for it,” said Yadav, one of the 250 villagers who offered their land for the development of Gogabeel lake into a bird sanctuary.

Another villager Mahesh Rai said, “We are happy as our long struggle has finally born some fruit as the authorities have accepted our request to conserve the Gogabeel lake for birds and biodiversity and declared it as the first and only community reserve as well as a conservation reserve in the state.”

Gogabeel is an ox-bow lake formed by rivers Mahananda and Kankhar in the north and Ganga in its south and east. Despite being ignored by the concerned government agencies for a long time, the lake survived due to the awareness and motivation of local enthusiasts and friendly villagers in collaboration with the members of Mandar Nature Club. It has now become the 15th Protected Area (PA) of Bihar.

Ram Kripal Kumar of Goga Vikas Samiti of Sura Par praised and lauded the villagers, by saying, “They have set an example by donating land to develop the wetlands as a reserve for local and migratory birds.”

“It was not at all easy to convince the villagers that the rights and management of this community reserve will remain with the local community. For this, the members of different organisations Goga Vikas Samiti, Janlakshya (Katihar), Mandar Nature Club and Arnav from Bhagalpur worked together hard for years. Janlakshya has adopted a local tribal village ‘Marwa’ organising different camps and programmes for them for ensuring the protection of Gogabeel Lake and its biodiversity,” said Dr. Raj Aman Singh, who is the treasurer of Janlakshya.

Arvind Mishra, state coordinator of Indian Bird Conservation Network (IBCN), and a member of IUCN Species Survival Commission said, “We are overwhelmed to find the first community reserve and conservation reserve of Bihar with the help and support of local villagers.”

Mishra said the proposal for notifying Gogabeel and Baghar Beel as ‘Community Reserve’ and ‘Conservation Reserve’ was passed in the meeting of State Board for Wildlife held on November 2, 2018. “We will request the government to similarly notify the adjoining wetland Baghar Beel which is no less than the Gogabeel lake,” he added.

According to Mishra, Gogabeel was initially notified as a Closed Area by the state government in the year 1990 for 5 years and this status was extended in 1995 up to 2000. After the amendment of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 in 2002, the provision of closed area has been omitted and this site disappeared from the list of the Protected Areas (PAs) of the state government of Bihar having no legal status.

But this wonderful birding site, including Baghar Beel and Baldia Chaur, was given the international status of an IBA (Important Bird Area of India) in 2004 and again in 2017 by the IBCN, a network of Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), Bird Life International, UK and Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), UK, on the recommendation of Mishra, who was a regular visitor to the area since the early 90s. He also recommended this site as having all potential for being declared as a Ramsar Site of India which found place in the book “Potential Ramsar Site of India” published by BNHS in 2008 in which eight wetlands of Bihar have been included. At present, there are 27 wetlands in India with global value and importance, which have been designated as Ramsar Sites.

Besides many scientific publications at national and international level Gogabeel finds mention in the book Ducks, Geese and Swans of India: Their status and Distribution published by BNHS and the bird count conducted by Mandar Nature Club, Bhagalpur has been recorded in the data zone of Asian Waterbird Census of Wetlands International since 1995.

Mishra said Gogabeel is a permanent water body, which shrinks to some extent in summer but never dries completely. “It may be a smaller water body of only 88 hectares but it supports unique assemblage off bird species both in count and diversity,” he said.

More than 90 bird species have been recorded from this site of which about 30 species are migratory. Among the threatened species, the Lesser Adjutant falls in the vulnerable category; and three species, the Black-necked Stork, White Ibis and White-eyed Pochard are under the near threatened category. Four of the Biom Restricted species are also found here. The site falls in Biome-12 (Indo-Gangetic plains) but many species of Biome 11 (Indo-Malayan Tropical Dry Zone) are also reported from this site. They include the Black Ibis, Ashy Swallow Shrike, Jungle Babbler and Bank Myna (Mishra, A. 2002). Some other bird species of interest are Red Munia, Northern Lapwing and Spotbill Duck which otherwise are not commonly seen in other wetlands of the state. The large flocks of Asian Openbill and White Ibis are the beauty of Gogabeel.

6 held for pelting stones at BJP lawmaker’s car in Ranchi

Source: hindustantimes.com

Police in Jharkhand’s capital Ranchi have arrested six men for allegedly attacking the BJP’s Rajya Sabha lawmaker Samir Oraon’s vehicle with stones on the outskirts of the city on Monday, officials said on Tuesday.

The arrests on Tuesday morning came after Oraon lodged the first information at the Itki police station after the incident near Gadgaon area.

