Tag: Ranchi

‘Hindustan Poorvoday’: Amit Shah to deliver roadmap for turning east into India’s growth engine

Source: hindustantimes.com

Home Minister Amit Shah, law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghuvar Das and Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar Sushil Kumar Modi along with other regional politicians and achievers will come together in Ranchi on Wednesday to dwell on a roadmap for transforming the east and making its states, including Jharkhand and Bihar, the new engines of Indian economy.

The one day brainstorming session, being organised under the banner of ‘Hindustan Poorvoday’, will also see these leaders exchange views on the eastern states’, particularly, mineral-rich Jharkhand’s present contributions to the Indian economy and its potential to increase it manifolds in the near future.

The event will be inaugurated by the Union Minister for Law and Justice, Communications and Electronics and Information Technology, Ravi Shankar Prasad at 10 am at the local Radison Blue hotel. He will present his views on the economic opportunities and challenges for Bihar and Jharkhand. Home Minister Amit Shah will make the valedictory address incorporating the growth roadmap for these states.

Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghuvar Das will throw light on the contributions made by the state in India’s overall development.

Jharkhand Congress chief Dr. Rameshwar Oraon and former Chief Minister and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha’s (JMM) Working President Hemant Soren will present his views on the need to protect the natural resources–waters, jungles and the land– of the state while pushing it along the developmental path. The tribal societies of the eastern states and their needs and challenges will also be discussed.

The daylong event will also see achievers from different walks of the society, including sports, talk about the eastern state’s appetite to throw up sporting talent, who regularly shine on the national and the international stage.

The event will also see several ordinary men from Jharkhand getting felicitated for their extraordinary deeds. The sons of the soil to be honoured during the event include Dilip Ravidas, head of a Panchayat in Jharkhand’s Hazaribagh district, whose efforts for water conservation won him praise by none other than Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his ‘Man ki Baat’ radio address.

Ravidas says prime minister’s recognition for his campaign for water conservation has energised his entire village where the government buildings, schools and healthcare centres have been drawn into water conservation efforts under the guidance of government officials.

Jharkhand’s Garwah resident Brajesh will be felicitated for scripting a success story out of horticulture against everyone’s advise. His techniques, to be patented soon, have received praise from agriculture scientists and fellow farmers alike. Rameshwar from Ormanjhi block in Ranchi was the leader of a group of villagers, who pooled their resources and labour to construct a check dam to collect water flowing downhill. Rameshwar will also be awarded during the event. National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Nabard) recognised farmer Hema Devi, a resident of Deoghar district in Jharkhand, who will also be felicitated for adopting modern farming techniques and later teaching fellow women how to successfully transform their lives by forming cooperatives. Ravidas, Rameshwar, Hema Devi and Brajesh will be joined by several others who will be recognised at the event for inspiring entire communities with their enterprise and never say die spirit.

Jharkhand cabinet sanctions creation of 79 posts of senior residents at RIMS

Source: hindustantimes.com

The state cabinet on Saturday sanctioned for creation of 79 posts of senior resident and tutor under medical teacher cadre in various departments of Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), Ranchi.

RIMS, an autonomous institution running a 1500-bedded hospital, has got permission from the medical council of India (MCI) to start post graduation and diploma courses in various departments. The institute has also staked its claim before the MCI to enhance MBBS seats to 250 from current 150.

In order to match the requirement of the teachers for 250 MBBS seats and PG courses, the cabinet sanctioned for the creation of the aforesaid 79 posts.

Taking a step forward to achieve the target of ‘housing for all by 2022’, the cabinet also accorded its nod to relax the norms for construction of buildings under the Prime Minister Urban Housing Scheme’s (PMUHS), Affordable Housing in Partnership.

“According to the decision, buildings up to ground plus six to eight storied can be constructed under the affordable housing in partnership. As per the current standard, building structures under this scheme can’t go above ground plus three,” an official said.

The cabinet also approved for fixation of prices of land that would be acquired by the government for laying underground water, gas and drainage pipelines. Besides, it approved for setting up of “Jharkhand Wing” of the NCC Directorate, Bihar and Jharkhand.

The cabinet also approved expenditure upto Rs 35 crore for fiscal 2019-20 under state’s scheme of three-year organic farming promotion and certification. The government has earmarked a total of Rs 100 crore for fiscals 2019-20, 2020-21 and 2021-22 under the scheme.

