Biharchintan

Will new Cong strategy work?

2010-10-10T21:29:00.000+05:30

Navendu Sharma, TNN, Oct 10, 2010

PATNA: In the parliamentary elections held last year, Congress had managed to win only two Lok Sabha seats out of 40 in Bihar. Yet, it had some reason to take solace as the party had gained substantial vote share.

Against 4 and 6 percent vote share in the two Bihar assembly polls held in 2005, the party had reportedly polled 10 percent votes in the Lok Sabha polls in the state. This percentage went up to approximately 15% in the bypolls held for the 18 assembly seats last year. In the process, the party wrested two seats from the JD(U).

Coupled with the party's impressive show in UP in the parliamentary elections, this gave the impression that, led from the front by Rahul Gandhi, the party is in a resurgent mode. By regaining the ground that it had ceded to regional parties over the years, Congress hoped to consolidate its grip on Delhi.

But that was in 2009. The question uppermost in Congressmen's minds is whether the party will continue to improve upon its performance in the approaching Bihar assembly elections? The party changed horses midstream in late July this year. Not only is a new team at the helm in the state unit, even at the national level there are new in charges for the state. Party strategists are said to have effected a change in their strategy. Will this pay dividend to the party?

The party has witnessed furore over the alleged partisan and slipshod distribution of tickets. Likes of Anirudh Prasad alias Sadhu Yadav the saala of RJD supremo Lalu Prasad, Ranjeet Ranjan and Lovely Anand, wives of jailed ex-MPs Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav and Anand Mohan, respectively, have not only been fielded but have wielded considerable influence in distribution of tickets. Several turncoats have been rewarded with nomination. "This has not gone down well with party workers and masses as this is negation of Rahul Gandhi's initiatives to rejuvenate the party," rued a party leader.

According to party sources, this shift in strategy began after AICC secretary Sardar Iqbal Singh, the then in charge, Bihar, was appointed governor. First Jagdish Tytler and then Mukul Wasnik were appointed in charge of the state. The then BPCC president, Anil Kumar Sharma, and working president Samir Kumar Singh started feeling ignored. Tainted leaders became important in the party. In September, when Rahul Gandhi addressed a public meeting in Saharsa, he was flanked by Ranjeet Ranjan and Lovely Anand.

On July 31 this year, Sharma and Singh were removed from their posts. Chaudhary Mehboob Ali Qaiser was appointed the state unit chief. Qaiser is a gentleman, but he is not a mass leader.

Past working president of BPCC, Samir Kumar Singh, a third-generation Congressman who has never flirted with any other party a rarity these days was neither included in the state election committee nor otherwise consulted in ticket distribution. Instead, 10 party tickets were distributed on the recommendation of Ranjeet Ranjan, who joined the party only last year. The party is now said to be trying to carve out a vote bank of Dalits, Muslims and backwards. Muslim votes may also get split. "Not actively wooing the forward castes may turn out to be a mistake for the party," said a party leader who did not wish to be quoted.

Politicians with criminal background in Bihar fray

2010-10-10T21:24:00.000+05:30

Patna, October 10, 2010
Hindustan Times
Almost all political parties in Bihar have fielded candidates with criminal background in the ensuing Assembly elections with the ruling JD(U) and BJP topping the list with 72 such nominees. National Election Watch, an NGO, says according to the affidavit filed by candidates for the six-phased elections, BJP has fielded 41 'tainted' candidates, while JD(U) has 31 such nominees in the fray.

Ramvilas Paswan's LJP has 13 candidates, who according to their affidavits, have been chargesheeted in criminal cases.

The affidavits of 57 RJD candidates show that the party has fieled 22 who have criminal cases pending against them, the NGO said.

Some of the candidates face charges of murder, kidnapping, extortion and loot.

LJP has fielded Rama Singh, who faces over a dozen criminal charges including murder and extortion, from Mahnar in Vaishali district, besides Shankar Singh at Rupauli.

The LJP candidate from Araria Zakir Hussain also faces criminal cases.

RJD has fielded candidates with criminal antecedents, including Md Anwarul Haque (Bajpaati), Lalit Kumar Yadav (Darbhanga Rural), Md Israil (Kanti), Samrat Choudhary alias Rakesh Kumar (Parbatta), Prahalad Yadav (Surajgarha), Dr Ramanand Yadav (Fatua), Vijay Prakash (Jamui).

It has also fielded Surendra Prasad Yadav from a constituency in Gaya. He is known as 'Magadh Samrat' for his muscle power in the Maoist-affected Magadh division comprising Gaya, Aurangabad, Jehanabad, Nawada and Arwal districts.

The RJD, which has nine candidates facing criminal cases in its first list of 65, has fielded Kunti Devi, wife of alleged muscleman Rajendra Yadav, to contest from Atri (Gaya).

The BJP has given ticket to sitting Shahpur MLA Munni Devi whose husband Bhuvar Ojha and brother-in-law Vimeshwar face criminal cases. Others include Shakuni Choudhary (Tarapur), Iliyas Hussain (Dehri).

Muslims, Hindus build temple together in Bihar

2010-10-03T17:23:00.001+05:30

New Delhi: One part of India has remain untouched by the verdict on Ayodhya. Muslims in a village in Bihar are busy building a temple for their Hindus neighbours - setting a concrete example of real coexistence.

While the nation is still holding back its breath - the post Ayodhya verdict, a remote village in Bihar is celebrating. Muslims in Bachawara village of Begusarai district are busy constructing a temple these days. The land has been donated by a Muslim landlord to construct a Shiva temple, the money is being raised by fellow Muslims & they are even volunteering physically.

The village has pre-dominant Muslim population and they are building a temple in reciprocation to one of the Mazar located there, which has been built by Ganga Chaudhary, a Hindu farmer.

Even post Ayodhya verdict, the construction of temple continued with the same zeal.

Unfazed by the bitterness over mandir-maszid dispute, these villagers have proved by their act, that for them humanity is the only religion, whether they worship in temples or offer namaz in mosque".

"We have accepted the verdict and celebrated with both Hindus and Muslims," said a villager, Salauddin Ansari.

These villagers are untouched by distrust and hatred elsewhere and earning livelihood out of making biri is all that matters to them.

"Both Hindus and Muslims stay together here," said another villager Veena Devi.

These faceless and ordinary folks are displaying what could not be practiced by so called baton bearers of both the religion.

Prabhakar Kumar , CNN-IBN
Posted on Oct 03, 2010 at 08:49 | Updated Oct 03, 2010 at 11:53

CPI(ML) releases election manifesto for Bihar assembly polls

2010-10-03T17:20:00.000+05:30

CPI-ML (Liberation) general secretary Deepankar Bhattacharya today released party's election manifesto with an appeal to the voters to end the "reign of loot and rehetoric-- change the face of Bihar through land reforms."

The party is contesting the upcoming six-phase assembly elections on seat sharing arrangements with two other major Left parties", Communist Party of India and the CPI(M), on majority of the 243 assembly seats but there would friendly contest among them on more than 30 seats.

Releasing the manifesto, Bhattacharya said "Its a welcome sign that Left forces in Bihar are now showing an increasing inclination for united struggles- rejecting the ruinous course of alliances with the rulers, Left ranks are getting united to reclaim the fighting legacy of the Left.

He said to strengthen the politics of change and justice, Bihar requires a powerful unity of Left and democratic forces and appealed to all sincere socialists and democratic activists of diverse trends to come together and join hands with the CPI(ML) and the Left as a whole to take Bihar forward towards "land reforms and genuine welfare of the people and defeat the forces of corruption, nepotism, communalism, feudal reaction and autocracy.

PTI / Sunday, October 3, 2010 16:06 IST

URL of the article: http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_cpiml-releases-election-manifesto-for-bihar-assembly-polls_1447042-all

PM thanks E.Asian nations for help in reviving Nalanda varsity

2009-10-25T19:40:00.001+05:30

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Sunday thanked East Asian countries for their help in reviving the ancient Nalanda University as a global institution of "excellence", saying it will be a shining example of cooperative action in the field of education.

"We are greatly encouraged that the Summit will adopt a Statement on the establishment of the Nalanda University in the State of Bihar in India," Singh said in Cha-Am Hua Hin while addressing the 4th East Asia Summit.

The prime minister said that this has been the product of many months of hard work put in by the Nalanda Mentor Group, and will be a "shining example of cooperative action in the field of education."

"I thank our Singapore colleague (Lee Hsien Loong) for his pioneering zeal in pursuit of this idea," he said.

Earlier, addressing the 7th India-ASEAN Summit, Singh on Saturday said, "We look forward to working closely with the ASEAN and other countries of the East Asia Summit process to establish the Nalanda University as an international institution of excellence in the education with a continual focus."

Nalanda university, which existed until 1197 AD in Bihar and has been called one of the first great universities in recorded history, attracted students and scholars from Korea, Japan, China, Tibet, Indonesia, Iran and Turkey, besides being a pedestal of higher education in India.

An 11-member Nalanda Mentor Group, headed by Nobel laureate Amartya Sen, had been set up to oversee the opening of Nalanda International University at Nalanda in Bihar.

The proposed Nalanda International University will be fully residential, based on the ideal of ancient varsity once situated there.

In the first phase, seven schools with 46 foreign faculty members and over 400 Indian academics will be established.

The school will have seven faculties that include information science and technology, peace and Buddhism, international relationship, history, language & literature, development & management and ecology & environment.

A renowned international scholar will be its chancellor.

Source: Doordarshan, October 25,2009

Muslims, Sikhs observe Chhat

2009-10-25T19:38:00.001+05:30

ANAND S.T. DAS

Patna
Oct. 24: Gudiya Khatun is observing a 36-hour fast and has made all arrangements with her family to ensure she celebrates the Chhat festival with all its strict rituals and stress on purity. This Muslim woman from Patna’s Nehru Nagar locality has been celebrating the predominantly Hindu festival of Chhat for the past four years.

Like Gudiya, hundreds of Muslim and Sikh families across Bihar are seen joining an increasing number of people who celebrate Chhat, the hugely popular Hindu worship of the Sun God and Bihar’s most important festival.

Many hundreds of Muslims and Sikhs are also seen lending helping hands to Hindus celebrating the four-day festival that began on Friday.

As the banks of rivers and ponds and the precincts of the four Sun temples in Bihar were thronged by lakhs of Chhat devotees worshipping the Sun, divisive psychological barriers perpetuated by religious stereotypes seemed to evaporate like the morning dew.

"We have faith in all Hindu deities and we celebrate Chhat very eagerly. More Sikh families are now joining us wholeheartedly," said Sonam Kaur, a Sikh from Patna Sahib.

Clay chullahs used by Chhat devotees are mostly made by Muslims. "The Hindus love our chullahs. There is no religious feeling about this. We Muslims have been making the chullahs for the past 25 years," said Mohammed Makkan, a chullah-maker in Patna.

In Gaya, several riverbanks were spruced up for Chhath devotees by Muslims.

"We have done it gladly for our Hindu sisters and brothers. It gives us great happiness," said Haji Mohammed Khursheed Alam, a Gaya social worker. The Sikhs offered drinking water and puja materials free of cost to many Chhat devotees in several Bihar towns, including Patna.

Chhat brings tremendous religious fervour and festive spirits to Bihar and Jharkhand.

Source: Asian Age, October 25, 2009

15 lakh children still out of school in Bihar

2009-10-25T19:36:00.001+05:30

Patna: Nearly 15 lakh children are still out of schools in Bihar, prompting the state government to form education committees in all the state-run primary and middle schools for not only looking after organisational matters but also improving the attendance rate of students.
We still have around 15 lakh children away from the schools and we have to bring them to schools, official sources told PTI today.

The state government has decided to set up education committees responsible for looking after daily affairs and ensuring maximum attendance in schools, they said.

Stating that the rate of attendance had registered marked improvement because of the facilities being provided by the state government in schools and drive launched for motivating children to come to school, sources said the committees would prove to be an important tool to bridge the gap.

Initial process for holding elections for the committees has been set in motion by the State Election Authority (SEC) tasked with the job, they said adding the job was tedious as elections would be held for more than 3,000 primary schools in the state. The election process is set to begin from December 2009, they said.

Sources claimed that the committees would improve the functioning of primary and middle schools and help improve the literacy rate in Bihar.

Initially, there will be provisions that only parents of the students with 60% attendance can contest the polls for becoming the members of the committees, they said, adding fifty per cent posts would be reserved for women, sources said.

Chief minister Nitish Kumar has taken keen interest to ensure quality teaching in schools and motivate the children to get enrolled in schemes.

Kumar has also introduced several promotional schemes for school-going students and even given thrust on roping in men in uniform to bring those staying away from schools to schools.

Source: DNA, October 23, 2009

Bihar moots Rajghat-style makeover for neglected Prasad memorial

2009-10-25T19:34:00.001+05:30

After being neglected for decades, India's first president Rajendra Prasad's memorial in this Bihar capital is finally set for a makeover on the lines of Rajghat - the lush green, landscaped memorial dedicated to the father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi in New Delhi.

'The memorial to Rajendra Prasad will be developed on the lines of Rajghat jointly by the state government and the central government,' official sources in the chief minister's office told IANS here Friday.

A high-level meeting presided over by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was held here Thursday to chalk out the Bihar government's plans for Prasad's 125th birth anniversary on Dec 3. The aim is to take his ideas across the country and even to the diaspora abroad.

Nitish Kumar wants a memorial that will inspire generations to come, an official said. He would be writing to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for help to develop the picturesque site on the banks of the Ganges where Prasad was cremated in 1963.

Nitish Kumar had also told a delegation last week that the memorial would be developed on the lines of Rajghat. He also said that no initiative for this had been taken earlier.

Now, the state department of art, culture and youth affairs and tourism has prepared a detailed project report.

'The government is serious about developing the memorial. We have initiated a move to develop it and make it a big tourist attraction,' said state Chief Secretary Anup Mukherjee.

Till a few years ago, the memorial located in the heart of Patna was in shambles. Renovation work started three years ago, but even now it serves as a den for criminals and drug addicts at night - a far cry from Shantivan, dedicated to India's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru, and Rajghat where thousands flock every day.

It is forgotten, barring two days a year - Prasad's birth anniversary on Dec 3 and his death anniversary Feb 28 - when the governor, chief minister and top officials come calling.

Prasad was born Dec 3, 1884, at Zeradei in Bihar's Siwan district and died Feb 28, 1963, in Patna. After 12 years as president - from 1950 to 1962 - he retired and was subsequently awarded the Bharat Ratna, the nation's highest civilian honour. He spent the last months of his life at the Sadaqat Ashram in Patna.

Source: sifynews.com, October 23, 2009

ML to launch stir over govt stand

2009-10-25T19:32:00.000+05:30

Dipak Mishra

PATNA: Even while right and centrist political parties are hurling charges against each other over the implementation of Bandhopadhaya Commission
recommendation on implementation of Bataidari (share croppers) laws in Bihar, the CPI(ML) has decided to launch an agitation to protest the refusal of NDA government government to implement the same.

Two senior CPI(ML) leaders -- Nand Kishore Prasad and Dheerendra Jha -- on Thursday said the party would burn effigy of CM Nitish Kumar across the state for "betraying the poor" and "landless". The party would also hold a two-day meet at Muzaffarpur from October 31 to discuss strategy to launch a major agitation over of the issue, they said.

