Tej Pratap Yadav is a drug addict, dresses up like Radha and Krishna, alleges wife Aishwarya Rai

Source: thehindu.com

Aishwarya Rai, wife of Tej Pratap Yadav, former Bihar Health Minister and elder son of Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad, has alleged that her husband was a drug addict and often dressed up like Radha, Krishna and Shiva while claiming to be their avatar.

Mr. Tej Pratap, an RJD MLA from Mahua in Vaishali district, has filed a divorce case against Ms. Rai in a local court in Patna. Both were married in May 2018 in a grand ceremony. However, five months after the marriage, Mr. Tej Pratap filed a divorce petition. Ms. Rai’s father Chandrika Rai is an RJD MLA and her grandfather Daroga Prasad Rai was also Chief Minister of the State.

In her voluminous application under Section 26, seeking protection from the family court under the Protection of Women Against Domestic Violence Act, 2005, Ms. Rai has claimed that immediately after her marriage, she learnt that Mr. Tej Pratap was a drug addict who used to consume ganja (marijuana) and under its influence would claim to be an avatar of Lord Shiva.

“Tej Pratap used to dress up like Lord Radha, Krishna and Shiva…I got to know about this soon after my wedding that he used to dress up like gods and goddesses….once after consuming drugs, Tej Pratap wore a gaghra (long skirt) and choli (blouse) and dressed up like goddess Radha, he also wore makeup and a hair wig,” Ms. Rai has alleged.

Though she tried her best to bring this issue to her in-laws’ notice, they did not help her in any manner. “I did talk to my mother-in-law and sister-in-law regarding Tej Pratap’s behaviour and they assured that he would not behave in such manner any more….my in-laws consoled me emotionally but Tej Pratap’s behavior did not change at all,” she alleged.

“Ganja to Bhole babe ka prasad hai, usko kaise mana karen? (Marijuana is Lord Shiva’s oblation; how can I say no to that?)”, Tej Pratap used to say whenever I asked him to stop taking drugs. “Krishna hi Radha hai, Radha hi Krishna hai’ (Krishna is Radha and Radha is Krishna),” he also used to say, alleged Ms. Rai in a series of pointers in her application.

She also has stated that her husband used to talk poorly of her educational background. “Your English education has no meaning as you’re destined to cook food and create a family,” Ms. Tej Pratap used to say her, claimed Ms. Rai.

Ms. Rai currently resides at her in laws’ place at 10 Circular Road residence of former Chief Minister and her mother-in-law Rabri Devi. “I’m nowhere secure than living here,” she said in her application.

Her father contested the last Lok Sabha election on RJD ticket from Saran parliamentary constituency but lost against BJP’s Rajiv Pratap Rudy. “It is after the Lok Sabha poll result the behaviour of family members of Tej Pratap too changed towards me,” Ms. Rai alleged.

RJD sources told The Hindu that there was a “bitter wrangling” going on in the family these days.

Ambala recalls Sushma Swaraj’s childhood days

Source: financialexpress.com

In the Ambala Cantonment neighbourhood where Sushma Swaraj grew up, old-timers remember her with fondness. Right from her childhood, she was fond of taking part in debates and contests in school, those who lived close to the family home in Cantonment’s BC Bazaar area recalled. “From Class 6, she had shown an inclination towards politics and later she realised what she had aimed for,” Shyam Bihari, an elderly man who lives in the same neighbourhood, told reporters after the news of the BJP leader’s death on Tuesday night came in.

“She was very affectionate, caring and ever ready to help. To render help to any genuine person who was in need, she did not care even if he was a supporter of a rival political party,” he said. Another man, now in his 60s, recalled that Swaraj used to fetch milk for her family in the morning, around the time he and his friends played cricket in the neighbourhood. At times, the cricket ball hit would hit the pail, spilling the milk.

“But Sushmaji never got angry at us and always used to tell us to continue playing,” he said. Swaraj went to the SD College in Ambala Cantonment and later pursued a law course at the Panjab University in Chandigarh. Her brother Gulshan currently stays with his family at the same Ambala house. Gauri, a domestic help at the house, was inconsolable on learning about the former external affairs minister’s death. “She was very nice. She had come here a few months ago. When she learnt that I had two daughters, she told me to give them a good education and offered any help that might be needed from her side to ensure that they got the best facilities,” she said.