PM Modi inaugurates New Jharkhand Vidhan Sabha building in Ranchi

Source: newkerala.com

He also inaugurated various development projects in Ranchi today. Modi was also scheduled to launch the Kisan Maan Dhan Yojana (KMDY) here.

“The PM will launch the scheme — Prime Minister Kisan Man Dhan Yojana — and will also inaugurate 400 Ekalvya Model Residential schools to provide quality upper primary, secondary, and senior secondary level education to ST students in tribal-dominated areas,” an official statement had earlier said.

The KMDY will secure the lives of 5 crore small and marginal farmers by providing a minimum pension of Rs 3,000 per month to those who have attained the age of 60. The scheme has an outlay of Rs 10,774 crore for the next three years.

All the small and marginal farmers who are currently between the age of 18 to 40 years are eligible to avail the benefits.

The Eklavya Model Residential Schools are aimed at providing quality education to the students of Scheduled Tribes. This scheme will be implemented in blocks with a tribal population of at least 20,000.

The residential schools will have tribal students from Class 6 to 12. Around Rs 10,000 crore will be spent on the construction of these schools in Jharkhand, Odisha, Northeastern and other states in the next two years.

Parking fees to be slashed in Ranchi

Source: telegraphindia.com

In a move to ensure better compliance, Ranchi Municipal Corporation (RMC) has decided to reduce parking fees by 50 per cent at all parking bays.

“Existing parking fares will be reduced by 50 per cent. We will also increase the time limit for parking. These decisions have already been taken. A formal notification would be issued in a day or two,” said RMC CEO Manoj Kumar, adding that the idea was to encourage people to use authorised parking bays instead of parking their vehicles in front of shops and cause traffic congestion.

Currently, the parking fare for four-wheelers is Rs 40 per hour and for two-wheelers is Rs 20 per hour. As per the new rates, Rs 20 will charged for four-wheelers for three hours and Rs 5 for two-wheelers, also for three hours.

According to sources in the RMC transport wing that manages parking lots, the new rates would be introduced at all the 30-odd parking bays across Ranchi, including 18 parking bays along Main Road. Most parking bays are along roads and have been auctioned to private parties.

“Private agencies that have won rights to collect fees at various parking bays have been asked to introduce the new rates as soon the official notification is issued in a day or two. We hope that after the introduction of the reduced fees the problem of illegal parking would be resolved to a great extent and Main Road will remain free of traffic congestion,” said an RMC official.

Another senior official said the RMC had plans to introduce POS machines at parking bays.

“We would like private parties managing parking bays to have POS machines to enable ease of payments. However, it will take some time,” said RMC official.

Residents welcomed the move.

“This is good news at a time when steep fines are being imposed for traffic violations. The new fees won’t pinch pockets and will encourage people to park in designated spots without having to worry about bike thefts,” said Rajesh Sharma, a cloth trader in Upper Bazaar.

PM Modi launches Kisan Maan Dhan Yojana in Ranchi

Source: ddinews.gov.in

Following on the foosteps of the Krishi Maan-dhan Yoajana that kicked off from the first week of August this year, the scheme ensures Rs 3000 per month for traders with a turn over of less than Rs 1.5 crore per annum.

Farmers who feed the nation have been bearing the brunt of floods and drought for decades. 70 years after independence, the Modi government that took on the pledge of improving their lot promising to double farmers income by 2022. And it didn’t stop there.

Taking welfare to the next level Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Maan-dhan yojana, the first ever pension scheme for farmers. He rolled out the scheme in Ranchi on Thursday making the first online transfer.

So far over 13 lakh,29 thousand farmers have joined the scheme across the country since 9th of August, when the registration began.

Farmers who own 2 hectares or less of land and are between 18 and 40 years of age are eligible for the scheme. Depending on their age they need to make a monthly contribution ranging between Rs 55 and Rs 200. 

Within a month, the union government’s contribution stands at over Rs 16 crore. 

Rs 3000 per month will be paid as a pension after farmers turn 60. Prime Minister Modi also launched a national pension scheme for small and medium traders and self employed entrepreneurs.

Traders with a turnover of less than Rs 1.5 crore per annum will be eligible for a pension of Rs 3000 per month. An estimated 3 crore Vyaparis in the country are expected to be benefitted under this scheme.

Adding social justice to the script of social security, Prime Minister Narendra Modi digitally launched the beginning of work for 462 Ekalvya Model Residential Schools across the country. These schools will provide quality upper primary, secondary, and senior secondary level education to ST Students in Tribal dominated areas.
 