They accussed Nitish for "misleading" the poor and landless by forming a committee headed by principal secretary (revenue & land reforms) C Ashok Vardhan to study the recommendations of Bandopadhyaya commission.

The two CPI(ML) leaders also accused the government of running away from land reforms. Accusing both Nitish and RJD chief Lalu Prasad of indulging "shadow boxing' to stall the implementation of the recommendations of the land reforms commission, they said parties like RJD, BJP, JD(U) and Congress have been exposed over the issue.

Building constrution minister Chhedi Paswan, on the other hand, asked Lalu Prasad and LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan to come out with a clear statement on the issue of implementation of Bataidari laws. He appealed to land owners not to be "misguided" by the statements of Lalu and Paswan and maintain peace.

He said the issue of Bataidari laws was becoming a confusing issue and the Opposition was only adding to the confusion. He recalled that when he went to lay foundation stones of some buildings in Rohtas and Kaimur districts recently, he found people concerned about the state government's stand on the issue.

The minister said the confusion on the issue was such that some people asked him if the land owners would not be able to do farming on their own fields.

"The people are confused that the state government wants to implement the Bataidari laws," he said. He pointed out that the Bataidari Act came into existence in 1985 during the Congress regime.

"However, neither the Congress nor the Lalu-Rabri regime implemented the Act and Lalu even made public statements that it would not be implemented," the minister said adding that CM Nitish Kumar had made it clear that status quo would be maintained.

"Our position on the Bataidari laws are the same as that of the previous government and no new initiatives will be taken," he said.

Source: Times of India, October 23, 2009

Bihar ranks 10th on RTI parameters

2009-10-25T19:31:00.001+05:30

PATNA: Although Bihar has earned laurels at the national level for taking the initiative to provide information under the RTI Act besides establishing Jankari call centre, the state is placed tenth in the country with regard to RTI parameters. There are 28 informtion commmissions in the states and one at the Centre with altogether 94 information commissioners.

Bihar is far behind Karnataka, Kerala, Punjab, Orissa, Assam and four other states but ahead of West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and other states. This has been revealed in a survey conducted by the National RTI Awards Secretariat to assess the performance of information commissions across the country for National RTI Awards 2009. It is based on the feedback from 6,000 people.

As far as overall public satisfaction with the commssions is concerned, Bihar has been given 31% compared to 55% to Karnataka and 52% to Kerala. The finding said the national average of getting information under RTI is 27%.

These findings were released on Thursday by the Bihar Right to Information Manch.

The Secretariat also analyzed 51,128 orders passed by the information commissioners. Of the cases in which orders were passed, only two per cent of the officials were penalized.

"If an officer does not provide information under the RTI Act, despite an order from the information commission, there is two per cent chance that he would be penalized," the finding said.

There are 23 commissioners who have virtually never imposed any penalty for non-disclosure.

Bihar's two information commissioners Shakeel Ahmad and P N Narayanan have been placed at 30th and 33rd position respectively on effectiveness parametre and the same ranking in imposing penalties.

Source: Times of India, October 23,2009

Nitish says no to new land reform law

2009-10-21T23:01:00.001+05:30

Shoumojit Banerjee

This evokes sharp criticism from the Opposition partie

Patna: Ending months of speculation about passing the “bataidari” (sharecropper) Bill, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has finally declared that his government has no plans to pass the law which would protect the rights of the sharecroppers in the State.

The statement by the Chief Minister, going back on the panel’s recommendations, has evoked sharp criticism from the Opposition parties.

The D. Bandopadhyay Commission for land reforms, which was appointed by Mr. Kumar in 2006, submitted its report in April 2008. The Commission had proposed a new Act to protect the State’s 5.84 lakh homeless sharecroppers.

Mr. Kumar said if this law had not been enacted in a State like West Bengal then there was no chance of it succeeding in Bihar. As of now, the government has not tabled the committee report in the State legislature.

Mr. Kumar’s statement has kicked up a storm with the Opposition, which is now accusing him of running with the hare and hunting with the hounds. The report, while not proposing any transfer of ownership to the bataidars (sharecroppers), discusses the issue of their cultivation as well as suggesting enactment of legislation for the protection of their rights.

‘Party pressure’

“He is now deliberately confusing the issue as he does not have a unique vote base of his own. His primary support comes from the upper castes and he is now facing strong pressure from within his party to prevent enactment of this law,” said CPI (M-L) general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya speaking to The Hindu.

“Nitish has to come out clear on this issue as his government has also rejected the proposition of uniformity in land ceiling,” he added.

“It is one thing to say that Operation Barga has run out of steam in West Bengal and quite another not to attempt any implementation of the panel’s recommendations in Bihar at all,” said Mr. Bhattacharya.

No record of ‘bataidars’

Speaking to The Hindu, Mr. Bandopadhyay castigated Mr. Kumar’s statement and said “Mr. Kumar is wallowing in the quagmire of caste politics and will ultimately drown in its whirlpool”.

“He has not made any attempt to even record the number of ‘bataidars’ in Bihar. He has shown that he lacks courage when it came to implementing the ‘bataidar’ law by developing cold feet and succumbing to the pressures of his party which mainly comprises upper castes,” said Mr. Bandopadhyay, adding that Mr. Kumar did not have the foggiest notion about the Bihar Tenancy Act and was not aware of the law.

Source: Hindu, October 21, 2009

100 starvation deaths in Bihar?

2009-10-21T22:59:00.001+05:30

Agencies, Patna, Oct 20
At least 100 people have died of hunger in the past three years in Bihar, asserts a Supreme Court-appointed official after extensive surveys. But the state government has trashed the claim.
"It is a hard fact that 100 people died of hunger in Bihar in the last three years due to the failure of food- and work- related government schemes," said Rupesh, state adviser to the commissioner of the Supreme Court to monitor the implementation of food-related schemes of the Bihar government.
Rupesh said he had submitted a report on hunger deaths in Bihar to the state government in August and another last week. Copies of the two reports are with IANS including names of the victims.
The reports were also sent to the commissioner of the Supreme Court, N.C. Saxena.
Rupesh said the reports not only confirm the deaths due to hunger but reveal the pathetic situation regarding implementation of food and social security schemes in Bihar.
These schemes include the Integrated Child Development Scheme, the Midday Meal Scheme, the public distribution system, the Antyodaya Anna Yojana, the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, the National Maternity Benefit Scheme, the National Social Assistance Programme, the National Family Benefit Scheme and the Annapurna Yojana.
"Apart from major leakages and corruption, the coverage of government food schemes is so meagre that they leave huge gaping holes in the social security net through which large numbers of most destitute women and men, girls and boys slip into starvation and hunger," said Rupesh.
The reports warned that the situation can worsen "if all possible action is not taken before it becomes uncontrollable".
Bihar has been hit very badly by drought and flood. As many as 26 districts are drought-affected.
Nearly 40 per cent of Bihar's 83 million people live below the poverty line, the highest in India, according to a World Bank report.
Rupesh said researchers led by him visited Begusarai, Muzaffarpur, Gaya, Jehanabad, Nalanda and Patna between June and August. These are the districts where starvation deaths have been reported by the media in the last two-three years.
Rupesh said that in Ratubigha village in Jehanabad district and Jhamawara village in Nalanda district, the block development officer (BDO) did not feel it necessary to send the body for postmortem or get a medical report after alleged starvation death.
In Tetua Tola Kharuna village in Gaya district, Murti Devi in her late 40s died Oct 10. Although the local administration denied that she died of hunger, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has ordered a probe.
In Ratubigha village in Jehanabad district, about 50 km from here, three starvation deaths took place over four days in August, Rupesh said.
Ajay Dome, the son of one of the victims, Chalitar, claimed that his father went without food for eight days before he died. Rupesh's report points out that Ajay and his wife Renu Kumari were not on the BPL list because of which they could not buy food at subsidised rates.
Chalitar' son complained of lack of work and said the family was fighting for survival. He complained he was not getting any subsidised food.
Bihar Agriculture Minister Renu Kumari Kushwaha denied there had been any deaths due to hunger in Bihar. "We have no information of any starvation or hunger death in the state," Kushwaha said.

Source: Central Chronicle, October 21,2009

ML to make land reforms a major poll issue

2009-10-21T22:54:00.001+05:30

Pranava K Chaudhary

PATNA: CPI-ML has decided to make land reforms a major poll agenda in Bihar in the forthcoming assembly election. CM Nitish Kumar sprang a
surprise when he declared that the government would not implement the recommendations of the much publicised Land Reforms Commission report. The commission was headed by a former bureaucrat and an expert on land-related issues D Bandhopadhayay.

"It is shocking that the same government which set up the Land Reforms Commission has now unceremoniously junked the commission's report after sleeping over it for more than a year," said CPI-ML supremo Dipankar Bhattacharya.

He told TOI: "Bihar has been singularly devoid of any bold initiative from the battle of Zamindari abolition to the current debate over minimum recognition of Bataidari rights."

Any government that shies away from this key agenda actually perpetuates social injustice, administrative anarchy and economic stagnation, he said.

To provide proper justice to the sharecroppers, the party has decided to conduct an independent survey of sharecroppers as well as their registration. On the last day of the fourth year of rule of Nitish led government of Bihar on November 24, the party is likely to launch its agitation by observing Bihar bandh call with a call to `Implement Or Quit'.

Experts on land-related issues, including K B Saxena and D Bandhopadhayay, would be mobilized by the party to organize series of meetings in Bihar. To chalk out a sustainable agitation at the grassroot level, the party has convened a two-day meeting at Muzaffarpur commencing on October 31.

The party will bring out a booklet on land reforms in Bihar based on the opinions of political leaders next week. The booklet would be distributed at the grassroot level to generate awareness about the view point of experts and political leaders, said party's Central Committee member Dhirendra Jha.

He told TOI that the book would contain view points of B R Ambedkar, Ram Monohar Lohia, Loknayak Jayaprakash Narayan, Karpoori Thakur, Shahajanand Saraswati and B P Mandal Commission report.

"We will also mobilize land-related experts, policy makers and university teachers throughout the country to garner support in favour of sharecroppers' right," Jha said.

"The ruling elite in Patna as well as Delhi, have always been afraid of the `threat' of change, doing everything possible to thwart it," Bhattacharya said.

Way back in 1992, K B Saxena, a Bihar cadre IAS official now retired, had brought out a similar report on land reforms. The report was never studied properly and has now `disappeared' in the corridor of power.

Source: Times of India, October 21, 2009

GI status sought for Bhagalpur silk fabrics and sarees

2009-10-21T22:49:00.001+05:30


New Delhi, Oct 21 (PTI)
A group of organisations have sought Geographical Indication (GI) status for silk fabrics and sarees produced in Bhagalpur division of Bihar.

The Bhagalpur Regional Handloom Weavers Cooperative Union and six other organisations have filed an application before the Chennai-based Geographical Indication Registry, the competent authority under Government of India, for a GI tag for 'Bhagalpur Silk Fabrics and Sarees'. The Geographical Indication is a sign used on goods that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities, reputation or characteristics that are essentially attributable to that region. Once granted, the GI status would legally prohibit others to sell sarees and fabrics made at places other than Bhagalpur under the same brand. The GI tag for fabrics and sarees can become an effective tool for economic empowerment of the weaver community. "The grant of GI tag to Bhagalpur Silk Fabrics and Sarees would certainly help the local weavers from losing their share in the revenue generated through the sale of these products," Dhananjay Kumar, who works as Cluster Development Executive at a local organisation in Bhagalpur, said. Recently, a similar status was granted to famous Banaras brocades and sarees. In the past, GI tag has been awarded to a number of products or goods, including Darjeeling Tea, Goa Feni and Madhubani Paintings. At present the application for GI tag for Bhagalpur silk fabrics and sarees is in pre-examination stage. A meeting of consultative group of the GI registry is expected next month, which would discuss the application, Kumar said. The application for GI has been filed under class 24 and 25 of the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999. Class 24 of the Act deals with textiles and textile goods, bed and table covers while class 25 is for clothing, footwear and headgear. Bhagalpur, a divisional town in Bihar, is situated on the bank of river Ganga. Thousands of handloom weavers of the area are dependent of the business of silk and related products. Bhagalpur is well known for its sericulture, manufacture of yarn and weaving them into products. The silk produced here is of a distinct and special type. The local silk is known as 'Tussah' or 'Tusser' silk. Source: Deccan Herald, October 21, 2009

Bihar Govt in denial over starvation deaths?

2009-10-21T22:45:00.001+05:30

V.Swaroop

The Bihar government is unaware of any starvation death in the state. Though Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had recently directed all district magistrates of 38 districts of the state to keep a tab on any case of starvation, it has not received information of even one instance.

However, the Advisor to the Commissioner of Supreme Court, to monitor the implementation of food-related schemes of the Bihar government, has said in a report there have been 100 starvation deaths in the last three years in the state - based on media reports.

The report was submitted to the Commissioner of the Supreme Court N.C. Saxena on October 16.

The report, which points to gaping holes in implementation of different schemes, assumes significance as 26 out of 38 districts in Bihar had been declared drought affected.

The state's Minister for Food and Consumer Protection Narendra Singh expressed surprised. "We are not aware of this figure. How can you prove that the deaths were caused by starvation? They might have died due to some disease," he said.

Rupesh, the state advisor to the commissioner of the Supreme Court, does agree that it is difficult to establish starvation deaths because even after three days food can be traced in the dead bodies. "But, surprisingly enough, no post-mortem was carried of people who died of starvation," he said. "It is a fact that people died of hunger in Bihar in the last three years due to the failure of food- and work-related government schemes.

He cites the example of Ratubigha village in Jehanabad district and Jhamawara village in Nalanda district, where the block development officer did not send the body for post-mortem or get a medical report after an alleged starvation death. "In Tetua Tola Kharuna village in Gaya district, Murti Devi in her late forties died on October 10. Although the local administration denied that she died of hunger, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has ordered a probe," he said.

The schemes mentioned in the report include the Integrated Child Development Scheme, the Midday Meal Scheme, and public distribution system, the Antyodaya Anna Yojana, the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, the National Maternity Benefit Scheme, the National Social Assistance Programme, the National Family Benefit Scheme and the Annapurna Yojana.

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in its investigation into alleged starvation deaths in Orissa had laid down some important principals. First of is that death is not necessary as evidence of starvation. In the words of Chaman Lal, former special rapporteur of the NHRC, "a person does not have to die to prove that he is starving."

Source: Hindustan Times, Patna, Oct. 21, 2009

Bihar to launch E-shakti scheme

2009-10-18T13:21:00.000+05:30

Patna: Aiming to root out corruption in implementation of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) in Bihar, the State Government has decided to cover one million beneficiaries under the E-shakti scheme by March 31, 2010.

“In the very first year, the project, with the help of service provider Smaartech Technologies limited, will cover beneficiaries from Patna district. This will entail issuing 10 lakh E-shakti cards in over 1300 villages spread over 23 blocks in the district,” Smaartech Director (Bihar) B.K. Mishra said here.

Mr. Mishra said subsequently over the next four years, the project would be set up in the remaining 37 districts to cover 24 million NREGS beneficiaries in approximately 39,000 villages spread over 534 blocks.