“We used to call Sushmaji ‘buaji’. I am deeply saddened at her death. At the same time, I am also proud of the fact that she rose to such heights in her life and became a role model for millions,” she said. Dinesh Aggarwal, another Ambala Cantonment resident, recalled how Swaraj once rushed to the door late in the evening to meet him at her Delhi home. “When I reached her Delhi residence, her aides told me madam would not meet anyone as she had just returned from a busy day in Parliament. However, when she learnt that Vicky, which is my nickname, had come from Ambala to meet her, she rushed out to meet me,” he said. “We talked for nearly 20 minutes.”

People from other parts of the state also expressed grief. “I still cannot believe that she is not amongst us. Her death is a big loss to the nation,” Hisar resident Lokesh Kumar said. Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij, who represents the Ambala Cantonment Assembly constituency, described Swaraj as a leader with rare qualities and said he was deeply saddened by her death. He recalled that Swaraj was elected as an MLA for the first time at a young age of 25, and later went on to become Haryana’s education minister.

“In 1977, it so happened that the ticket was first given to Som Prakash Chopra, who was jailed during Emergency. But for some reasons, when he did not enter the fray, the ticket was given to Sushmaji, who won, and the Janata Party government was formed,” Vij said. In 1990, Swaraj moved to the Rajya Sabha. Vij has been representing the Ambala Cantonment constituency since then.

The minister told PTI that Swaraj was raised by her maternal grandparents after the death of her mother. The veteran Bharatiya Janata Party leader died Tuesday night following a massive cardiac arrest. She was 67. Swaraj was a member of the Haryana legislative assembly from 1977-82 and 1987-90.

Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar mourned her death.”It is a personal loss for me,” said in a tweet. “Her contributions to Haryana and India will never be forgotten. My deepest condolences to her bereaved family members. May God give her eternal peace,” he said. Former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda too described her death a “personal loss”. “She was a person with rare qualities, ever ready to help others,” he said.

Bihar CM to hold public meeting in Jharkhand

Source: dailypioneer.com

Bihar Chief Minister and JDU national president Nitish Kumar is to address a public meeting in State Capital on August 25, starting the political campaign of his party in Jharkhand. JDU which is partner of NDA in Bihar and playing the role of big brother in Bihar had already expressed its intention to contest year-end Assembly election alone in Jharkhand.

JDU Jharkhand unit president and former MP, Salkhan Murmu said, “As the party has announced to contest Assembly election alone in State, we have started preparations for the election. In this connection Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is to address a public meeting in Ranchi on August 25.” Murmu further said, “The party has given a slogan, Nitish Lao, Jharkhand Bachao (Bring Nitish, Save Jharkhand).”

The JDU leader claimed that under the leadership of Nitish Kumar, Bihar has witnessed all round development in all sectors. Improvement in law and order, women empowerment, and improving education are some of the sectors on which Bihar has made drastic changes.

The JDU has decided to reach to people in State with the Nitish Kumar’s development model.

The party cadres will reach out to people especially in rural areas how Bihar has witnessed a turnaround after Nitish Kumar came to power in Jharkhand.

The JDU cadre will also go to people highlighting the weak Opposition in State. Murmu said, “After the Lok Sabha election, all Opposition parties are decimated. The JMM’s politics revolves on father and son duo. There is no internal democracy in JMM. While the grand old party, Congress is struggling for survival as the party is pitched in internal struggle.”

Murmu said, “After the Lok Sabha  election, there is two factions in Congress party. One group is lead by State president Ajoy Kumar while the other group is headed by Subodh Kant Sahay and others.” According to JDU leader, in such situation, JDU has huge scope in Jharkhand as people are looking for an alternative party which can counter BJP.

To strengthen party in Jharkhand, the JDU has decided to make at least six members from every village. Murmu, who first became MP in 1998 under the banner of BJP, has always been advocating the cause of the tribals.