“Six persons – Gulam Sarvar, Arman Mansoori, Sohrab Mansoori, Aryan Mansoori, Irfan Mansoori and Umesh Lakra – have been arrested in this connection,” said Itki police station in-charge Prithvi Sender.

“All the accused used to smoke marijuana at their fixed base on the road flank. They have confessed that one of their friends pelted stone on the vehicle but he is absconding,” Sender said.

He added, “We are investigating the case further to ascertain if it was a coincidence or a planned activity.”

The Bharatiya Janata Party leader was coming back from Lohardaga district after attending the Budhu Bhagat Football Tournament when he was attacked. On his way back at around 8.30pm, some men started pelting stones on his Scorpio SUV. The parliamentarian and other passengers escaped unhurt.

“It appeared that bullets were being fired from all sides. We speeded up the vehicle to escape and finally took a halt at a petrol station. We then informed the police,” Oraon said.

He added, “We were six people sitting in the vehicle, including Binod Kumar Bhagat, the leader of Jharkhand movement, and my brother Alok Oraon. But we all escaped unhurt.”

The member of Parliament said they were escorted by a police team to Ranchi. He also said he doesn’t know why he was targeted and who the attackers were.

“It can’t be deduced for sure that I was the target. It may be a coincidence but it’s a serious issue and ought to be investigated thoroughly, “ he said.

Bihar: Ailing mother tries to sell sick children

Source: dnaindia.com

After a chilling case of two kids being sold by their poor mother due to her inability to treat them and herself of tuberculosis came to light, the local administration has admitted all of them in a hospital and they are being taken care off.

District Magistrate Yogendra Singh said as soon as the matter was reported by the media, the authorities were immediately rushed to take care of the matter. “We have a special ward in the hospital for malnourished children and have sent their samples to exactly determine the disease. Proper care of the mother and her kids are being taken,” said Singh.

Sonam, a resident of Kalyan Bigha of Harnaut block, was abandoned by her husband after she and the kids fell sick. Unable to deal with her condition, she decided to sell her two children for Rs 50,000 for her treatment. When media personnel came to know about this, they informed the DM. The DM immediately took cognizance of this and made arrangements for proper treatment of the three.

Singh informed that the medicines in the hospital are free of charge and if medicines are needed to be ordered from outside, financial assistance will be provided. 

The DM summoned the Civil Surgeon and Deputy Superintendent of Nalanda and directed them of treating the woman without any kind of leniency. At the same time, he also directed the immunization team to conduct a survey to identify those who are suffering from TB-like illness and initiate their treatment.

Jharkhand villagers shun online PDS scheme due to network issues

Source: nationalheraldindia.com

The online Public Distribution System (PDS) in Jharkhand has become a headache for many, especially for those living in far-flung areas where network issues persist.

To check corruption in the PDS scheme, an online process was introduced in the state whereby the beneficiaries have to put their thumb impression on the machine kept at the ration shop to get the foodgrains under the scheme.

But, the machine operates on a network, and clear weather is a must for the machine to catch signals. Hence, ration is denied to the people on several occasions.

In Tilma village of Khunti district, Kariya Munda and other villagers often spend their day at the ration shop waiting for the network so that they can get their foodgrains.

“Every day, my son asks when will they get lunch or dinner to which I reply that unless the network is accessed, they cannot get proper food,” Kariya said.

Not only in Khunti, but other parts of the state are also suffering due to poor network. In Dumka and Chaibaasa, people have to even climb tress to get the network. The network doesn’t catch sometimes due to heavy rains, sometimes when the server is down or for other issues.

Ration dealer Sunita Purty said “unless the thumb impression is made, the ration cannot be given. The online system prevents ration distribution without thumb impression”.

For the last few days, the villagers are making rounds for getting foodgrains from the PDS shops. They can be seen roaming along the roads with the machine and antenna, in search of network. Many times their efforts fail following which the ration is denied.

An angry villager said the manual system was better as there is no improvement in the online system and their children are suffering.

Women said they had to leave behind their farm work to come to the ration shops where they have to wait for long hours.

Jharkhand: Farmer’s jugaad turns scooter into plough

Source: dnaindia.com

A farmer from of Hazaribagh district of Jharkhand has built a plough with ‘jugaad’ technology.

This equipment made with the help of the engine of a discarded scooter is making a splash in the whole area.

Located 40 kilometres from Hazaribagh, Unchaghana village of Tathizharia area is now the talk of the town as one man’s resolve to overcome his problems through homemade, self-thought technology invited praises and admiration.

People from the district often migrate for jobs due to lack of opportunities here, and Mahesh Karmali was no exception. He went to Chennai to earn a living in a Bajaj workshop.