Clearly, Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwaas isn’t just a motto for the Modi government. 

Modi in Ranchi today, to launch slew of welfare schemes, development projects

Source: hindustantimes.com

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch a slew of welfare and development projects from Ranchi’s Prabhat Tara ground on Thursday, weeks ahead of the assembly polls scheduled this year-end.

Modi will dedicate country’s second Multi Model Terminal built at Sahibganj to the nation, inaugurate newly constructed state-of-the-art Assembly Building in Ranchi and lay the foundation of new secretariat building in Jharkhand capital.

He will also launch the Kisan Maan Dhan Yojana, Khudra Vyapari Dukandar Swarojgar Pension scheme and Ekalvya Model Residential School scheme.

“The PM will also launch several national projects from Jharkhand, which will help the country as well as state’s development and welfare schemes,” said CM Raghubar Das.

A pension scheme for small and marginal farmers will secure lives of estimate five crore farmers across the country including 10 lakh in Jharkhand by providing a minimum pension of Rs 3,000 per month to those who attain 60 years of age. The scheme has an outlay of Rs 10,774 crores for the next three years.

In Jharkhand, more than 1.16 lakh farmers have registered themselves under the scheme so far. Only small and marginal farmer, who own cultivable land up to two hectares, would be eligible for the scheme. Besides, the farmers, who are between the age group of 18 years and 40 years, would qualify for the scheme.

India’s second riverine Multi Model Terminal built at Sahibganj will be inaugurated by the PM through a two-way digital communication system from Ranchi.

The minister of state for shipping (independent charge) Mansukh Mandaviya will be present at Sahibganj.

Constructed at Rs 290 crore, the MMT is expected to open up industries of Jharkhand and Bihar to global market and provide Indo-Nepal cargo connectivity through waterways route. Besides coal, stone chips, fertilizers, cement and sugar and other commodities expected to be transported through the terminal.

The Sahibganj Multi Model Terminal is estimated to generate 2,500 jobs.

The PM will launch construction of 462 Ekalvya Model Residential School in tribal dominated blocks across the country by 2022. A total of 69 such schools will be started in Jharkhand. These will be opened in every block with more than 50% tribal population as well as those that have at least minimum 20,000 tribal population.

Jharkhand will get its new assembly building after 19 years of its creation. Built at Rs 465 crore on 39 acres of land, the assembly building has the seating arrangement for 162 members. Separate press gallery, officers’ gallery and visitors’ gallery have also been constructed in the building. Besides, it has 22 rooms for ministers and 17 for assembly committees.

The Prime Minister will lay foundation of Jharkhand secretariat building, which will come up on 40 acres of land next to the new assembly building in the core capital. The state cabinet has recently approved Rs 1238.92 crore for construction of the building.

Free wi-fi zones in Ranchi from November

Source: telegraphindia.com

As many as 10 busy areas of the state capital, including places like Main Road, Morabadi and Doranda, will have free wi-fi zones from November.

The private agency hired by telecom major BSNL is about to complete a survey of the areas after which the City Wi-fi project of the state IT and e-governance department will rollout.

According to sources in the district administration, hotspots would be set up at Sadar Hospital (on Main Road), State Guest house (Morabadi), Collectorate Building A-block and Collectorate Building B-block (near Kutchery Chowk), registry office (Hinoo), Government Bus Stand (Birsa Chowk), RIMS Campus (Bariatu), Birsa Munda Bus Terminus (Kantatoli), Ranchi Municipal Corporation office (Ratu Road), SSP Residence (Ratu Road) and Hatia Guest House (Doranda).

A senior BSNL official said users would have to login in to a specified webpage using his/her name and mobile number, and then enter the OTP he/she would be sent to enjoy free high-speed wi-fi for half an hour.

“After half-an-hour users would have to recharge online from the webpage to continue the service. We will unveil the the webpage before the launch of the project later this year,” said a senior BSNL official.

Recharge amounts would vary between Rs 9 and Rs 69 to provide data between 1 GB per day to 30 GB for 30 days.

State IT director U.P. Sah said that the Ranchi district informatics centre officer was coordinating with the private agency for selecting the strategic points. “As per the agreement with BSNL the project will roll out in Ranchi by November,” he told The Telegraph.

City Wi-fi will also be launched in Jamshedpur, Bokaro, Dhanbad, Deoghar, Palamau and Gumla, but later.