“We are dedicated for the progress of the tribals so our focus would be on them. Our party cadres and leaders have started working in the rural belts to make the voters realize their importance and need to safeguard their interests,” he noted.

The leader also said that the party will try to highlight the needs of protecting Chotanagpur Tenancy (CNT) Act and the Santhal Pargana Tenancy (SPT) Acts

which are related with tribal sentiments. “The JDU will also work for protecting and safeguarding the tribal interest as the successive Governments has failed to hand over the land rights to the tribals

and ensure their adequate representation in the government jobs,” added Murmu.

Tomb of Kashmir’s last Muslim ruler lies in ruins at Nalanda

Source: hindustantimes.com

With the Centre revoking Article 370 which gave special status to J&K, the Kashmir Valley is once again in focus. But Yusuf Shah Chak. the last independent Muslim ruler of the Valley, has remained obscured and unknown for a long time.

Chak is buried in Nalanda and his tomb is in disrepair and unprotected.

Chak was exiled to Bihar by the Mughal emperor Akbar. The area where he had settled along with his family and relatives in Biswak village in Nalanda and also maintained a cavalry force of 500 horses, was later known as Kashmiri Chak. Though the exiled Kashmiri ruler died in Odisha in 1592, his body was brought to Bihar and has been lying buried along with the tombs of his wife, sons and other relatives at the graveyard at Biswak near Kashmiri Chak.

Though his Mazaar is encircled with boundary wall, the land outside this wall at the cemetery is open and has remained prone to encroachments in the past. Some concrete structures and thatched roof hutments too have come up around its periphery.

Earlier, some locals erected a boundary wall around his Mazaar, but the entire area of the cemetery outside this wall is open to encroachment.

Recently, Yasir Iqbal, a descendant of the Chak ruler’s relative, wrote a letter to the Minority Welfare Department, Bihar, drawing the attention towards the increasing threats of encroachments at the site of the cemetery .

He has made an appeal to take steps to stop encroachment and has also requested for the boundary wall at the cemetery. In the letter, Iqbal also made requests to preserve this piece of history and to take initiatives to tap tourism potential of the site.

“The minority welfare department has forwarded the request letter to the department concerned which is responsible for creating the boundary walls at graveyards and has directed to take actions as necessary,” SI Faisal, special secretary cum director, minority welfare department, said.

The site has a great tourism potential and it can be tapped. “But it’s the domain of the tourism department. They should take initiatives in this direction and should develop it,” he said.

Yasir Iqbal said many Kashmiris have been eager to come here to pay tribute to their last ruler. “Many intellectuals have also been coming here, but the place lack even basic infrastructure. Even the road to Kashmiri Chak village was developed in 1977 when Sheikh Abdulla, the prominent leader of Kashmir had arrived to witness Yusuf Shah’s tomb” he said. There is also no place at the village to stay. “You have to find the accommodation whether at Islampur or at Rajgir,” he said.

However, the biggest concern has been encroachment of the land. “The cemetery is spread over five acre land area at Biswak and over one acre land at Kashmiri Chak. But the tombs of Yusuf Shah, his wife and sons for decades remained unknown. There was almost a jungle around it and the tombs were hardly visible. Then we got it constructed a few years ago. But the area outside is still open and is being encroached inch by inch. Some concrete structures and thatched roof hutments have also come up on its border areas,” he said.

Yusuf Shah Chak ruled Kashmir from 1579 to 1586. In 1579 he was deceitfully imprisoned by the Mughal emperor Akbar, but was later released and was exiled to Biswak area of Bihar.

“He had a Mansabdaari of 500 horses. In fact, his love and knowledge of art and literature had impressed Mughal Badshaah and that became the reason for his release. He had married Habba Khatoon, the legendary poetess whose verses are still sung by the locals in Kashmir,” he said.

17 towns along Ganga declared open-defecation free: Bihar government to NGT

Source: newindianexpress.com

NEW DELHI: The Bihar government told the National Green Tribunal on Wednesday that 17 towns along the Ganga river in the state have been declared open-defecation free (ODF).

Five towns are currently in the process of being declared ODF, it said.

In an affidavit filed before NGT Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel, the state government said that 17 towns have been declared ODF.