In total, about three crore E-shakti cards would be distributed under the State pilot project. Smart cards have already been processed for job card holders of village Baritangrila and the rest of the beneficiaries will be issued their personalised E-shakti cards once the smart card distribution starts in a few months. E-shakti project is an initiative by the Rural Development Department of Bihar Government.

Since there had been allegations that the NREGS is beset with corruption and there is no proper method of work measurement, taking attendance and disbursing wages, the ICT (Information and Communication Technology) has been used to rid NREGS of corruption charges, official sources said.

The E-shakti would also facilitate registration process of individuals which includes recording of personal information as well as biometric information (photograph and all 10 fingerprints), Mr. Mishra said.

The E-shakti project was inaugurated on February 24, 2009 in the Paliganj block of Patna district by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and till now around 8.76 lakh village labourers of 14 blocks have been registered under it.

An estimated 3000 smart cards have already been distributed.

Mr. Mishra said the information technology application was introduced to bring effective coordination in execution, better targeting of beneficiaries, establishing transparency and accountability, e-based grievance redressal mechanism and establishing state of art financial management systems.

All these together constitute a complete technological solution for the preparation and execution of poverty alleviation programmes in Bihar, Mr. Mishra said.

The project, when fully becoming functional, would empower the rural economy of the State.

Mr. Mishra said Bihar thus became the first state in the country to start a call centre under E-shakti project dedicated exclusively to NREGS.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had on October 14 inaugurated the E-shakti call centre in Patna by dialling a toll free number 18003452244 and asking a few questions regarding E-shakti. -- PTI

Source: Hindu, October 17,2009

Biometric attendance system in civic bodies soon

2009-10-18T13:18:00.000+05:30

Sanjeev Kumar Verma,

PATNA: To ensure punctuality among employees of urban local bodies (ULBs), the state urban development department has decided to introduce
biometric attendance system. In the first phase, the system would be introduced in all the 11 municipal corporations of the state.

The new system entails introduction of hand-held biometric devices which will have fingerprints of employees stored in them. The moment an employee would touch the device, the gadget would match the finger impression with that of the stored data and if both match, the attendance would be recorded.

The system would be applicable for both the field and office employees and an official would be assigned the task of registering the attendance using the device.

Needless to say, the new system would make latecomers mend their ways. It would also help check cases of impersonation as it has been reported that many sanitation staff send someone else from their family to do their job.

"We have already invited expression of interest from agencies specialising in such devices and the process of procuring the devices should be over in a month," Bihar Urban Development Agency (BUDA) director D K Shukla told TOI on Thursday.

BUDA, which works under the urban development department, has also planned to upload the data recorded by the attendance registration devices to the website of the urban development department in real time. "Apart from helping senior officials to keep a tab on the punctuality of ULBs' staff, the information on the website can also be used by common people to know how many field officials of their area are actually present on a given day," he added.

To begin with, 20 such devices would be procured for Patna Municipal Corporation and 10 devices each for other municipal corporations. "Based on the experience, we would think about introducing a similar system for other ULBs of the state," Shukla said.

Source: TNN 16 October 2009

State takes Rs 2000-cr loan from market to pay salaries

2009-10-18T13:14:00.002+05:30

State takes Rs 2000-cr loan from market to pay salaries
DIPAK MISHRA

PATNA: Skyrocketing real state prices, rising demand for cars, upcoming malls and shopping complexes and the rush to by gold ornaments may give anyone a misleading notion about economic buoyancy in Bihar.

"Due to implementation of the Sixth Central Pay Commission recommendations, the financial condition of states is under strain. Bihar has, however, not felt the pinch of recession like Maharashtra and Gujarat," said deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi. He said the implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission recommendation was a compulsion.

The state has taken loans to the tune of Rs 2,000 crore from the market to pay hiked salaries and pensions to its employees. "We took this loan now because the interest rates are going to climb later," Modi, who also holds the finance portfolio, said. He pointed out that the loan was still within the limitation prescribed by the Union government 4% of the state GDP if the state wants to avail of the loan-waiver scheme. He, however, said the final financial figures for the current fiscal was still to come like the shortfall in state's share Central taxes. He did not rule out the possibility of taking more loans to support the state's development programmes.

Before the implementation of of Sixth Pay Commission recommendations, the total expenditure of the state in payment of salaries and pension was Rs 11,405 crore per year. Now it is estimated to be around Rs 16,000 crore. The budgetary outlay of current fiscal stands at Rs 47,447 crore. The state government, like most of the states, is heavily dependent on its share in Central revenue. Initially, the shortfall was estimated to be just Rs 2,000 crore. Subsequently, however, the state finance department estimated a drop of Rs 5,000 crore further compounding the financial strains on the state. There is speculation that Bihar will not be able to support its Rs 16,000 crore annual Plan size on the existing finances.

"The shooting up of real estate price and huge sales of vehicles in Bihar is not giving the true picture of the state's financial conditions. The truth is that the state''s tax base is very limited. Whereas other states raise taxes to the tune of Rs 30,000 to Rs 40,000 crore annually, Bihar's internal revenue is only to the tune of Rs 5,000 crore to Rs 6,000 crore. It is the only state where the barter system still exists," said economist Saibal Gupta.

He pointed out that financial projections of Central taxes can be misleading. "Between the 10th and 11th Finance Commission periods, Bihar got Rs 14,000 crore less than what was projected. The only solution is increasing the state's own tax base," he said.

Source: TNN 16 October 2009

Universal education still not reaching girls, underprivileged

2009-10-18T13:12:00.001+05:30

Sangeeta Singh and Pallavi Singh

New Delhi: The government’s push to get all children between the ages of 6 and 14 into school seems to be having mixed results: overall enrolment has indeed increased, but girls and the underprivileged aren’t deriving their fair share of the benefits.

The numbers indicate that the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) programme may be achieving its mandate, with as many as 96.5% of the children in the target group nationwide attending school, according to a survey conducted by the human resource development (HRD) ministry.

SSA, the government’s flagship universal education programme, was launched in 2001-02. Enrolment increased from 131 million in 2001-02 to 182 million in 2004-05. Out-of-school children dropped from 32 million in 2001-02 to 7.1 million in 2005-06, a 78% reduction.

As much as Rs28,077 crore, excluding additional funding by state governments, was spent between 2002 and 2007 on the programme, part of the government’s initiative to promote inclusive growth.

But the programme hasn’t had as beneficial an effect among sections of society that need it the most, according to data restricted to 10 states and one union territory.

Push for education: Children at a government primary school in Amazir village, Madhya Pradesh. Several states have introduced incentives such as free textbooks and bicycles for girls to go to school this year. Madhu Kapparath / Mint
The selective data showed that the enrolment of girls had risen by just 0.62 percentage point—and was still less than half—from 46.43% in 2003 to 47.05% in 2007. Among scheduled castes (SC) and scheduled tribes (ST), enrolment had actually fallen from 32.9% to 31.84%.

Experts say the institutional mindset towards children from these categories could be hindering the programme. Motivation is key to pushing such children to make use of the system, according to Anita Rampal, a professor at Delhi University’s department of education.

What’s important “is that the school ethos is supportive of such children”, Rampal said. “In many schools, including even Delhi, teachers usually do not have much expectations from these children. That’s how children’s experience of a classroom is constructed.”

The survey shows that the enrolment of girls had also fallen in Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Chandigarh between 2003 and 2007. The enrolment of SC and ST children had fallen in Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal in the same period.

Given that one of SSA’s key objectives is to bridge gender and social category gaps at the primary stage by 2007 and at elementary education level by 2010, several state governments such as Bihar and Madhya Pradesh have introduced incentives such as free textbooks and bicycles for girls to go to school this year.

The HRD ministry has announced several initiatives under the 11th Plan to boost educational standards among the SC and ST communities, including the setting up of 20 Navodaya Vidyalayas and 10 schools in districts having a large concentration of these communities.

“The states need to make sure that the enrolment of girls and SC and STs improve as, besides overall improvement in enrolment ratio, the objective of SSA is also to narrow inequality,” said a Planning Commission official, who did not want to be identified.

The HRD ministry’s presentation said student absenteeism (less than 75% attendance) was high in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Assam. The reasons: work at home (sibling care and helping parents), ill health, festivals and seasonal migration.

It also adds that some habitations in Bihar, Assam, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and West Bengal do not have access to any school.

The SSA programme, widely hailed for its achievements in universal enrolment, has often been criticized for its lack of flexibility in funding patterns and the absence of any concrete mechanism to assess teaching-learning outcomes.

“The measurement of teaching-learning is also key to the success of such programmes,” Rampal said. The curriculum doesn’t “just mean what the textbooks say, but also what happens in the classroom”.

sangeeta.s@livemint.com

Source: Mint, Delhi, October 15,2009

Expand and re-orient NREGA

2009-10-18T12:45:00.002+05:30

P.S. Appu

Soon after assuming office, the first UPA government took an impressive step for the alleviation of rural poverty by launching the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme. It was, indeed, a wise move to insulate the programme from the vicissitudes of electoral politics by enacting the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA). The implementation of the programme has been uneven. A large number of articles have appeared in the press pointing out the defects in impl ementation. On September 19, The Hindu published an article by Professor Jean Drèze, “Employment guarantee or slave labour?” It reveals a sorry state of affairs. Every effort should be made to remove the shortcomings and ensure better implementation. Despite all its failings, the NREGA has proved to be a boon to the rural poor. It is now necessary to expand and re-orient the NREGA. That is the theme of this article.

The NREGA evolved into its present shape by building on past experience in designing and executing schemes for providing employment. The new programme is an improvement on its predecessors. There is greater flexibility and the implementing agencies have freedom to start new works according to necessity. Though the main emphasis is on providing employment, the law also aims at the creation of durable productive assets. The present recession is a promising moment to expand the programme with greater emphasis on the second objective of building social capital in a big way.

Great scope for building social capital on a massive scale. More than half a century ago, Ragnar Nurkse, the distinguished Cambridge economist, had pointed out that capital starved over-populated countries could build social capital in a big way by employing the surplus labour on a variety of projects. He had listed schemes concerning irrigation, drainage, roads, railways, housing, etc. In his view, the only danger was the onset of inflation caused by the increased demand for food and other wage goods. Though the Indian planners were aware of Nurkse’s prescription, they could not have implemented the idea in the pre-Green Revolution era of precarious food supply. Now we have ample stocks of food grains. And our industry will welcome the enhanced demand for consumer goods. We can, therefore, employ the surplus labour for building social capital in a big way without incurring any risk.

National Rural Development Board. There is considerable scope for absorbing vast quantities of human labour in well planned projects of soil and water conservation, rain water harvesting, irrigation and drainage works, flood control, watershed development, de-silting and maintenance of numerous water bodies, both manmade and natural, and an ambitious programme of afforestation aimed at restoring green cover throughout the country. In that enormous programme, governments’ efforts should be supplemented by suitable NGOs, co-operative societies, joint stock companies and so on. The present ad hoc approach aimed at providing immediate employment should yield place to a systematic, well planned, well co-ordinated effort.

Such an ambitious programme would necessitate the setting up of a National Rural Development Board clothed with adequate statutory powers. It should be a lean organisation responsible for policy and overall guidance. Under the Board there should be a well staffed regional office for each major river basin to handle planning, formulation of projects, co-ordination between major watersheds, technical guidance and supervision, maintenance of the assets created and so on. The valley of a big river will naturally include a number of major watersheds. Every major watershed should have a small office for coordinating and supervising the work within that watershed. The Panchayati Raj set up should handle the work within the district. The expanded programme will generate employment on a large scale, both for skilled and unskilled hands. The afforestation project will absorb a large number of rural workers, many on a permanent basis.

Two basic suggestions for better implementation: The fatal weakness of NREGA is poor implementation. The main reasons for shoddy execution are the decline and degeneration of the administration at all levels, particularly at the block level, and the lukewarm, half-hearted approach to democratic decentralisation. As I am out of touch with field conditions, I am unable to present a comprehensive proposal for setting things right. However, as a Collector in North Bihar five decades ago I had closely observed the robust functioning of the block administration. In 1981-82, I had occasion to see the sorry state of the block set up in several States that I visited as Director of the National Academy. As far as the Panchayati Raj is concerned, I had the privilege of serving on the review committees set up by two States, Karnataka and Kerala. Relying on these slight exposures I have mustered the courage to make the following radical suggestions.

Induct Block Development Officers of a higher calibre. The responsibility of the BDO is so onerous that it should be held by an officer of a much higher calibre. I suggest that after the completion of their training, all IAS officers should serve as BDOs for at least three years. The implementation of this suggestion will provide only about 300 officers. The country would need some 6000 bright young men and women to work as BDOs.

I put forward three suggestions for getting the required number of officers. The annual recruitment to the All India and Central Services may be stepped up by 50 per cent. After six months’ training, the new recruits should serve as BDOs for two years. Thereafter the required number may be allotted to the different services on the basis of their performance, aptitude and choice. The rest may continue as BDOs. A two-year stint as BDO will prove to be an invaluable experience even for those joining the foreign service.

The second suggestion is that short term contracts may be offered to the products of IITs, Regional Engineering Colleges, national law schools and so on. They could be posted as BDOs after being trained for six months. At the end of the contract some may be absorbed in government service and the others may move on to jobs of their choice elsewhere. Companies in the public and private sectors may be persuaded to offer them suitable employment giving credit for their service in the Block.

A third possibility is to depute young officers from the State services and public sector banks to work as BDOs for fixed periods after a short orientation course. The matter, of course, calls for a more thorough consideration.

The District Officer to be the Chief Executive of the District Panchayat. Thoroughgoing democratic decentralisation is the only way in which this sprawling country of great diversity can be governed efficiently. The Seventy Third Amendment to the Constitution providing for the creation of panchayats at the district, intermediate and village levels was a giant step forward. The State governments have, however, been reluctant to empower the panchayats. Their approach has been half-hearted and lukewarm. Even so, in the larger public interest, the States should be persuaded to delegate adequate powers to the panchayats.

After considerable introspection, I have come to the conclusion that the District Officer, variously designated as Collector, Collector and District Magistrate, or Deputy Commissioner, should be the Chief Executive of the district panchayat. This single step will go a long way in strengthening the Panchayati Raj. The District Officer should, of course, have under him at least four senior officers to handle work relating to law and order, land revenue, development and Panchayati Raj. Initially there will be many hitches and irritants. A sub-clause should be added in Article 243-C of the Constitution spelling out the powers of the Chairperson and the Chief Executive.

Such a clear demarcation of powers and responsibilities will hopefully reduce friction and promote mutual respect, understanding and cooperation between the two functionaries. Furthermore, hand-picked officers of 10-12 years of service should be appointed District Officers and the Chairmen should be seasoned public persons. I hope that in due course, the relationship between the Chairperson and the Chief Executive will settle down to resemble that between the Chief Minister and the Chief Secretary. In the initial stages, however, the relationship could be like that between the non- executive chairman and the managing director of a large company. I know that this proposal is highly controversial. It will be opposed both by politicians and bureaucrats. However, in my considered view, this radical step will facilitate the better implementation of the re-oriented NREGA.