“The Ranchi landmarks (for setting up hotspots) have been identified, keeping in view footfall and importance. In the first phase we have selected 10 spots for high-speed internet data service as a part of the City Wi-fi project. The private agency hired by BSNL has almost completed the survey at all locations,” said Ranchi district informatics centre officer Shiv Bannerjee.

BSNL chief general manager (Jharkhand circle) K. K. Thakur said they had integrated the City Wi-fi project with their mobile data offloading (MDO) service.

“The private agency, Go IP Global Services, is currently conducting a survey. We will be launching the City Wi-fi project first in Ranchi by November. Surveys are also on in six other cities where the project will also be launched soon,” said Thakur.

PM Modi to launch farmers’ pension scheme in Ranchi on Sept 12

Source: avenuemail.in

Ranchi, Sep 10 (IANS) Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das said on Tuesday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would launch three national level and two state level schemes from here on September 12.

“The Prime Minister will launch three national and two state level schemes here on September 12. The first scheme is Kisan Mandhan Yojna, under which farmers will get Rs 3,000 pension; the second is laying the foundation stone for 462 Eklavya schools exclusively for quality education; the third is a pension scheme for small shopkeepers,” the Chief Minister said in a press conference here on Tuesday.

Das said that under the farmer’s scheme, more than one lakh farmers have been registered in the state. As per the available data, Jharkhand is fifth largest state in terms of farmers pension registration. Farmers between the age of 18 and 40 years will get the benefits of the pension scheme after turning 60, Das said.

“Similarly, small shopkeepers between the age of 18 and 40 years will be eligible to get pension after turning 60. The small shopkeepers registered with the government will get Rs 3,000 pension per month. Of the 462 Eklavya schools, 69 will be set up in Jharkhand for providing quality education to the tribal children.

“The Prime Minister will also inaugurate the two state level schemes. First, the inauguration of the state Assembly building and the second is a multi-modal terminal at Sahebganj,” said the Chief Minister.

Jharkhand is set to get it’s own Assembly building, which has been constructed on a 39-acre land costing Rs 465 crore. It will have a sitting capacity of 162 legislators.

Modi will also lay the foundation stone for the new Secretariat which will be constructed at a cost of Rs 1,238 crore on 68 acres of land.

The Prime Minister will also dedicate to the nation India’s second riverine multi-modal terminal in Sahibganj built at a cost of Rs 290 crore in a record time of about two years.

Modi had himself laid the foundation stone for the IWAI’s Sahibganj multi-modal terminal (MMT) in April, 2017. It is the second of the three multi-modal terminals being constructed on river Ganga under the Jal Marg Vikas Project (JMVP). In November 2018, the Prime Minister had inaugurated the MMT at Varanasi.

The MMT at Sahibganj will open up the industries of Jharkhand and Bihar to the global market and provide Indo-Nepal cargo connectivity through waterways route.

Fine-drive effect: Fear & loathing in Ranchi

Source: telegraphindia.com

Friday was almost unreal in the capital city. Almost all thoroughfares bore a deserted look. Even auto-rickshaw drivers, who are notorious for overloading, wrong-side driving, picking and dropping passengers at will from the middle of the road, were driving cautiously. Many autos stayed away from the road.

Traffic policemen attributed it to the fear the new Motor Vehicles Act, which has radically hiked fines for offences, has struck in the hearts of motorists. The decision of the Ranchi traffic police department to recommend suspension of licence of offenders for a period of three months has aggravated the fears, they said.

“Right from the morning traffic remained quite smooth,” said a traffic constable at Ratu Chowk. “Even during the peak hours of 9am to 11am when people rush to offices, there was less traffic than usual. That means people who don’t have proper documents of their vehicle are scared of venturing out on the road.

“Though the new Motor Vehicles Act is harsh in terms of fine and punishment, it has some positive impact,” he added. “Now the new rule fixes liability on parents with three years of jail and Rs 25,000 fine if their juvenile son or daughter is caught driving.”

The traffic policemen continued the enforcement drive through the day.

On Thursday, state transport commissioner Praveen Toppo issued a directive to the traffic police department saying that if anyone empowered to enforce provisions of the new law is found committing an offence under the same law, that person will be liable to for twice the penalty mandated for that offence under the new law.

Acting upon that order, Ranchi traffic superintendent of police Ajit Peter Dungdung slapped Rs 34,000 fine on traffic constable Rakesh Kumar on Harmu road on Friday morning.