They are: Barh, Hajipur, Sonepur, Mokama, Bakhtiyarpur, Teghra, Maner, Barhiya, Manihari, Buxar, Naugachia, Danapur, Dighwara, Jamalpur, Munger, Begusarai and Bhagalpur It said the work was in process in Patna, Chhapra, Sultanganj, Khagariya and Kahalgaon.

With regard to liquid waste management, the state government informed the tribunal that a total 26 sewerage infrastructure projects sanctioned at a cost of Rs 5,089.82 crore which are at different stages of implementation in various towns — Patna (11 projects), Begusarai, Munger, Hajipur, Mokama, Sultanganj, Naugachia, Barh, Bhagalpur, Sonepur, Chhapra, Khagaria, Bakhtiyarpur, Maner, Danapur and Phulwarishariff.

These projects will facilitate in treatment of 616.5 MLD of sewage through creation/rehabilitation of Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs), sewerage network and allied Interception and diversion works, it said.

The affidavit was filed after NGT’s May 29 order directing Bihar, West Bengal and Jharkhand to monitor Ganga cleaning and file report.

The report said 14 projects are being implemented include Beur STP, Beur Sewerage Network, Saidpur STP & Adjoining Network, Saidpur Sewerage Network, Karmalichak STP, Karmalichak Sewerage Network, Pahari STP, Pahari Zone-IV A (South), Pahari Zone V, Sultanganj, Mokama, Sonepur, Barh and Naugachhiya.

Letter of acceptance has been issued for four projects — Digha, Kankarbagh, Bakhtiyarpur and Maner while seven projects — Hajipur, Bhagalpur, Begusarai, Chhapra, Danapur, Phulwarishariff and Khagaria — are under tendering stages.

Tender for 1 project (Munger) has been floated and a revised estimate of a project in Buxar is under process.

There are 118 ‘Nallas’ in the Ganga towns, of which 111 ‘Nallas’ have been screened and the remaining are in progress, said the report, filed through advocate Balendu Shekhar.

On the issue of plastic ban, it said that 100 per cent single use plastic (Plastic Carry Bags) have been banned in all the urban local bodies in state of Bihar.

“Penalty provisions have been made for involvement in production, distribution, trading, storage, sale of plastic carry bags irrespective of its thickness and sizes in the respective urban local bodies Plastic Waste Management Byelaws, 2018.

A total of 38,283 shops or establishment have been raided and fine for Rs 18,99,495 has been collected and 8,085.21 Kg of plastic carry bags were also seized,” the state government said.

The report said that in the context of Bihar, the polluted stretches are — Ganga, Punpun, Ramrekha, Sikrahana, Sirsa and Parmar.

It also told the tribunal that as per its direction an environmental compensation of Rs 25 lakh has been deposited.

Even a drop of pollution in Ganga is a matter of concern and the attitude of all authorities should be stringent to protect the river, the NGT had earlier said while seeking a concrete action plan on the issue.

The green panel had said people drank and bathed in the river with reverence, without knowing that it may adversely affect their health.

Inside Bihar’s crumbling health system, nothing has changed

Despite receiving the dubious distinction of being at the bottom over the last two years in the health index prepared by NITI Aayog, no efforts have been made to change the health systems in Bihar.

In 2019-20, the Bihar government drew up a demand and received close to ₹3,300 crore from the Centre under the National Health Mission (NHM). Last year, it utilised only close to fifty per cent of the NHM budget. It received an additional ₹300 crore under government-run cashless health insurance scheme Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) or Ayushman Bharat.

Promises to revamp health system are lofty, but little has changed close to two months after a spate of child deaths due to Chamki bukhaar or Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) that claimed 175 lives since the beginning of the year up to July 31.

Failing PHCs

Budhanidevi (60) is sitting in front of the X-ray machine at Kanti Primary Healthcare Centre (PHC) in Muzzafarpur to get her broken hand scanned. She meekly pays ₹70 for the service. She is oblivious of the fact she is supposed to get the service for free. She is handed over no receipt of her payment.

The State Health Society has released over ₹46 lakh to Muzzafarpur district in 2019-20 for providing radiology services free of cost to patients under the NHM.