The massive effort in building social capital outlined in this essay could trigger higher productivity of land and labour, diversification of agriculture and faster industrial growth. It would also mitigate the suffering inflicted by chronic drought and flash floods.

What I have presented is not an action plan or a project report for reorienting NREGA. It is only the rough outline of a fond vision I have been nursing for a long time. I shall be happy if this article provokes purposeful discussion.

(P.S. Appu is a former Chief Secretary of Bihar and former Director of the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration, Mussoorie. He can be reached at: psappu@hotmail.com)

Source: Hindu, October 14, 2009

Teachers' bodies against DEO inspections

2009-10-13T22:53:00.001+05:30

B K Mishra
PATNA: Taking strong exception to the inspections being conducted by the district education officers (DEOs), regional deputy directors of education and deputy directors of HRD in the constituent colleges and post-graduate departments of different universities, Federation of University Teachers Associations of Bihar (Futab) has urged the chancellor to intervene and save the teachers from humiliation and harassment.

Futab working president K B Sinha said that DEOs of Samastipur and Darbhanga visited R B College, Dalsinghsarai and CM Science College, Darbhanga, recently with an order of HRD directing them to inspect the colleges. Many DEOs have written to different college principals intimating them about their authority to inspect their colleges as and when they desire. A deputy director of HRD inspected Veer Kuar Singh University office and its post-graduate departments few days back. The authority of vice-chancellors and principals is being challenged which is unfortunate, he added.

Sinha said that a delegation of Futab and Fustab, which met the chancellor recently, intimated him about the intention of the HRD to humiliate the university teachers. The delegation was assured by the chancellor that officers whose power are limited to the affairs of schools shall not be allowed to enter colleges for the purpose of inspection, etc.

Futab also expressed its unhappiness over the way the teachers are being treated in this state since 1990. The teachers were much more comfortable during Congress rule as they never felt humiliated. But whatever the teachers had got are being robbed off in a planned manner. The government of late Karpoori Thakur also extended the respect the teachers expected, his magnanimity being unparalleled.

The Futab leaders expressed hope that the political leadership of the state will intervene timely to put a break on the high-handedness of the people entrusted with the task of running the affairs of higher education."

Source: Times of India, Patna, 13 October 2009

Nitish denies Muslim appeasement charge

2009-10-13T22:48:00.001+05:30

PATNA: Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar has rejected the RSS-VHP charge that the NDA government headed by him is pursuing a Muslim appeasement
policy.

"We believe in inclusive development and we are committed to developing every section of the society. In this process, the backward sections have been given special attention and there is nothing wrong in it," Kumar told media persons on Monday without naming the VHP or RSS.

He denied differences with the BJP on the issue of governance and said that the government was being run on a common minimum programme. Asked specifically about the allegations made by RSS leaders at their Rajgir meeting and VHP leader Pravin Togadia's remarks here on Sunday, he said, "In a democracy, everyone has the right to express his views and I don't need to enter into a debate with everyone."

Kumar also clarified that the Arabic and Persian University move was initiated years ago, and not by him. "My government only notified this university and made it a reality as there existed only a signboard earlier," he said.

The CM laughed off the allegations made by his political opponents that he was indulging in caste-based politics. "I am instead bringing all the castes and communities closer for the first time in Bihar and I will continue with my policies without any modification. It is for the people of Bihar to judge my performance and policies in the next Assembly elections," he said.

He said the government will make 10,000 fresh recruitments besides clearing the backlog of 3,000 vacancies in the police force. He has also ordered creation of a model police station.

Regarding land disputes, the CM said he has directed all the SPs to look into the police role in such disputes and find out whether the police had acted rightly or wrongly. Similarly, the DMs have been directed to monitor the performance of field officials in such matters.

Reacting to RJD chief Lalu Prasad's statement on bringing discipline in the party, Nitish quipped, "Lalu and discipline just cannot go together." On LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan's comment that the term `Mahadalit' is an abuse, Nitish retorted, "Those who do not want to see the development of the poorest of the poor are feeling uncomfortable.

Source: Times of India, October 13, 2009

Ferry tax generates fresh controversy

2009-10-13T22:44:00.000+05:30

VARANASI: The bid of contractors of Zila Panchayat (ZP) to realise ferry tax from boatmen operating boats on the Ganga has generated a new controversy. The boatmen are terming it a violation of their Fundamental Rights and warning that if the `religious activities' were brought under the taxation, they would be compelled to a decisive battle. As a first step, they staged a massive demonstration at Zila Panchayat on Monday and did not operate their boats for the day.

They alleged that the contractors of ZP were forcing them to pay Rs 100 on the operation of bazra (big size boats) and Rs 50 for small boats or Rs 2 per passenger. This amount was being realised after every trip they made. They warned that if the decision to realise ferry tax from the boatmen was not withdrawn, they would intensify their agitation and also stop boat operation on the day of the Dev Deepawali.

Their another contention was that the Zila Panchayat's jurisdiction was limited to boats being used totally for commercial purposes and not over those being used for religious ones that had procured their licence from the Varanasi Nagar Nigam (VNN).

According to mukhya adhikari of ZP Rajendra Prasad, the contract to realise ferry tax from the boatmen is allotted twice a year. This time it started with the beginning of October. He said tax realisation is done at the ghats that have been designated as `nauka ghat'. The Dashashwamedh Ghat is also among such nauka ghats. Boatmen operating from Asi to Rajghat come under this ghat, most of who have licence of VNN. Prasad said boatmen who take contract for ferrying for commercial gains come under the process of taxation.

With the allotment of fresh contract by ZP, boatmen with licence from the Varanasi Nagar Nigam and operating on the Ganga along the scenic ghats are also being forced by the contractors to pay ferry tax. It made the boatmen fraternity angry and they reached ZP on Monday to register their protest. The president of Maa Ganga Nishad Raj Seva Samiti, Vinod Kumar Nishad, said since time immemorial, religious activities like Mundan, Yajnopavit, Ganga Pujaiyya and others had been taking place on the banks of the Ganga. He said ferrying people for performing such rituals was their main source of income. But, now the same activities were being brought under the process of taxation, which would put burden on them as their income was very meagre.

Ramesh Chopra of Ganga Seva Abhiyan claimed the boatmen had been operating on the Ganga for generations, but neither the Mughals nor the Britishers imposed any tax on the religious activities. He admitted that there was a provision to realise tax from boats that were carrying goods like wood, vegetable, milk and passengers. But, the ZP had now imposed tax on those boatmen who were the integral part of religious activities. It was an open violation of the Fundamental Rights given to every Indian by the Constitution. He said when the government was not providing any facility to the boatmen, then how could any agency force them to pay tax. The boatmen termed the ferry tax as 'Goonda Tax'. He also questioned how Zila Panchayat could realise tax from boatmen who had procured their licence from the Varanasi Nagar Nigam.

Municipal commissioner Nand Kishore made it very clear that the boats operating in VNN's area of jurisdiction were bound to seek licence from the same agency. But, there was no provision of realising any ferry tax in VNN, he claimed. However, the ZP mukhya adhikari said as the matter was contradictory, it would be taken to the court of the divisional commissioner.

Source: Times of India, October 13, 2009

Bihar to hand over closed sugar mills on lease

2009-10-13T22:41:00.001+05:30

PATNA: In its sustained bid to promote sugar industries in Bihar, the State Government has decided to hand over its two closed sugar mills to a private entrepreneur on long-term lease.

A Delhi-based firm — Tirhut Industries emerged as the successful bidder for taking over the two closed mills — Ryam in Darbhanga and Sakri in Madhubani district, recently, a senior official said.

The letter of intent to Tirhut Industries would be issued within a day or two, he told PTI.

Ryam and Sakri sugar mills, owned by Bihar State Sugar Corporation, was being handed over to Tirhut Industries on a lease amount of Rs 9.11 crore and Rs 18.25 crore, respectively, for a period of 60 years extendable for another 30 years, the official sai d.

The private firm would revive Ryam sugar factory, he said, adding it would develop a major ancillary unit in Sakri unit with an estimated investment of Rs 300 to Rs 350 crore.

The State Government would provide an additional 42 acres of land for setting up big sugar unit at Ryam. Both these units, which were lying sick for more than a decade, were smaller units in terms of crushing capacity as their capacity were only just 1, 000 tonnes crushed per day but Ryam unit would have a sugar mill, a distillery unit, an ethanol plant and co-power generation, sources said. — PTI

Source: Hindu Business Line, October 13, 2009

National Spot Exchange wants to sign MoU with Bihar govt for expansion

2009-10-11T23:02:00.001+05:30

PTI
Patna: The National Spot Exchange (NSE) has proposed to sign an agreement with Bihar government seeking to expand its area of operation in the fields of agriculture and food processing.

NSE managing director-cum-chief executive officer Anjani Sinha called on deputy chief minister-cum-finance minister SK
Modi and submitted the proposals for signing the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the state's agriculture and food and consumer protection departments.

Sinha said the NSE is a pan India institutionalised, transparent delivery based electronic spot exchange which enables the farmers to sell farm produce directly to the processors and exporters located anywhere in India.

It has been promoted by Financial Technologies India Limited and NAFED, the apex national-level farmers' cooperative, Sinha said.

"NSE's objective is to reduce intermediation marketing efficiency, our pilot project, which we launched in Khagaria district's Maheshkhunt region this year has proved highly successful as the NSE was able to purchase 30mn tonnes of maize from farmers there at extremely competitive prices, thereby benefiting farmers, who didn't have to worry about how and where to sell their produce, he said.

The NSE is already operational in seven states of the country including Maharashtra, Karnataka, Bihar, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh. Sinha said NSE had offered its facilities to support the farmers of Bihar in allcommodities, which are not highly perishable and where Bihar has got marketable surplus.

NSE has entered into MoU with various state governments such as Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra and last month it has signed mou with Orissa government.

"We are interested to sign a similar MoU with the state government through department of Agriculture+, he said adding
the agriculture extension network of the department of agriculture could work jointly with NSE for creating awareness
among farmers about e-trading facilities.

NSE can provide its services to the department of food and consumer protection in respect of procurement of maize under
MSP operation.

For this purpose, government may appoint NSE as its state agency to carry out this job, Sinha said.

"It will also be extremely beneficial to the farmers of Bihar, because the spot price in Bihar for maize is always ruling at lower than MSP. National Spot Exchange has done MSP operation in Andhra Pradesh in cotton, where around 14000 farmers were directly benefited," he said.Sinha said the NSE can provide its procurement service in mentha oil, which is a costly cash crop.

Most of the mentha oil processors and exporters are already connected with NSE and therefore, NSE can buy out entire mentha crop of Bihar, he said.

For this purpose, certain modifications are required in the current VAT notifications, he said , adding in order to
boost the mentha production, the government should exempt mentha oil from VAT, as it is produced by farmers.

"If the government wants to attract industrialists to set up menthol industry in Bihar, it should provide suitable tax benefits and incentives/subsidies to this industry and then, within one year, there could be revolution in the trade, which in turn will double the farmers, income producing mentha oil.

Jammu announced similar tax benefits and incentives and with 1-2 years, most of the exporters set up their processing factories there.

In order to support agriculture marketing and to revolutionise agriculture economy, national spot exchange will work with the government for exploring various ideas concerning various farm produce, which are produced in the state, he added.

Source: DNA, October 10,2009

Whose city is this?

2009-10-10T18:46:00.003+05:30

K.C. Sivaramakrishnan

The state of cities

The Maharashtra Assembly elections have once again brought on to the surface the old controversy about migration, and ‘outsiders’ swamping Mumbai. At the other end of the spectrum, the recently released UNDP Human Development Report asserts quite clearly that migration is not a whimsical move but is a carefully thought out economic decision which boosts economic output at little or no cost to locals.

Leaving the theories of migration aside, it is important to be clear about the quantum of migration within India and who is going where. During the intercensal period 1991-2001, the total number of people who moved was no more than 98 million. Out of this ‘rural to rural’ was more than half, amounting to 53.3 million. Farm workers moving from Bihar or UP to Punjab or Haryana or from Orissa to Andhra are examples. The ‘rural to urban’ component was only 20.6 million; ‘urban to urban’ was another 14.3 million — making a total of about 35 million people.

Out of this number, about 12.5 million moved to the 34 major urban agglomerations. The 2001 Census does carry information about what portions of these migrants are from within the state and the number from outside. There are only 7 metropolitan cities where migrants from outside the state are more than the migrants from within. Delhi, of course, tops the list with 94 per cent from outside, but since the original settlers of Delhi are miniscule, it should be taken out of reckoning in a migration analysis. Of the remaining 6, it is Faridabad that tops the list for migration from other states with 83.6 per cent and not Mumbai as is commonly believed where the share of migrants from outside the state is much less at 63 per cent. Jamshedpur, Ludhiana and Dhanbad have percentages ranging from 71 to 64.

Of course in absolute numbers, Mumbai received about 15.7 lakhs during the 1991-2001 period, but in other cities of Maharashtra the proportion of migrants from within the state was much more such as 79 per cent in Nashik, 66 per cent in Pune and 54 per cent in Nagpur. Should the demand of some political leaders to close the doors against outsiders be invoked against the 13 lakhs people who moved into these 3 cities from within Maharashtra? Who is the insider, who is the outsider and how long should the label stick?

The UNDP report also highlights the fact that most migration takes place within the region of origin. The choice before a migrant is harsh and what he will face in the destination city is even more so. Assuming he does get a job on arrival, the migrant has to find his way through a complex web of illegality and extraction from ration card to shelter, enduring severe lack of basic services. The migrant also needs a minimum contact point at the destination city; a nail perhaps to hang his shirt on and after a few months, an outlet to charge his cell phone. But he does not usually traverse long distances and he ends up within his state or region. About 80 to 90 per cent of the migrants moving into Rajkot, Vijayawada, Madurai, Coimbatore, Hyderabad or Patna are all from within the respective states.

The tirade against migration, especially from other states, also conveniently overlooks the simple fact that the economy and well-being of most of the destination cities depends on their access to the all-India market. The increase in employment in big cities also requires a steady supply of labour. The net domestic product and per capita income has been conspicuous in its increase in a few states. The 2006 per capita income figure for Maharashtra is about Rs 30,000/- and the net domestic product of Rs 386,000 crores is a five-fold increase over the past 10 years. So it is with Andhra or Tamil Nadu. It is also worth noting that Maharashtra has a little over 13 per cent of the country’s factories and employment. Tamil Nadu has 15 per cent of both and Andhra 11.3 per cent of the factories and 10.7 per cent of the employment.

These are parts of the country’s economic engine and not to be regarded as the fragmented and exclusive preserve of the respective states. It is pointless to argue that investment, capital and goods can move without hindrance, but not people. The compulsion for striking political postures are understood, but they should not imperil the economic integrity of the country.

The writer is Professor and Chairman of the Centre for Policy Research, Delhi

Source: Indian Express, 10 October 2009

ASI to develop ancient site of Vikramshila Mahavihara

2009-10-10T18:41:00.002+05:30

Pranava K Chaudhary
PATNA: Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has chalked out a comprehensive plan to develop the ancient site of Vikramshila Mahavihara (8th
century AD) as an international tourist destination. The site is located 47 km away from Bhagalpur railway station.