However, Karmali had to return home as he couldn’t secure a permanent job in metropolis for not having a high school certificate. Though he owns farmland, he had no plough or bulls to till the land. He couldn’t afford to buy those for more than Rs 50,000.

A tractor was beyond his dreams and after a long thought, Karmali decided to make a plough for tilling all by himself. He bought a second-hand scooter from a friend and improvised it to a plough for nearly Rs 6,000.

His wife is very happy with his success and says that now it is very easy to do farming. “For less money, the entire farm gets tilled and time is also saved. I’m able to give more time to my children and household.”

Karmali’s innovation has caught the attention of farmers from many villages and they are coming to see this plough with some also willing to buy. They are driven by the cost advantage of the plough over tractor or bulls and the work efficiency of the device.

Karmali’s innovation can be beneficial for the hilly regions of the state and can be a boon for farmers if such techniques are supported and promoted by the government.

11 Kano district heads defy Ganduje’s directives on Hawan Daushe

Source: thenationonlineng.net

11 district heads whose territories fall under the new emirates created by Kano Governor Abdullahi Ganduje on Monday evening participated in the Kano Hawan Daushe.

Their participation was in defiance of an order by the governor to the effect that they should observe the festival in their newly created emirates.

Ganduje’s directive was issued in response to an order by Emir Muhammadu Sanusi II inviting District Heads from all 44 local governments in Kano to attend the Hawan Daushe in Kano city.

A statement by his Chief Press Secretary Abba Anwar  directed the district heads not to obey Emir Sanusi’s invitation.

The statement further ordered only district heads under the jurisdiction of the Kano Emirate should attend the Hawan Daushe at Kano while district heads in the four new emirates created by the Ganduje administration should attend the Durbar at their respective emirate capitals.

But the district heads were in Kano on Monday for the festival.

Those who attended include Madakin Kano Yusuf Nabahani of Dawakin Tofa, Dan Amar Aliyu Harizimi Umar of Doguwa, Dokaji Muhammadu Aliyu of Garko, Makama Sarki Ibrahim of Wudil, Sarkin Fulanin Ja’idinawa Buhari Muhammad of Garun Malam, and Barde Idris Bayero of Bichi.

Others were Sarkin Bai Mukhtar Adnan of Danbatta, Yarima Lamido Abubakar of Takai, Dan Isa Kabiru Hashim of Warawa, Dan Madami Ibrahim Hamza Bayero of Kiru, and Sarkin Dawaki Mai Tuta Bello Abubakar of Gabasawa.

The district heads’ defiance is in continuation of the running battle between Ganduje and Emir Sanusi II.

The Ganduje administration is accusing the Emir of supporting its political opponents, an allegation the monarch has always denied.

Ganduje had attempted deposing the Emir but some influential citizens had intervened to stop the move.

In May 2019, Ganduje split the Kano Emirate into five kingdoms and appointed four first -class emirs for the the new emirates.

34 local government areas were excised from the Kano Emirate, leaving only Kano Municipal, Dala, Tarauni, Nassarawa, Fagge, Dala, Kumbotso, Ungoggo, Dawakin Kudu and Minjibir under the jurisdiction of Emir Sanusi II.

Emir of Rano, Tafida Abubakar also heads 10 local governments – Rano, Bunkure, Kibiya, Takai, Sumaila, Kura, Doguwa, Tudun Wada, Kiru, and Bebeji.

Bichi Emirate headed by Emir Aminu Ado Bayero has nine local governments – Bichi, Bagwai, Shanono, Tsanyawa, Kunchi, Makoda, Danbatta, Dawakin Tofa, and Tofa.

Gaya Emirate under Emir Ibrahim Abdulkadir comprises of eight local governments – Gaya, Ajingi, Albasu, Wudil, Garko, Warawa, Gezawa, and Gabasawa.

Karaye Emirate led by Emir Ibrahim Abubakar II has seven local governments – Karaye, Rogo, Gwarzo, Kabo, Rimin Gado, Madobi, and On Saturday, the Emir of Gaya, Ibrahim Abdulkadir, suspended Sarki Ibrahim (District head of Wudil), Bello Abubakar (District Head of Gabasawa), Kabiru Hashim (District Head of Warawa), Yusuf Bayero (District Head of Dawakinkudu) and Muhammad Aliyu (District Head of Garko) for allegedly disobeying a series of directives by the emirate council. Malam.

Last Saturday, the Emir of Gaya, Ibrahim Abdulkadir, suspended Sarki Ibrahim (District head of Wudil), Bello Abubakar (District Head of Gabasawa), Kabiru Hashim (District Head of Warawa), Yusuf Bayero (District Head of Dawakin Kudu) and Muhammad Aliyu (District Head of Garko) for allegedly disobeying a series of directives by the emirate council.