However, PHC’s data entry operator Manjeet Kumar says, “After the contract of IGMS Medical Systems expired in April 2018, we were told to locally arrange for services until a time that new tenders are floated and implemented. So we are charging minimal fees, it is better than patients paying up to ₹200 in private set-ups.”

IAS officer Manoj Kumar who is the Executive Director, Bihar’s NHM, told BusinessLine that they were having extreme difficulties in tendering for X-ray services and had floated five back-to-back tenders but to no avail, and were in the process of repeating the process for the sixth time.

“Meanwhile, we have made funds available of over ₹14 crore across public health care systems for free radiological services under NHM,” Kumar says. He assures an inquiry into working of Kanthi PHC.

Poor infrastructure

While PHCs are over-burdened, the infrastructure at the lower rung of health sub-centres is non-functional.

Even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced building of 1.5 lakh health and wellness centres (HWC) with yoga facilities, diabetes, blood pressure and cancer screening, in Bihar this is far cry. Kumar noted that the State NHM has not been able to make even one HWC fully functional of the 598 designated ones, even one year after the announcement. Also, one step above the PHCs, the block level hospitals are ill-equipped leaving medical colleges to bear a huge burden of patients, notes Rajeev Kamal Kumar, Assistant Professor, Sociology of Patna-based AN Sinha Institute of Social Studies. A case in point is Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital (SKMCH) spread over 160 acres in Muzaffarpur.

Every third patient in SKMCH sleeps on the floor in corridors ridden with fleas that reek of nauseating urine stench. There are only 600 beds against which close to 955 patients are admitted. Mounds of plastic and food waste accumulate inside and outside the building. The entire back of SKMCH is a dumping ground with over two dozen pigs rummaging through the waste in close quarters to corridors of the ward.

SKMCH superintendent Sunil Kumar Shahi is at his wit’s end managing cleaning in the hospital.

“Do you realise this hospital building has no drainage facilities? They forgot to build drainage outlets while conceptualising the structure,” says Shahi. The shoddy state of affairs only came to light when the hospital became a centre point of child deaths earlier in June.

“Only after June, ₹2.5 crore has been sanctioned to build a drain outlet which will carry excreta out of the campus, however there is no nullah for proper channeling of waste. We are figuring out that one,” said Shahi.

Aggrieved parties line up outside new secretariat waiting to meet the Health Minister and complain that model tender documents have not been followed while selecting security guards in Government Pharmacy Institute, Patna. “Because Nil charge tenders will not be accepted, the lowest bidder bid at ₹0.001 for services. This is the sad state of affairs,” alleged an aggrieved contractor.

“Our hands are bound. We have to award the tender to the lowest bidder,” Bihar’s Health Minister Mangal Pandey told BusinessLine.

Also, in light of crumbling public health systems and lack of interest of private facilities to join Ayushman Bharat — patients are taking the maximum hit. Of the 700 hospitals registered with, 560 (80 per cent) are government-run and 140 (20 per cent) private.

“We have taken action to proceed and disempanel at least six private hospitals from Ayushman for malpractice in providing services,” said a State health society official.

Bihar: 12 incidents of mob lynching reported in last 15 days, say Patna Police

Source: scroll.in

There have been 12 incidents of mob lynching across Bihar in the last 15 days, Additional Director General of Patna Police Jitendra Kumar told ANI on Wednesday. “Public shouldn’t take law in their hands,” said Kumar, adding that the Patna Police have organised a special drive across the state to spread awareness among people to not believe in rumours.

Two lynchings were reported from Rupaspur and Dhanarua in Patna district on Saturday night, according to The Times of India. As many as 32 people have been arrested in the Rupaspur case and two in the Dhanarua one.

“Specific instructions were given after Supreme Court had taken up the mob lynching issue and had directed state governments to act accordingly for preventing such violence,” Kumar said. “But after some recent incidents of thrashing over rumours, officials were directed to take steps by roping in public representatives.”

The Patna Police have begun conducting public events from Monday, Kumar said. He added that the police have been asked to pass on a message through village mukhiyas, sarpanches, and other representatives that nobody who indulges in rumour mongering will be spared.