ASI DG K N Srivastava on Friday reached Bhagalpur to visit the site to finalize a master plan to develop it. Ancient Vikramshila complex would be developed at par with ancient Nalanda. Srivastava will visit the ancient site on Saturday morning.

Vikramshila Mahavihara was founded during the rule of Pala king Dharmapala (CE 783-820) and remained an important centre of learning for about four centuries.

"We have chalked out a comprehensive plan to develop the ancient site as well as its surroundings to make it an international tourist destination. The plan would be finalized after the on the spot visit of the DG," said superintending archaeologist, ASI, Patna circle, S K Manjul.

He told TOI that the integrated management plan would mainly include strengthening of the existing museum, outer and inner development of horticulture as per the suitability of the site, its conservation, chemical treatment and beautification.

The road connectivity to the main site would also be one of the major parts of development plans of the site, Manjul said.

Currently, the upkeep and maintenance of the site is not up to the mark. "Due to the lack of proper maintenance and conservation of the site, some of the artifacts are fast decaying," said a local teacher. The conservation work is urgently needed to protect this site.

Former HoD of ancient Indian history and archaeology, Patna University, the late B P Sinha had conducted its first excavation on the highest mound of the site in 1960 and continued till 1969. Later, an excavation of the site was conducted by the ASI from 1971-72 to 1982 under the supervision of B S Verma. "A unique feature of the Vikramshila is its dozen underground cells at the depth of 1.35 meter. These underground cells might have been used by monks for meditation. The number of monk scholars at Vikramshila in the 12th century is estimated to be about 3,000," said a professor of the department of ancient Indian history, culture and archaeology, T M Bhagalpur University, Rajiva K Sinha.

He said that the Vikramshila Mahavihara was the major centre of the tantric cult of the Buddhism. Sinha recently published a research paper on `The Making of Vikramshila Mahavihara: Material Milieu and Socio-Economic Context' in the Indian International Journal of Buddhist Studies.

Source: Times of India, Patna, 10 Oct.2009

Land reforms measures must to promote harmony

2009-10-10T18:38:00.001+05:30

B K Mishra
PATNA: Leaders of various political parties on Friday observed that delay in implementation of the Bihar Land Reforms Commission recommendations
would lead to anarchy in the society and promote the age-old policy of might is right.

They felt most of the mass killings have taken place in Bihar due to land disputes and it is not going to stop unless land reforms measures were implemented sincerely and pleaded for launching a mass movement for its implementation.

Addressing a seminar on `Land Reforms in Bihar' organized by Patna University Democratic Teachers' Forum at Darbhanga House here on Friday, CPI(ML) general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya wondered why the Nitish government is shying away from implementing the Bandopadhyaya Commission report. Lack of political will is alone responsible for the tardy progress of land reforms, he said. Describing land reforms as an essential part of the national agenda, Bhattacharya said that globalisation and economic liberalisation had changed the land use pattern considerably. Land is no longer meant only for agriculture as people have become more interested now-a-days in real estate and industries. The old demand of land to the tillers is unlikely to be fulfilled under these conditions, he added.

Former state chief minister Jagannath Mishra pleaded for formulation of a time-bound programme for distribution of land to the landless agricultural labourers. Investments in minor irrigation, water resources and soil conservation would benefit these landless people only when they get land. He said that the recommendations of the recent Land Reforms Commission were practical hence the government must initiate steps for their implementation.

PU economics department head B P Singh, CPI state secretary B N Lal, Socialist Unity Centre of India leader Arun Kumar Singh were among those who expressed their views on the occasion.

Patna University (PU) economics teacher and forum convener Nawal Kishore Chaudhary, in his presidential remarks, observed that the state cannot develop without faithful implementation of land reform measures.

Source: Times of India, October 10,2009

Industries constitute 20% pollution of Ganga

2009-10-10T18:35:00.000+05:30

DAVANAGERE: It has been estimated that over 20% of the pollution of the river Ganga is mainly due to industries, said Prof Arun Kumar, head of
alternative hydro-energy centre, IIT, Roorkee.

He was a delivering a lecture on `River Ganga -- state of environment and water quality' at the civil engineering department of BIET,, Davanagere as part of the celebrations of Engineers Day. In order to improve upon the quality of Ganga river water, as per the acceptable standards, Ganga Action Plan (GAP)-I was initiated during 1985, he said. However, it has been found that the quality of the Ganga river water is within the acceptable limits, he added.

Kumar said 26% of the Indian land area is covered by the Ganga river, running its course to the extent of 2525 km, before it joins with the Bay of Bengal. As many as 38 industries of 154, which were located along its course have been shut down following their violation of the pollution control norms, he said. The Ganga Action Programme (GAP)-II aimed at revamping the Ganga Conservation Programme, was initiated recently under the chairmanship of PM Manmohan Singh.

Kumar stressed on the role of individual state governments in regulating the industries, particularly in the regions of hotspots like Haridwar, Kanpur, Allahabad, Varanasi, he added.

Prof Pradeep Kumar from IIT, Roorkee, BIET director Prof Y Vrushabhendrappa, head of civil engineering H B Aravinda, recalled the principles and ideologies including the services rendered to the society. Civil engineering forum secretary R S Chikanagowder, coordinated the event.

Source: Times of India, 10 Oct. 2009

ELA detects financial irregularities in ULBs, PRIs

2009-10-08T22:51:00.000+05:30

Arun Kumar

PATNA: Examiner of local accounts (ELA), Bihar, D Jaishankar has highlighted major irregularities in revenue management in urban local bodies
(ULBs) and Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs). The report was released by principal accountant general Arun Kumar Singh here on Wednesday.

Jaishankar, in his presentation threw light on the salient points of both ULBs and PRIs audit reports. He pointed out that in 39 ULBs, the tax collectors and tax `darogas', cashiers, accountants and the other tax collecting staff either failed to deposit or short deposited a sum to the tune of Rs 80.70 lakh collected as tax, fees and other miscellaneous revenues.

The report found that collection money to the tune of Rs 79.24 lakh was irregularly retained by the cashiers of Begusarai, Bettiah and Jamalpur Nagar Parishads.

Similarly, in the case of PRIs, the report found that assistants of Zila Parishad -- Motihari and Purnia -- collected Rs 33.07 lakh and Rs 11.31 lakh, but deposited only Rs 25.12 and Rs 5.24 lakh respectively. The remaining amount was not recovered till June 2007 and December 2007, said the report.

The Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) sustained loss to the tune of Rs 1.62 crore due to under assessment of holding tax whereas due to under-valuation of annual value of holdings, the Biharsharif Municipal Corporation (BMC) suffered revenue loss worth Rs 50.80 lakh, noted the report.

The report detected a discrepancy to the tune of Rs 9.79 crore in the accounts of 33 panchayat samitis it had audited. Rs 90.17 lakh was diverted by Bhagalpur and Bhojpur Zila Parishads during 2003-04 to 2006-07 of 10th, 11th, and 12th finance commission and Sampoorna Gramin Rojgar Yojna (SGRY) grants for other purposes while Rs 41.21 lakh was diverted between January and March 2004 by Runnisaidpur Panchayat Samiti in Sitamarhi district. Non-realization and loss of revenue to the tune of Rs 46.66 and Rs 28.41 lakh respectively was detected in PRIs on account of settlement of `sairiats', noted the ELA report.

The report pointed out that due to non-reconciliation of cash book balances with treasury/bank balances, the unreconciled difference stood to the tune of Rs 7.59 crore in 32 ULBs. Rs 16.48 crore of specific grants were diverted by 17 ULBs towards payment of salaries and allowances to its staffs. Bettiah Nagar Parishad made a payment of salaries and allowances to staff to the tune of Rs 14.04 lakh irregularly due to retention of its staff in service beyond the date of their superannuation. Gaya Municipal Corporation irregularly paid Rs 72.56 lakh as interim relief to its employees.

ELA report found major irregularities in implementation of schemes in 37 ULBs where works worth Rs 10.04 crore remained incomplete.

The report noted that at Narkatiaganj, Runnisaidpur, Sono and Masaurhi panchayat samitis payments were made for a number of works which were either abandoned or postponed, but the advances made were not recovered. Engagement of the same labourers were found time and again in the same period at Ujiarpur and Parihar panchayat samitis and Patna and Katihar Zila Parishads, says the report.

Source: TNN 8 October 2009

31,000-km-long roads in rural areas by 2010-end

2009-10-08T22:47:00.000+05:30

PATNA: Rural works minister Brishen Patel said here on Wednesday that a total of 31,000-km-long roads would be constructed in rural areas under
the Pradhan Mantri Gramin Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) by 2010-end.

Under the PMGSY, rural roads totalling 38,000 km were supposed to be built after obtaining an approval from the central government. Of this, the central and the state government agencies were to construct 19,000-km stretch each from 2008 onwards.

The state government agencies have already constructed 4,000-km-long roads in rural areas in a year. The tender for construction of 10,000-km-long rural roads were issued in a record 10 days on August 15. The process was curtailed by three to six months. Earlier, this much time was required only to process the tender. The state government also attracted contractors by providing Rs 658 crore towards revision of the contract terms to neutralize cost escalation of the projects, Patel added.

The minister said that the rural works department (RWD) would invite a tender for the construction of the remaining 5,000 km on October 30 and finalize tender by November 15 with the help of a centralized processing programme linked to computers.

Patel said that the central agencies had completed construction of 5,000-km-long rural roads under the PMGSY between 2004 and August 2009. The central agencies awarded tender for construction of 7,000-km-long rural roads, the work for which has already been started. The central agencies are yet to award the contracts for the remaining 7,000-km stretch, the process for which is quite slow, he added.

As the central agencies had been slow in constructing rural roads, the state government had urged the central government in 2008 to assign the job of construction of 19,000-km-long road to the state agencies. The Centre granted its approval for the same.

The minister said that CM Nitish Kumar had raised this matter at the National Development Council meeting in 2008.

RWD executive engineer K N Prasad told TOI that 38 quality control labs had been created in all the districts of the state to test the quality of the materials utilized in construction of rural roads. He added that a central laboratory is already functioning in Patna.

Source: Times of India, Patna, 8 October 2009

Spotlight on ensuring education for all

2009-10-08T22:46:00.000+05:30

NEW DELHI: A number of government school teachers in the country feel that interaction with parents in discussing their wards’ performance is a crucial factor in the quest for ensuring Education for All (EFA) as envisioned under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, the Central Government’s flagship programme for achieving universalisation of elementary education.

According to a survey conducted by Aide et Action -- an international development organisation – covering 1,000 primary and upper primary government school teachers, 23 per cent of teachers said that developing relationship with parents and organising frequent meetings with them to discuss the children’s performance was an answer to achieving EFA.

The survey on “Quality education: Challenges and opportunities” covered teachers from 16 districts across six States -- Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu -- to understand, analyse and disseminate teachers’ notions on quality education and the challenges they face.

Most teachers (33 per cent) felt that quality education refers to education that instils basic knowledge in students and ensures they are able to read, write, learn and speak well. In fact, 7 per cent teachers admitted that the quality of teachers (which is not satisfactory) remained a “challenge” in achieving the goal of EFA, said the survey report released by leading development economist and educationist Bhalchandra Mungekar here.

In the study, about 22 per cent teachers asserted that ensuring an adequate student-teacher ratio and providing training to the teachers could contribute to accomplishing EFA.

The teachers also pointed out the constraints they face that hinder their “effective performance”, which vary from absence of separate classrooms, inadequate salary, lack of basic infrastructure to their involvement in non-teaching activities.

“About 20 per cent of the teachers feel strongly that their involvement in non-teaching activities (like electoral duty, Census duty) has become a main hurdle hindering their effective performance,” said the report.

However, around 48 per cent of the teachers opined that lack of awareness about the importance of education among parents posed a major hurdle for them.

“This attitude of parents results in not sending their children to school regularly and lack of interest in children towards school is holding them (the teachers) back in realising quality education for all,” said the report.

The purpose of the survey was to highlight the understanding of teachers on quality education, their perspectives on the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, and their reflections on how to enhance the quality of education under the current circumstances, said an official from Aide et Action South Asia.

Source: Hindu, October 8,2009

States sit on model flood bill aimed at preventing losses

2009-10-08T22:37:00.000+05:30

Even as floods play havoc in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, several states have failed to enact a 34-year-old Model Flood Bill aimed at minimising losses to life and property.

The bill, prepared by the Central Water Commission in 1975, will empower authorities to remove dwellings from flood-prone areas.

The bill, if implemented, will seek to replace dwellings in low-lying areas by parks and playgrounds as absence of human settlement in those areas would cut down loss of lives and property.

The CWC had circulated the model bill to all the states to help the state governments enact the legislation. Except for Manipur and Rajasthan, no state legislature has enacted the 'Model Bill on Flood Plain Zoning', sources in the Central Water Commission said.

Though Manipur enacted the legislation in 1978, the demarcation of flood zones is yet to be carried out. Rajasthan is yet to enforce the measure, though it has enacted the bill.
Uttar Pradesh and Bihar had initiated the process of framing the legislation a few years ago, but have not taken any further steps.

Bihar faced its worst floods last year. "Not much progress has been witnessed even after the Kosi (Bihar) floods of 2008," said an official of the Water Resources Ministry.

"There has been poor progress in this respect notwithstanding the expressions of support by states for this approach. Worse still, there is the trend towards greater unplanned intrusions into the flood plains in recent years, which seem to be ignored, if not encouraged even by state agencies," a note prepared on the model bill by the CWC observed.

As per the model bill, different types of buildings and utility services have been grouped under three priorities from the point of view of damage likely to occur.

The bill provides clauses about flood zoning authorities, surveys and delineation of flood plain area, notification of limits of flood plains, prohibition of the use of the flood plains, compensation and most importantly removing obstructions to ensure free flow of water.

'Priority-I' areas including defence installations, industries and public utilities such as hospitals, power houses, airports and railway stations are to be located in such a way that they are above the highest flood level in the last 100 years.

'Priority-II' areas include public institutions, government offices, educational institutions, public libraries and residential areas.

The buildings are proposed to be above a level corresponding to a 25-year high flood level or a 10-year rainfall record with a mandatory clause that all buildings in vulnerable zones be constructed on columns or stilts.

'Priority-III' areas would include parks and playgrounds. While these would provide the city with green lungs, it would ensure that the areas most prone to floods are not populated.

The CWC had initiated preparation of topographic maps on a 1:15,000 scale to enable state governments identify flood prone areas. But the scheme was abandoned in 1991 due to poor response from the states.

Source: Deccan Herald, October 8, 2009

Peepal tree is Bihar tourism's new logo

2009-10-08T22:33:00.000+05:30


Patna, Oct 8 (PTI)
The new logo was designed by a two-member team from National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad. The insignia was selected out of three designs.