“He was driving the bike and an ASI (assistant sub-inspector)-rank official was the pillion rider,” SP Dungdung said on Friday. “We can’t just ignore that he is from traffic department and was on duty.

“We can’t preach people to follow traffic rules and fine them when our own staff are not following the rules,” he added. “Though he was wearing helmet but pillion rider was without helmet hence he was imposed a fine of Rs 2,000. Then I started checking every paper of his bike. He was not carrying driving licence, the bike was without pollution-under-control certificate and it was not insured.”

The SP insisted that there would be no leniency in taking strong action against government vehicles and public servants.

A state government employee, who works at Project Building, said that for the past four days he has not been using his two-wheeler to go to office.

“The pollution certificate and insurance of my bike expired around two years ago. I did not get time for renewal, and honestly speaking I just ignored it because police never checked for these documents except helmet, driving licence and registration papers,” he said. “Today (Friday) I got the insurance policy paper but getting the pollution-under-control certificate is a challenging job because I will have to take my bike to the testing centre and there is no guarantee that I will not be caught on the way there.”

Awdhesh Kumar, an auto-rickshaw driver, said he had kept his vehicle off the road for the last three days as its pollution-under-control certificate had lapsed a month back.

“Early morning tomorrow (Saturday) I will visit the pollution testing centre to get the certificate,” he said. “It is safe early morning because traffic cops generally join duty around 9am. I can’t risk driving and paying the fine. I have already borrowed money to buy the auto-rickshaw. I also carry some children to school. I have stopped it till I have proper documents,” he said.

“Auto drivers fear that they will have to pay huge penalty for minor faults,” he added. “They also park randomly, pick up and drop passengers anywhere on the road. I will request the traffic department to properly train them about the law,” he added.

With new fines, axe on licence in Ranchi

Source: telegraphindia.com

If steep fines for traffic violations are not enough, the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act 2019 also permits the suspension of a first offender’s licence for a period of three months, if the transport department deems fit.

Ranchi traffic police department on Thursday shot off a letter to the Ranchi district transport department, recommending the driving licences of as many as 203 people be suspended for three months. These traffic offenders were all caught and fined for violating various traffic rules, including not wearing helmets, under the amended motor vehicles Act from the evening of September 3, when it was enforced in the capital.

However, now the district transport department has to take a final call on the suspension of the licences. Offenders can approach the department, pleading against their licence suspension by promising they would not violate traffic rules in future.

Asked about this double jeopardy, Ranchi traffic superintendent of police Ajit Peter Dungdung explained: “The amended Act, in section 19, has the suspension provision. Now, fine and suspension of licence can go hand in hand. The person whose licence has been suspended will have to also undergo a driver’s refresher training course.”

The traffic SP added that they had prepared a list of people caught violating traffic laws from the evening of September 3 to Wednesday night.

Once the suspension of the driving licence is decided, the transport department will inform the person (driver). If the licence is issued from other district (outside Ranchi in this case) or state, the district transport department will write to the transport officer concerned to suspend the licence.

If the vehicle owner is found driving during the tenure of suspension, he will have to pay Rs 10,000 as fine. If the vehicle concerned is found out on the road during the tenure, being driven by someone else, that person has to pay up Rs 5,000.

Offenders are being fined for traffic rule violations such as jumping traffic light, driving without helmets, lacking insurance papers or pollution certificate, riding a two-wheeler with two or more pillion-riders, overloading, driving in defiance of one-way or without wearing a seat belt, among others.

Biker ire at cop

A plainclothes policeman who attempted to fine a biker without a helmet on Thursday morning near Mausi Bari roundabout under the Sector II outpost of Jagannathpur police station was subjected to the youth’s anger. In-charge of Sector II outpost Kaushal Kishore Thakur, in regular clothes, chased the bike and stopped the rider. The youth did not realise Thakur was a policeman and asked why he was being accosted. When Thakur said he was a cop, the youth said why a cop without uniform or helmet could harass a commuter without a helmet. As Thakur and the youth lost their cool, the driver of a passing car stopped and apparently asked why he (Thakur) was being so rude. An enraged Thakur allegedly took the man’s ignition key. A crowd assembled on the spot. Finally, Hatia DSP Prabhat Ranjan Barwar had to intervene. The DSP said he started a probe on why the issue took such a serious turn.

Double penalty

Transport commissioner Praveen Kumar Toppo on Thursday wrote to all traffic SPs DTOs and DSPs asking them to sensitise officials to follow traffic rules as in case they violate any rule, penalty would be double for them.