Patna Senior Superintendent of Police Garima Malik said that a police-public meeting was held at Kadamkuan on Monday. Another event was held at Danapur bus stand in Danapur Cantonment.

“The motive to organise the programme at Danapur bus stand was that several people traverse through that point and words of police would reach locations were people would travel.” She said that the police also shared their phone numbers with members of the public.

Apart from Bihar, a spate of mob lynchings has claimed dozens of lives in Maharashtra, Tripura, Assam, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal and Karnataka since March. In nearly all cases, the mobs seem to have been incited by widely shared WhatsApp videos and messages asking people to beware of child kidnappers. The victims have ranged from innocent people asking for directions; transgendered people; the poor; and the mentally challenged.

7 lakh in Ranchi face dry taps

Source: telegraphindia.com

Over seven lakh people of the capital who get water from Getalsud (Rukka) Dam in Ormanjhi had to spend Wednesday with dry taps owing to pipe-interconnectivity and maintenance work taken up by the state drinking water and sanitation department.

Executive engineer of drinking water and sanitation (Rukka division) Prabhat Kumar Singh said they had to announce a shutdown of water supply from 10am on Wednesday to 10am on Thursday.

“The inconvenience is regretted but the shutdown is necessary for maintenance and operational work,” Singh said.

He added: “We have two supply units where pipe interconnecting work has been undertaken. The old unit supplies 30 million gallon per day and the newly commissioned unit 8 million gallon per day. Both the units are being interconnected keeping people’s needs in mind. The old unit requires maintenance on a large scale, which will take time. So, in order to maintain a balanced water supply, both the units are being interconnected.”

Located on river Subernarekha, Rukka dam has a total catchment area of 717sqkm.

A source however said that water supply would be resumed only late Thursday evening.

The two supply lines that originate from Rukka dam — Booty and Hatia — distribute water across areas of the capital such as Namkum, Kantatoli, Bahu Bazaar, Chutia, Samlong, Tatisilwai, Hotwar, Bariatu, RIMS, Morabadi, Dipatoli, Ratu road, a part of Kanke Road, Upper Bazaar, Main Road, Hindpiri, Pepee Compound, Lalpur, Doranda, Kusai and many others.

Though the department had informed people about the maintenance work through its field officers and staff, many people were caught unprepared.

Sanjay Kumar, a resident of Ratu Road, said some of his relatives from Bihar had come to Ranchi to stay with him for a week “The water problem was just too acute. Ultimately, I bought water from a local supplier,” he said. Chutia resident Manoj Kumar said he was worried as he had invited guests on Wednesday evening to celebrate his son’s birthday. “This (water-supply halt) had to happen today of all days,” he rued. “I don’t know how I will manage without water but I can’t postpone the party.”

An RMC official said they were doing their best to come of use to people. “We deputed our ward supervisors at our deep boring installations to help people get water. Our water tankers moved across the capital to supply water. We also received 20 requisitions for bulk supply of water today (Wednesday),” the official said.

JPSC aims to wrap up evaluation by October

Source: dailypioneer.com

The Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) has set a target of completing the ongoing evaluation process for the 6th JPSC Combined Civil Services mains examination by the end of October this year, officials from the commission said on Tuesday. However, the results will be declared only after Jharkhand High Court gives its go-ahead to the commission, they added.

“Since the number of aspirants is very high, we have set a target of completing the evaluation by the end of October. Once the evaluation is over, we will seek permission from the High Court for declaration of the results,” said Sudhir Tripathi, Chairperson of JPSC.

On the day the mains exam started, a court of Chief Justice Aniruddha Bose and Justice Anubha Rawat Choudhary ordered that the results of JPSC Mains should not be declared without the court’s permission.

The prelims test for JPSC 6 was conducted way back on December 18, 2016 and its result was declared in February 2017. Initially, the commission declared 5,400 candidates successful; however, months later it revised the results and declared 6100 candidates successful. The mains test, supposed to be conducted on January 29, 2018, had to be postponed by a year after some candidates approached the High Court with a plea citing incompliance of the reservation roaster in the prelims test.