Bihar Tourism will have a new logo carrying the image of a 'peepal tree' under which Goutama Buddha attained his enlightenment. "This is the land of Lord Buddha who attained enlightenment under peepal tree. The logo will also help in promoting the tourism in the state as an attractive brand among tourists," Tourism Minister Ram Pravesh Rai told PTI. The peepal tree created in the newly selected logo, has been designed to represent Bodhi Tree, the peepal tree near the Mahabodhi Temple at Bodh Gaya under which Lord Buddha has attained enlightenment, he said. The new logo was designed by a two-member team from National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad. The insignia was selected out of three designs. All the Bihar Tourism infrastructure, monuments, hotels, publications and vehicles would now carry this logo embossed on them. The department was also planning to have a tagline attached to the logo and for this open entries have also been invited. Source: Deccan Herald, October 8,2009

2020 target for Clean Ganga mission

2009-10-06T22:47:00.000+05:30

Aarti Dhar

NEW DELHI: The National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA) on Monday approved an ambitious project to prevent the discharge of untreated municipal sewage and industrial effluent into the Ganga by 2020.

An estimated investment of Rs. 15,000 crore over the next 10 years will be required to create the necessary treatment and sewerage infrastructure for the ‘Mission Clean Ganga.’ The resources will be provided by the Centre and States over a 10-year period to be shared suitably after consultations with the Planning Commission.

Innovative models

Briefing reporters after a two-hour long meeting of the Authority, chaired by the Prime Minister, the Minister of State (Independent charge) Environment and Forests, Jairam Ramesh, said innovative models for implementation such as special purpose vehicles would be adopted.

The government is also negotiating with the World Bank for procuring $1-billion long-term loan for the purpose. The World Bank has already approved a $3-million loan for project preparation, Mr. Ramesh said.

Currently, there is a sewage treatment capacity of only about 1000 mld as against 3,000 mld sewage being generated in the towns along the Ganga. As much as 75 per cent of the pollution is caused by untreated sewage discharge and industrial waste accounts for the remaining 25 per cent.

Projects on fast-track

“While a comprehensive river basin management plan will be ready by December 2010, the on-going sewage treatment projects will be put on fast track and States asked to formulate detailed project reports for new projects in the critical pollution hotspots and major towns along the Ganga and major tributaries by November 30, 2009. Tripartite agreements among the Centre, States and the local municipal bodies to earmark responsibilities in this respect will be signed in February next year,” the Minister said.

The first meeting of the Authority, set up in February this year, also decided to constitute a standing committee headed by the Union Finance Minister that would meet more frequently and review the implementation of the Mission.

Also an empowered steering committee, headed by the Union Environment and Forests Secretary, will be set up for fast tracking clearance of projects, according to Mr. Ramesh.

As a people’s mission

“We want to make Clean Ganga a people’s mission for which we have put non-official members on the Authority. They will be responsible for evaluation and monitoring including social auditing of the Mission,” Mr. Ramesh said. Of the five Chief Ministers who are members of the NGRBA, Chief Ministers of Uttarakhand and Bihar attended the meeting while Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal were represented by the Cabinet Ministers and Jharkhand by the Adviser to the Governor. Union Urban Development Minister Jaipal Reddy, Union Water Resources Minister Pawan Bansal and Deputy Chairman Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia attended the meeting apart from seven of the eight non-official members.

The Authority was set up under the Environment (Protection) Act as an empowered authority to adopt a new holistic river basin approach to the cleaning of Ganga and to address the issue of minimum ecological flows, besides pollution abatement works.

Source: Hindu, October 6, 2009

Khagaria fallout: Nitish puts land reforms on backburner

2009-10-06T22:44:00.000+05:30

Santosh Singh

Patna: First came the setback in Assembly bypolls and then the Khagaria carnage. These two events have forced Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar to put his big land reform plans on the backburner. His deputy, Sushil Kumar Modi, said as much on Monday at a function here to felicitate BJP’s senior leader Kailashpati Mishra on his 87th birthday. “There is no such recommendation by the Bandopadhyaya Commission to give the land rights to the tillers... This is a concerted effort by the Opposition to create confusion in the common man which needs to be corrected,” Modi told reporters.

The ruling combine’s concern is natural. With Assembly elections just 14 months away, Kumar can ill afford to hand over the initiative to the Opposition. Upbeat after the September by-poll results, the RJD and LJP have already tasted blood.

Now, in the aftermath of the carnage, in which 16 persons belonging to the OBCs were killed by Musahars belonging to the Mahadalits in Icharua village of Khagaria district, Ram Vilas Paswan’s LJP is going from one village to another saying that Kumar’s Mahadalit politics has further divided Bihar’s already caste-ridden society.

Almost seven months after taking over the reins of the state in November 2005, Kumar ventured into the land reform arena, which has tripped up successive governments. The chief minister set up a land reform commission on June 16, 2006 to lend credence to his policy for the uplift of the poorest among poor and put D Bandopadhyaya, who scripted West Bengal’s Operation Barga, at the helm.

After a comprehensive tour of the state, the commission submitted its report in September 2008. Asked why the recommendations were not yet tabled in the assembly, the CM said it was the government’s prerogative. “The government was not bound to implement recommendations of the commission. The recommendations were being studied by a three-member committee.”

Source: Financial Express, 6th October 2009

Growth, not at the cost of environment

2009-10-06T22:30:00.003+05:30

Bharat Jhunjhunwala

Our ancestors have given us the formula ‘dharma-artha-kama’. Here ‘dharma’ should be understood as environment. The discharge of our responsibility towards other living beings and elements such as earth, air and water is ‘dharma’. Our benign attitude towards other living beings will enable them to survive. That will preserve the environment and enable us to survive as well. Plants will continue to provide us with food and animals will provide us with milk.

By contrast, ‘artha’ refers to personal moneymaking and profit. The businessman builds a dam on the river to generate hydropower to earn profit. This is ‘artha’. Our ancestors told us to pursue ‘artha’ in a way that does not hit dharma. Just as the farmer does not cut the mango tree that bears fruit every year, rivers too must be exploited in a way that the entire creation grows and prospers along with us.

The government recently set up the National Ganga River Basin Authority. Similar authorities are likely to be established for other river basins. Indeed, separate authorities for ecological zones such as the Western Ghats should also be established. The challenge before these authorities, including the Ganga Authority, is to adjust economic activities to preserve the environment. This will become clear through some examples.

The government built the Farakka Barrage on the Bihar-Bengal border. The purpose was economic growth. Most of the Ganga’s waters flowed to Bangladesh and the Hooghly was left with little. It was becoming difficult to ply small ships from the sea to Kolkata. Goods had to be transshipped and brought to Kolkata. So it was necessary to provide the Hooghly with more water to make it navigable. Thus the Farakka Barrage, which diverted large amounts of water to the Hooghly, but only for a short time.

Large amounts of silt continued to be deposited in the bed of the Hooghly, raised its level, reduced the flow and nullified the gains from Farakka. Silt is also deposited upstream of Farakka due to the obstruction created by the barrage. Previously, the river was free and carried all the silt to the sea.

Now siltation is threatening large areas upstream with submergence. The barrage also obstructs fish movement, leading to deterioration in the quality of river water. In this way we have harmed the environment in our anxiety to reduce the cost of transport.

The solution, perhaps, is to increase flow in the Hooghly by dredging instead of creating obstructions like Farakka. This too will lead to increasing flows, and will not degrade the environment. The cost of dredging will be greater than making a barrage. But this is precisely what our ancestors taught us. Undertake ‘artha’ in a way that promotes dharma. The Ganga Authority should order the removal of Farakka and begin a dredging programme.

The Uttar Pradesh government proposes to build an expressway along the Ganga from Ghaziabad to Ballia to reduce the cost of transport and to make provide areas for setting up new townships. Most of the expressway will be built on the riverbank. It will cost less because this land is mostly owned by the state government. But it will impose huge environmental cost. The water of the Ganga overflows during the monsoon and spreads fertile silt on the fields. Water percolates and recharges underground aquifers. These aquifers supply the water extracted by bore wells in the dry season. The expressway will restrict the spread of the waters and deprive us of these services. Also, the worms, turtles and insects living on the riverbanks will die. These organisms have a vital role in purifying the water. The expressway will, therefore, lead to deterioration in the quality of Ganga water. The Ganga Authority should insist that the expressway be built upon barren land. Surely, the cost will be greater, but it should make it clear that harm to the environment is not acceptable for purposes of economic growth.

The situation of hydropower dams on the Bhagirathi, Bhilangana, Alaknanda, Mandakini and other tributaries of the Ganga in Uttarakhand is similar. These dams will generate electricity. Our businesses will get cheap electricity. Our goods will become competitive in the global markets and we shall conquer the world economy. But silt will be trapped in these dams, and that is accelerating the erosion of our coasts. The coasts are not getting the silt and the sea is eating into them.

Source: Express Buzz, 6th October 2009

Holding water behind dams and barrages is leading to deterioration in water quality. Organic matter such as leaves and dead bodies ferment in the bed of the dams and produce methane. The Ganga Authority must put a stop to this adharma. It should stop all new dams and insist on a redesign of existing dams to reduce the negative environmental impact. Instead of a barrage across the entire river, only partial obstructions should be made on both banks leaving the main flow uninterrupted. These obstructions will divert part of the water for power generation. Such a bund has been made at Haridwar to divert water for irrigation.

Such obstructions do not prevent silt flows and do not harm water quality. The water can be diverted into an open canal for production of electricity instead of a tunnel, as being done presently. A flow in an open canal will keep the water in contact with air and sun and preserve its natural quality. Such hydropower dams will cost more but preserve our environment. The Ganga Authority is likely to be the first among such authorities and the responsibility cast upon it to lay the path of dharmic development is, therefore, greater.

Of regional development and inclusive growth

2009-10-06T22:26:00.002+05:30

M Govinda Rao
The shift in focus towards inclusive growth in the Tenth Plan and increased emphasis on the same in the Eleventh Plan are important to ensure that the poor participate in the market activity and the growth process in a meaningful manner.

However, the strategy has been mainly to provide this section with some measure of consumption security through various employment programmes and/or writing off farm loans.

While these are important in the short term, the inclusive growth strategy requires linking the poor rural population to the market and undertaking measures to increase their skill levels and productivity.

Considering the fact that the poor are concentrated in less developed areas of the country, the growth strategy, to be inclusive, should shift the focus to less developed areas. Providing infrastructure and connectivity in these areas can go a long way not only in bringing these regions within the fold of market activity, but also in breaking their institutional impediments.

A lasting solution to poverty and backwardness in the country cannot avoid focussing on poorer regions. These regions -- comprising Bihar, Chattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh [ Images ], Orissa, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand [ Images ] and Uttar Pradesh [ Images ] -- with 45 per cent of the total population account for just about 22 per cent of income generated in the country.

Almost 60 per cent of the poor reside in these states. The human development ratio in these states is substantially below the national average, and infrastructure like road and transportation facilities, agricultural marketing and cold storage as well as power supply is abysmal.

Many of these states, Bihar and Orissa in particular, suffer from periodic floods, controlling of which is beyond their capacity or realm.

Curiously, these states are rich in natural resources. The states located in the Indo-Gangetic plain -- undivided Uttar Pradesh and Bihar -- are endowed with fertile alluvial soil, large parts of which are under perennial irrigation.

The large river systems in Orissa and Madhya Pradesh, similarly, have provided livelihood to millions. What is needed there, besides controlling the fury of floods, is to provide them knowledge about better farm practices, use of improved seeds, marketing infrastructure and cold storage facilities.

Orissa, Rajasthan and the undivided states of Bihar and Madhya Pradesh are rich in minerals. These states account for 78 per cent of coal, and the income from minerals constitutes almost 35 per cent of their gross state domestic product. Almost 25 per cent of iron ore is produced in Madhya Pradesh alone, and about 42 per cent of the estimated deposit of copper and bauxite is in Orissa. Yet, these are the poorest states.

Despite all the above advantages, these states have fallen into misfortune. The major problems -- besides low levels of infrastructure, market environment and institutions -- are seen in the continuation of exploitative institutions and poor governance systems.

Surely, these regions have a huge developmental potential, and also the potential to trigger the next stage of productivity gain and growth acceleration. However, per capita development expenditure in these states in 2006-07 (Rs 2,706) was lower than the average of non-special category states (Rs, 3,606) by almost 25 per cent.

It was lower than the average by 42 per cent in Bihar, 34 per cent in Uttar Pradesh and 26 per cent in Orissa. Over the years, the pattern has been similar and the cumulative impact of this has been to deny them the basic infrastructure.

Thus, with poor market access, these states could not reap the benefits of economic liberalisation.

Of course, there are a variety of reasons for low levels of development expenditure in these states. Often, these states are blamed for their poor governance, which results not only in their low absorption capacity of Central assistance for various schemes, but also in low productivity.

Even if this were to be true, it must be noted that an overwhelming proportion of assistance given through various schemes is to enhance the consumption entitlements rather than improve the infrastructure.

An analysis of inter-governmental transfers reveals that although the transfer system as a whole shows a progressive distribution with states having 1 per cent lower per capita income receiving per capita transfers higher by 0.4 per cent, it could not offset the fiscal disabilities of poorer states adequately to enable them to incur comparable expenditures even when they raise revenues from their own sources at comparable rates.

Interestingly, the Finance Commission transfers are the most progressive with states receiving per capita transfers higher by 0.5 per cent for every 1 per cent lower per capita GSDP.

Infrastructure development in a state depends on spending by both the Centre and the state government. The distribution of the Centre's own spending in states goes by the name of regional policy.

A recent, empirical study by Pinaki Chakraborty, Anit Mukherjee and Amar Nath at NIPFP tracing the regional incidence of the Central government's implicit and explicit subsidies, reveals that it is the more advanced states that get the bulk of it.

In per capita terms, while the average for non-special category states in 2007-08 was Rs 900, the share of Bihar was Rs 458, Jharkhand Rs 544, Madhya Pradesh Rs 709 and Uttar Pradesh Rs 753.

In contrast, it was Rs 1,687 in Punjab [ Images ], Rs 1,618 in Haryana and Rs 1,262 in Tamil Nadu. In fact, the distribution of the Centre's spending dents whatever positive impact the explicit central transfers have.

Thus, neither the Central direct transfers, nor the direct spending on implicit and explicit subsidies by the Centre enable the poorer states to create the necessary infrastructure levels and market environment to catch up with their more developed counterparts.

To make the growth process inclusive, it is necessary to enable the poorer states to raise infrastructure levels to harness their rich resources and compete with their developed peers.