Taking cognizance of the plea, the State Government constituted a committee headed by state revenue and land reforms minister Amar Bauri to look into the matter. In August last year the JPSC again issued fresh results declaring 34,634 candidates eligible for the Mains examination.

The number of candidates who cleared the Prelims was about 106 times the available 326 vacancies and that became the bone of contention. Aspirants alleged that as per rules, the number of successful candidates in Prelims should not exceed 15 times the total number of available vacancies.

Around 17,000 aspirants appeared for the JPSC mains exam. The evaluation of papers is being conducted under strict security and many JPSC officials too are not allowed to enter the evaluation cell of JPSC, an official said. He added that the JPSC had written to at least 62 universities seeking evaluators for the process. The evaluation process began in the month of June.

The Mains paper consisted of 1050 marks with 100 marks compulsory (Hindi/English), 150 marks papers on regional languages, and four papers each consisting of 200 marks.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court on Monday ordered reevaluation of papers for JPSC 1 and JPSC 2. The apex court gave a time of four months to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for completing their probe into the matter.

Jharkhand’s new hospital for PM-JAY beneficiaries

Source: telegraphindia.com

Chief minister Raghubar Das inaugurated a new hospital exclusively for beneficiaries of the Centre’s flagship health insurance scheme for the poor on Tuesday, courtesy Tata Steel.

Essentially an extension of Tata Main Hospital in Bistupur, the new premises is in Golmuri within Tinplate township, behind the existing Tinplate Hospital.

“It is a day of happiness with the city getting the country’s first hospital dedicated for the beneficiaries of Ayushman Bharat Prasham Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY),” said Das after inaugurating the 30-bed Tata Steel managed hospital offering 24×7 orthopaedic, general surgery, paediatric and critical care facilities.

“We plan to cover 85 per cent of the state’s population under the ambitious health insurance scheme, benefiting 57 lakh families. As of now, we have issued 25 lakh golden cards which enables one to avail benefits under the scheme,” the chief minister said, adding that the state government would henceforth issue free golden cards and not charge Rs 30 as was the norm.

Das said the state government would launch a special drive across the state to issue free golden cards from August 16 to September 23 to mark the death anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

So far, he added, 219 government hospitals and 429 private hospitals had been empanelled under the health insurance scheme. “More than 2 lakh patients have benefited from the scheme in Jharkhand,” the chief minister said.

Das said talks were on with Tata Motors to empanel Tata Motors Hospital under the Ayushman Bharat scheme.

“I have had several meetings with the Tata Steel management. I am thankful they have decided to dedicate a hospital entirely for the scheme. Soon Tata Motors Hospital in Telco township will also be empanelled under the scheme,” he said.

The chief minister went on to highlight some of the initiatives of the state government in health. “We have already launched 329 ambulances that can be called for by dialling 108. We have also started bike ambulances for inaccessible areas in hilly terrains where conventional ambulances cannot reach,” he said.

Das also announced mohalla clinics for those residing in urban slums. “Free primary health care will be provided at mohalla clinics. A special drive will be undertaken between August 16 and September 23 when doctors will be available for two hours each in the morning and evening at all civic bodies,” he said.

Community halls in Jamshedpur Notified Area Committee, Mango Notified Area Committee and Jugsalai municipality would be used to run mohalla clinics.

The chief minister said that efforts were on to revive the Baharagora trauma centre that could be of immense help to commuters using NH-33 and NH-6 in case of accidents.

“Doctors will be recruited soon for the Baharagora trauma centre. Recruitments will also be done at the district level,” he said.

Earlier, the chief minister presented a cheque of Rs 1 crore to Kamal Club representatives of districts to organise sports events at the panchayat level. He also distributed golden cards to patients who were admitted to TMH-Golmuri on Tuesday. Two doctors who joined the district were also given appointment letters.

Among the others who were present at the function were MLAs Kunal Sarangi (Baharagora), Meneka Sardar (Potka), Lakshman Tuddu (Ghatshila) and Tata Steel vice-president corporate services Chanakya Choudhary.

The chief minister left for Ranchi at around 12.50 pm.