The author is director, NIPFP

Source: rediff.com, 6th October 2009

Land and caste

2009-10-06T22:24:00.001+05:30

Editorial-Statesman 6th October 2009

Resurgence of Bihar’s tragedy

IT is sheer coincidence that the massacre of 16 farmers in Bihar’s Khagaria district comes in the aftermath of the army and air force gearing up for an offensive against Maoists this winter. Seventy-two hours after the outrage, the involvement of the extremists is still conjecture. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is right in deciding to take a call on the suspicion before confirming the connection; thus far he has pointed merely to a “local criminal gang”. There are no giveaways such as handbills and pamphlets; yet if indeed the Left radicals are involved, it points to the extension of their operations to riverine north Bihar from the traditional bastions of south and central Bihar.
Indubitable is the resurgence of the caste conflict after a gap of ten years. Once a sinister aspect of Bihar’s social structure, Friday’s gut-churning revival has quite totally stunned the political class, the administration and the class groups. The manner of the butchery ~ dragging out the villagers from their homes at an inhospitable hour, lining them up, tying their hands and then pulling the trigger ~ used to be the standard modus operandi to settle the state’s land-related conflicts. It recalls the Ranvir Sena’s battles with the landless up until the mid-nineties. The victims of Khagaria were predominantly Kurmis (the Chief Minister’s caste) and to a lesser extent the Koiris ~ between them the Lav-Kush caste combination and incidentally the JD(U)’s major support base. They were involved in a land dispute with the Dalits though the administration is yet to establish whether the latter had the support of Maoists. Land and caste had been a scourge in Bihar long before Left radicalism became a forbidding challenge. This time, the tragedy deepens because the subaltern has killed another subaltern. For at stake were 150 acres of sandy land the 200 landless Kurmis and Koiris had bought from upper caste landlords who have shifted to urban areas. The landless Dalits were intent on recovering the land. It wasn’t, therefore, a direct encounter between the landless and the Ranvir Sena of the affluent landed gentry. Nonetheless, the outrage has dealt a mortal blow to Nitish Kumar’s support base. It devolves on the parties and the government to heal the wounds of the system’s own creation. This isn’t the moment for sniper attacks on the law and order situation by the likes of Lalu Prasad and Ram Vilas Paswan. As regards the government, the suspension of the district’s police brass is a stereotyped response. It must admit to its failure to implement the D Bandopadhyay Land Reforms Commission’s report which suggested: (a) new legislation to protect sharecroppers; (b) a cap on land ceiling at 15 acres; and (c) computerised land records. The ground realities will have to change and literally so. To speculate on Maoist involvement will only obfuscate the land-caste scourge, as direly fundamental as it is traditiona

Fresh bid for cleaner Ganga

2009-10-06T22:15:00.001+05:30

M Madhusudan

Rs 15,000 crore for new project

Curtains for Ganga Action Plan I, II

With Rs 3,000 crore already down the drain in a bid to clean up the Ganga, Yamuna and three other rivers in Tamil Nadu over the last three decades, the newly-constituted National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA) on Monday approved a new ‘Mission Clean Ganga’ with a whopping estimated investment of Rs 15,000 crore over the next 10 years.

This will bring the curtains down on Ganga Action Plan (GAP) I and II, in which an amount of Rs 822 crore was spent. GAP-I was launched in 1985 and GAP-II in stages between 1993 and 1996.

While the latest status paper on river Ganga brought out by the Environment Ministry claims that GAP had been successful in preventing deterioration of the water quality, Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh had admitted during the Monsoon Session of Parliament that GAP and the Rs 1,200-crore Yamuna Action Plan were failures. “The true test for a layman would be whether the Ganga is cleaner than it was 20 years ago. The answer is a depressing no,” he pointed out. In fact, a report drafted by Planning Commission member Kirit Parikh this year termed GAP “ill-conceived”. A sum of Rs 800 crore — earmarked for cleaning up the Cauvery, Koovam and Vaigai rivers — also failed to produce the desired results.

“By 2020, the Mission aims to ensure that no untreated municipal sewage and industrial effluents enter the Ganga. Almost 75 per cent of Ganga’s pollution is due to municipal sewage and 25 per cent because of industrial effluents. An estimated investment of Rs 15,000 crore will be required in the next 10 years. The Chief Ministers (of Bihar and Uttarakhand), who attended the meeting, wanted all the money from the Centre. I suggested a 70:30 ratio. Hence, the Prime Minister has asked the Planning Commission to look into it,” Ramesh told mediapersons after the NGRBA meeting. The Prime Minister heads the new authority.

Lack of funds and resources in the States was one of most important reasons for the river cleaning projects failing. The Centre is now depending on the World Bank to provide it with a $1 billion aid for the ‘Mission Clean Ganga’ project. “The World Bank president will visit India in the first week of December. Preliminary indications about the sanctioning of funds are positive. We will get $3 million very soon for the project preparation facility,” Ramesh said.

But will the Rs 15,000 crore too not be wasted? “That’s why we will have a social audit. We want to make it a people’s movement,” the Minister stated.

On the differences between GAP and ‘Mission Clean Ganga’, the Centre will take Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s suggestion to ensure that the new project focuses on riverfront development and catchment area treatment, besides sewage treatment plants (STP). GAP had its stress only on STPs.

But Nitish was not too enthusiastic about the authority. Saying it needs re-examination, he added, “It seems to be grossly inadequate and does not serve the purpose for which it is designed.” After the meeting, he said, “A comprehensive riverfront development is an important and integral aspect of river conservation and should not be looked as commercial development adding to pollution.” He, however, lamented that Bihar’s power project proposals had not yet been approved by the Centre, which cited obligations under the India-Bangladesh Water Sharing Treaty. “The available data indicates that the lean season flow at Buxar, where the Ganga enters Bihar, is about 400 cusecs and rises steeply to about 1,500 cusecs at the point of leaving Bihar,” he maintained.

The Centre has sought funds worth Rs 1,300 crore for STPs from the 13th Finance Commission and decided that, unlike GAP, the new Mission would be basin-centric and not town-centric. However, a sewage treatment capacity of only 1,000 million litres per day (mld) against 3,000 mld sewage generated has been created.

A comprehensive river basin management plan would be ready by December 2010; specific action plans for industrial pollution by January 31 next year even as States are required to prepare detailed project reports on critical pollution hotspots by November this year.

Accepting Uttarakhand CM Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank’s request, the Centre has decided to set up a National Ganga Museum. Nishank said he had requested the Centre to give 1,000 mw of power free of cost and sought Rs 10,000 crore annually for the State’s development and maintenance of the Ganga and forests.

Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Bihar and West Bengal -- the five States through which the Ganga flows -- are members of the authority.

Source: Pioneer, Delhi, 6 Oct. 2009

Environmentalists cheer dolphin as national aquatic animal

2009-10-06T22:12:00.002+05:30

Patna, October 06, 2009

Environmentalists in Bihar are overjoyed at the dolphin being declared a national aquatic animal and say the move would not only save the freshwater species from extinction but an increase in their numbers would also indicate a cleaner Ganga river.

"It will boost the conservation of dolphins in India," said R.K. Sinha, a well-known expert on Gangetic dolphins.

According to him, dolphins are the lifeline of river Ganga. "If the dolphin numbers increase in the river, it will be a positive sign for a clean Ganges and if the numbers decrease, it is a negative sign of increasing pollution," Sinha told IANS.

The decision to declare the dolphin as an Indian national aquatic animal was taken Monday at a meeting of the newly-formed Ganga River Basin Authority (GRBA) in New Delhi that called for accelerated steps to clean up the river, revered as sacred by many Indians. The meet was chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Sinha, who has been researching on river dolphins for over two decades, also pointed out that immersion of idols during Hindu festivals poses a grave threat to the river and aquatic life. He suggested that "man-made water bodies" be used for immersing idols instead of the Ganga.

"The Ganga, which is already highly polluted, and its eco-system are under pressure and the immersed idols will create more trouble for dolphins and people dependent on the river for drinking water," said Sinha, a zoology professor at Patna University.

Till a decade ago, idols were made of clay and decorated with vegetable colours and other biodegradable material. "Now idols are made of plaster of paris, synthetic colours and decorated with non-biodegradable material that are not at all friendly to the river," he stressed.

Guddu Baba, another environmentalist who is associated with the Ganga Bachao Andolan, said that endangered dolphins in the Ganges, which continue to die of pollution and activities like fishing, may now get a new lease of life.

Sunil Choudhary, a wildlife expert, said that efforts to conserve dolphins would bear fruit now unlike the earlier measures that remained on paper.

He recalled that Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, alarmed over the dwindling number of the rare river dolphins in the Ganga, had announced a move to save the species last year. But the efforts did not move beyond government files, Choudhary said.

A report released by international NGO World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) two years ago said the Ganga was among the 10 big rivers in the world facing extinction.

Untreated sewage, rotting carcasses and industrial effluents that find their way into the Ganga during its 2,500-km-long journey across several states from the Himalayas to the Bay of Bengal have also affected the dolphins, Sinha said.

Researchers estimate the dolphin population across India to be a little over 1,500. Half of these are found in the Ganga in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. The numbers have dropped drastically over the past decades - in the 1980s, the Gangetic delta zone alone had around 3,500 dolphins.

In 1996, freshwater dolphins - locally known as 'sons of the river' - were categorised as an endangered species by the World Conservation Union - a forum of conservationists, NGOs and government agencies.

The dolphins in the Ganga are among the four freshwater dolphin species in the world. The other three are found in the river Yangtze in China, in the Indus in Pakistan and in the Amazon in South America.

Indo-Asian News Service

Source: Hindustan Times, Patna, 6 October 2009

3 varsities on wakf land

2009-10-05T21:55:00.000+05:30

Cithara Paul

New Delhi, Oct. 4: Three proposed universities for minorities are set to come up but on land owned by wakf boards to pre-empt controversy over their status and avoid another legal wrangle like the one that has embroiled AMU.

“We are already in touch with the wakf boards and have got a positive response. We took this decision as it would save these universities from controversies regarding their minority status,” said an official with the minority affairs ministry.

So far, no central university has got the minority tag, though there have been demands for granting the status to Jamia Millia Islamia and to Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), which is waiting for a decision from the Supreme Court.

The minority ministry official said half the seats in the three proposed universities — to be set up in Mysore (Karnataka), Kishanganj (Bihar) and Ajmer (Rajasthan) — would be reserved for minority students, provided the institutions get the minority tag. The governments in the three states had also approved the proposal, the official added.

The university in Karnataka will be called Tipu Sultan University of Science and Technology; the one in Kishanganj will be called Rafi Ahmed Kidwai University of Health Science; and the one in Ajmer will be named Khwaja Gharib Nawaz University.

Ministry sources said they hoped legal issues would not come in the way of keeping aside 50 per cent of the seats for students from minority communities if these universities came up on wakf property. “We don’t want another AMU kind of controversy,” the ministry official said.

The status of AMU has rarely been free of controversy since the Supreme Court scrapped the university’s minority status in 1968 following a lawsuit.

In 1981, Indira Gandhi, who was the Prime Minister then, restored the status through legislation. But in 2006, an Allahabad High Court division bench struck down the AMU Amendment Act, 1981. The bench rejected the central government’s plea for restoring the university’s minority status and scrapped the provision for reserving 50 per cent seats for Muslim students. The Centre then moved the apex court, which is yet to take a decision.

The minority ministry official said the proposed universities would be “a right mix” of modernity and tradition. “The universities will offer modern job-oriented courses in all advanced subjects along with traditional subjects like theology.”

A “large number” of wakf plots, the official added, were lying “under-utilised” and a number of them had been “encroached on”.

The official said his ministry was holding talks with the human resource development ministry regarding these universities.

The decision to set up the minority universities followed several representations from religious leaders. During the previous tenure of the UPA government, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh directed the ministry to set up an expert committee to oversee the formation of these universities.

Source: Telegraph, 5 Oct.2009

World Bank to fund USD 1 billion for clean Ganga project

2009-10-05T21:51:00.001+05:30

Washington, Oct 3, (PTI) :
As Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is all set to make another serious bid to clean up the river Ganga, the World Bank has agreed in principal to make available USD 1 billion for the purpose.

"We are talking of a long term billion dollar commitment for the newly created National Ganga River Basin Authority, a body headed by the Prime Minister, which will take up the task of cleaning up river Ganga in a much more systematic and serious manner than has been the case so far," Ramesh said. Prime Minister Singh is scheduled to hold a meeting in New Delhi Monday. The final decision in this regard is expected to be taken when the World Bank President Robert Zoellick visits India in December.

Ramesh said in principle there has been approval that the World Bank will support the project. India has already spent Rs 960 crores in the last 20 years to clean the river Ganga but it no cleaner today than it was two decades ago. "Obviously, we have to do things differently then we have done things so far," he said.

Noting that 75 per cent of the pollution in the river Ganga comes from municipal sewage and another 25 per cent comes from industrial effluents, he said both requires to be controlled in a much larger and wider way than has been the case so far. "The World Bank support would be a major element in bringing fair amount of resources as far as cleaning the Ganga River is concerned," Ramesh said.

Source: Deccan Herald, 5 Oct.2009

CM to open NREGA call centre on Oct 14

2009-10-05T21:48:00.000+05:30

Sanjeev Kumar Verma
PATNA: Bihar is set to become probably the first state in India to have a call centre for entertaining queries regarding National Rural
Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) schemes and complaints regarding denial of benefits under the Act.

The Act guarantees 100 days of assured employment to people willing to work in the countryside.

Once operational, the call centre can be approached on the toll-free number, 1800-345-22-44. "The call centre would become operational from October 14 when chief minister Nitish Kumar would dedicate it to public," rural development department principal secretary Vijay Prakash told TOI on Thursday.

The call centre is being set up by the same agency which has been roped in by the state government for making biometric cards for NREGA beneficiaries under its ambitious e-Shakti project.

Prakash said anyone willing to get general information like making of a job card, work, wages etc could make a call to the call centre. Complaints pertaining to the problems facing the NREGA beneficiaries would also be received and forwarded to the official concerned for quick action.

"The complainant would be given a complaint number using which s/he can seek information about the follow-up action," Prakash said.

With the ultimate goal being providing biometric cards to all the NREGA beneficiaries, the call centre would be equipped with more features once these cards are distributed among the beneficiaries.

"In the next phase, the call centre could also be used by those looking for jobs under NREGA and the caller would have to give details of the job card number to get information about the jobs available under ongoing NREGA schemes," Prakash said.

Incidentally, details of six lakh NREGA beneficiaries have already been collected which would be used for making the biometric cards. "We expect to deliver the cards to many of these beneficiaries by next month," Prakash said.

He said efforts are also being made to ensure wage payment through these biometric cards. The new system entails payment to NREGA beneficiaries at the work site itself. The payment would be made by `bank correspondents' after verifying the beneficiary's biometric card.

Source; Times of India, Patna, 4 Oct.2009

ASI to repair Golghar interiors

2009-10-05T21:40:00.001+05:30

Pranava K Chaudhary

PATNA: The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) would soon take up the task of conserving the historic Golghar Patna's 223-year-old landmark.
Termed as a challenging task by ASI experts, this would be the first time the conservation of the fragile interiors of the dome would be undertaken.

Multiple cracks have developed in both the exterior and interior of Golghar, a huge granary built by Captain John Garstin for the British army in 1786 after the great famine of 1770.

"Dozens of big vertical cracks have been detected which need immediate restoration. It will be quite a challenge for us to undertake the conservation work in an enclosed and dark place where there is no outlet for oxygen flow," newly-appointed ASI superintending archaeologist (Patna circle) S K Manjul said.

"We'll have to enagage technical team with oxygen masks to carry out conservation work inside the 97-feet high dome in the absence of any of oxygen flow from outside. The entire area inside the dome is dark and suffocating. A person cannot survive inside for long hours without oxygen masks," Manjul said.

He said during the conservation work, the archaeologists would have to protect the existing structure without any damage. "The work must be handled with care," Manjul said adding that the outer conservation work of the structure will be easier.

The massive structure of this state protected monument is 29-mt high and walls are 3.6-mt wide at the base. Its winding stairway around the monument offers a panoramic view of the city and the Ganga flowing nearby.

Manjul said the stairway of structure also needs repairs.

"During rainy season, the water on the ground also touches its base wall, resulting in damage to the outer wall of the structure," he said.

The four small doors of the Golghar (barely six feet high) at the basement are dangerous.

"We have to ban entry of people to the Golghar premises during the conservation work," he added.

The state government has already released Rs 96 lakh to the ASI to carry out the repairs.

" The restoration work will begin as soon as the money is transferred. It will take at least a year to complete the restoration work," Manjul said.

Source: Times of India,4 October 2009

Rajendra Prasad's books released

2009-10-05T21:34:00.001+05:30

PATNA: Five books written by former president Dr Rajendra Prasad, which were out of circulation, have been published and were released by CM Nitish Kumar on Saturday.

Nitish lamented that the country and history did not do justice with Prasad and some other illustrious personalities, including Sardar Ballabh Bhai Patel. "The services of only one particular family are being highlighted through all the possible means and others have been systematically ignored so much so that the new generation does not even know their names," the CM said.

He was shocked to learn that the chapter on Prasad has been removed from the school textbooks and promised to undo the wrong when he gets the first available opportunity. He also announced to develop the Rajendra Samadhi near Bans Ghat crematorium as a park.

Earlier, country's first president's granddaughter Tara Sinha in her emotional address said that the new generation has very little knowledge about Prasad who remained president for 12 years, a feat no other president could ever achieve. She said that recently at a school function, children failed to recognize his picture.

Sinha said that no national award has been instituted in the name of Prasad, no TV serial ever made on him and no national day declared to mark his death or birth anniversary as done with his contemporaries. He was not even accorded state funeral when he died at Sadaquat Ashram.

Nitish congratulated the publisher Prabhat Prakashan of Delhi for re-printing the books in Hindi. The books released are titled `Khandit Bharat' (Hindi translation of India Divided), `Gandhi ji ki Dain', `Bhartiya Shiksha', `Sahitya Shiksha evam Sanskriti' and `Asamanjas'. Deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi, art and culture minister Renu Devi and others were also present.

Source: Times of India, 4 Oct.2009

Who is growing and why?

2009-10-05T21:28:00.001+05:30

Nirvikar Singh.

Haryana and Kerala. Policy and position. Those are the short answers. Now let me expand on them a bit. For a long time, India’s major states occupied relatively fixed relative positions. Punjab and Haryana had prospered through the Green Revolution and were at or near the top of the heap in rankings of per capita state domestic product (SDP). Maharashtra and Gujarat also did well, with their commercial cities of Mumbai and Ahmedabad. The Bimaru states were clearly at the bottom: Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, with Orissa also fitting the category if not the acronym. In the middle came the southern four, plus West Bengal. Now, of course, three of the five poorest states have been split. The table looks at some new data for 16 major Indian states. What does it show?

You can see Haryana racing ahead. This is the Gurgaon effect, as that part of Haryana becomes like Delhi. It has passed and surpassed Punjab in per capita SDP in the last few years. The other winner is Kerala. It used to be the state that had great human development but couldn’t manage to translate that into growth. Look at it now. It’s got everything going for it: natural beauty, educated people, decent governance. It’s matching Maharashtra’s average, but that disguises the extremes of Mumbai and the hinterland. And don’t forget Tamil Nadu, which is not far from Punjab now in per capita SDP. In 1981, Tamil Nadu’s per capita SDP was less than 60% of Punjab’s.

Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka are not doing too badly. Their growth is good to middling (Karnataka did better just a few years earlier) and if they could extend their growth beyond their two biggest cities, they would be on a firm footing for the future. Kerala and Tamil Nadu have the advantage of many cities and towns that have strong economic activity: Their economic geography is more even.

Of the poorer states, recently Rajasthan was doing better: In this period it slips, but Orissa and Bihar improve their relative performance. But Bihar is so, so poor that it will take a long, long time to catch up. Perhaps one hope is the Bihari migrants and their remittances—remember these are domestic products, and not domestic incomes. We don’t know how big the remittances are, but they probably matter a lot for Bihar.

The scary part of the story is Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. They are not only among the poorest, but are also consistently among the slowest growers. This is the heartland of the heartland, and its stagnation does not bode well. It could also be that the SDP figures paint too bright a picture for Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Orissa. Their mix of natural resources and tribal populations suggests that there may be bigger problems than are captured in SDP averages.

The table also shows a ranking of structural change, based on an index of sectoral shifts. It is positively related to growth. This is new, and bodes well for economic dynamism in the future.

Why the differences? Position matters: history and geography. The southern states share some common features in this respect. So do states with (or close to) the metros where the elite are thriving. Haryana is no longer in Punjab’s shadow as an agricultural state. The poor states, or the poor regions of other states such as Maharashtra and Karnataka, are all in India’s geographical core. It’s hard to escape geography. But policy matters too. You can see it in the fact that states’ relative growth rates change so quickly. You can see how policy unlocked the benefits of position. And policy even shaped history, in educating populations and breaking social barriers.

For me, the fate of Punjab sums up the importance of policy. Its rulers fought over river water while wasting what was there, and destroying the water that is underground. They tried to preserve the economic status quo while the world changed around them. Bad policies and bad governance have squandered the state’s position and infrastructure. The good thing is that policies can change, and change quickly. One can always hope.

Nirvikar Singh is professor of economics at University of California, Santa Cruz. Comments are welcome at theirview@livemint.com

Source: Mint, October 4, 2009

Model school to start functioning from July 2010

2009-10-05T21:23:00.001+05:30

Patna: A school modelled on famous Netarhat school, which went to Jharkhand after bifurcation of the State, would start functioning from July 2010 in Bihar.

The school, which would be named as Simultalla Awasiya Vidyalaya located in Jamui district, would be a co-educational one with an intake of 120 students -- 60 boys and 60 girls.

The school would have class VIII to X.

Anjani Kumar Singh, principal secretary, Human Resources Development department said this after inspecting the site for school at Simultalla in Jamui district.

Singh was accompanied by Netarhat Old Boys Association, representatives from Educational Consultants of India Limited (EDCIL) and district administration officials. EDCIL has been entrusted with the task of preparing the detailed project report for the school within two months. The responsibility to prepare its design and implementation of the project would be with EDCIL, Singh said. The principal secretary said the students would be selected through competitive examination. -- PTI

Source: Hindu, 5 Oct.2009

24 yrs, Rs 916 cr later Ganga has only got filthier

2009-10-05T21:20:00.001+05:30

Chetan Chauhan

The plan for the Ganga will get new life on Monday, when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh discusses with the chief ministers of four states on ways of rejuvenating the river.

Singh will meet Uttarakhand Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, on this.

Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal are the states through which the river flows.

The WWF (earlier the World Wide Fund for Nature) last year said the river was among the 10 most endangered ones in the world.

The nodal body for rejuvenating the river is the National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA), of which the Prime Minister is the head.

The items of discussion include imposing a ban on new infrastructure development projects in the river basin, providing additional money for setting up effluent treatment plants, satellite mapping of the river’s length of 1,450 km in India, and a World Bank offer of long-term aid of $1 billion (about Rs 5,000 crore) to clean up the river.

“As the Authority’s decision will be a joint effort of the central and the state governments, it will be strictly enforceable,” said a senior ministry official not willing to be quoted.

“A corpus fund of Rs 1,000 crore (Rs 10 billion) is likely to be dedicated to save the river.”

Singh had announced the formation of the Authority in February this year with a commitment to provide a fund for “effective abatement of pollution and conservation of the river” and replace the current “piecemeal effort with a holistic one”.

The river is dirtier now than in 1985, when the plan to clean up the Ganga was operationalised.

Between 1985 and 2009, the central government spent Rs 916 crore (Rs 9.16 billion) to clean up the Ganga, slightly less than the amount needed to build a 250 MW power plant.

The river now has much more bacteria because of the increasing discharge of untreated domestic and industrial effluents.

Also the flow of the river has become sluggish at several locations due to dams and growing habitat pressure.

The ministry of environment and forests has taken six months to work out the framework for the Authority to function in.

“If we have to save the Ganga, we need a strong political will to reduce human activity (around the river),” said Supreme Court lawyer MC Mehta, on whose petition in the Supreme Court the government had initiated the Ganga Action Plan in 1985.

Source: Hindustan Times, 5 Oct. 2009

Cruise tourism kicked off

2009-10-05T21:03:00.001+05:30

Dipak Mishra
PATNA: The ship — Pandawa Cruise — created history on Sunday when it entered Bhagalpur vila Sahebganj sailing in Ganga from Kolkata carrying 50 foreign tourists heralding the entry of the state on the map of cruise tourism.

“The ship was greeted with strong winds and heavy rain when it entered the state. It appears as if the rain God has showered his blessing and welcomed the ship,” remarked director of Indian Tourism, Patna, Sanjay Shreevats. He played a key role in getting tour operators to start cruise tourism through Bihar.

The foreign tourists hailing from US, UK, Russia, Australia and Canada are undertaking a 14-day voyage from Kolkata to Varanasi by cruise. They started from Kolkata on September 28 and will reach Varanasi on October 11. In Bihar, the tourists have an elaborate sightseeing programme. At Bhagalpur, they will visit Vikramshila University and famous Bhagalpur silk manufacturing units. The ship will stop at Munger on October 5 where they will visit the internationally acclaimed Yoga School. The next day, the ship will stop at Simaria.

On October 7, the ship will dock at Barh. The tourists will visit Bodh Gaya and Nalanda by road, while the ship will sail to Patna. At Patna, on October 8, the tourists will go for sightseeing and attend a special cultural show organized by the Indian Tourism. They will later drive to Haldi Chapra Ghat near Maner and visit Manershariff in Patna district before boarding the ship. “All the tourists will stay on the ship during night,” remarked Shreevats, pointing out that Goa, Chennai, Kochi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Guwahati, Lakshyadeep Islands and Andaman and Nicobar Islands were the major cruise destinations in India.

The entry in Bihar was not without its hiccups. “It developed a technical snag. Out of the two engines of the ship, one went out of order since a floating garbage, perhaps one of the submerged idols of goddess Durga, entered the propeller of the engine and it stopped functioning. The engineers are working to repair the snag at Bhagalpur,” he remarked.

Shreevats said that the idea of making Bihar a part of cruise tourism, hit him when he was posted at Jaipur with additional charge of Bihar. “The owner of the ship who is dealing with the luxury train, Palace on Wheels, met me to discuss the plan. I motivated him to bring the ship to Bihar. After initial hesitation, he agreed and I fixed an appointment for him with the Union minister for tourism for seeking necessary help,” he said.

He also announced the implementation of the `Marketing Development Assistance (MDA)’ programme in Bihar to promote medical tourism. The scheme offers support to doctors and staff of hospitals going to attend foreign conferences to promote treatment of foreigners in Bihar.

Source: Times of India, Patna 5 October 2009

Online accounting to be introduced in DRDAs

2009-10-05T20:59:00.000+05:30

Sanjeev Kumar Verma
PATNA: The accounting system in all the 38 district rural development agencies (DRDAs) and 534 blocks of Bihar is set to witness a major change.
The rural development department has decided to introduce online accounting in the DRDAs and blocks through which most of the department works are executed.

A special software — e-Facts — has been developed by the National Informatics Centre (NIC) for this purpose which is tailor made to suit the requirements of the department. While six blocks and one DRDA has started utilizing this new facility, the new accounting system would be put in place at other places in the next few months.

“Training of state-level trainers has already been completed and now these trained people, in turn, would organize training in districts for equipping the DRDA and block officials with skills to work under the new accounting system,” rural development department principal secretary Vijoy Prakash said.

Giving details, he said that from now onwards DRDAs and blocks would have to adopt double entry system which would introduce simultaneous entry of funds both on the credit and debit sides. “As funds are received from different sources, the double entry system would help keeping tab on funds received and spent,” he added. Apart from compiling scheme-specific details, the new accounting system would also introduce keeping the details of beneficiary specific records which would help the state headquarters in keeping tab on the progress of various poverty alleviation schemes being implemented at the ground level.

Prakash said that transition from existing to the new system would be a smooth process as computerisation work at the DRDAs and blocks had already been completed. “Till current fiscal year (2009-10), we would continue with the old system of maintaining cash books also, but from next fiscal year all the entries would be made in computers only, doing away with the cumbersome process of maintaining cash books,” he added.

Prakash said that the new system would also minimize the chances of fund mis-utilization as the headquarters as well as district level officials would be able to keep regular tabs on scheme-specific and beneficiary-specific expenditure and any dereliction on the part of field officials would immediately come to the notice of higher ups.He said in the long run, the department intends to take the system well up to panchayat level.
Source: Times of India, Patna, 4 Oct.2009

Woman trafficking rampant in districts

2009-10-05T20:55:00.000+05:30

Press Trust of India
New Delhi, 4 Oct: At least half of the 612 districts in the country are affected by trafficking of women and children for commercial sexual exploitation, according to a report.
The report by the National Commission for Women (NCW) says that in 378 districts, there are 1,794 identified places of origin from where females are trafficked and 1,016 areas where commercial sexual activities take place.
The southern and eastern states are the most vulnerable as far as trafficking is concerned, with states like Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal having all their districts affected by the problem.
Among other most affected states are ~ Tamil Nadu (93.33 per cent of all districts), Orissa (86.66 per cent) and Bihar (86.48 per cent).
The report further adds that 2.4 per cent of the total female population in age group of 15-35 years in the country is engaged in the flesh trade. “The estimated number of commercial sex workers in India is about 28 lakh,” it says.
In this, over 43 per cent of the girls are minor at the time they enter the flesh trade.
“The entry of minors in flesh trade is comparatively high in regions where incidence of poverty and hunger are chronic. Reasons like violence against women, high unemployment and lack of options contribute to the vulnerability of trafficking of adults,” the report says.
The report says that gender discrimination and gender specific violence and crimes perpetuate the vulnerability of women and children and act as one of the reasons behind trafficking.
The NCW says that the promise of a job is the biggest way of deception and accounts for over 50 per cent of trafficking cases.
Presenting a gloomy picture, the report says that more than 22 per cent women in flesh trade are trafficked and forced into it by family members.
“Around 8 per cent (women) are trafficked by husbands or in-laws and 18 per cent are lured by friends or neighbours. More than 51 per cent women in commercial sex were trafficked either by family members or in-laws,” it says.
But what is more disturbing is the conclusion that political backing ensures that 22 per cent of traffickers are not prosecuted, the report claims.

Source: Statesman, October 4, 2009

59% of Bihar school students consume tobacco

2009-10-03T09:55:00.001+05:30

PATNA: Around 59 per cent of the school students and approximately 60 per cent of the population consume tobacco in various forms in Bihar, this was revealed at a workshop organised here to mark the first anniversary of law coming to prohibit smoking at public places.

“As per the WHO report 58.9 per cent students of class 8 to 10 standard consume tobacco in various forms in Bihar schools...Around 60 per cent of the population of Bihar consume tobacco,” Mr Mahavir Das, Ex-Director-in-Chief Health Services, Bihar said a t a function organised by Bihar Voluntary Health Association (BVHA).

About 5.4 million people die every year from tobacco related disease worldwide and this figure could touch 10 million by the end of 2030 and seven million will fall prey to such diseases in south Asia alone, Mr Das said and added that 10 lakh people die in India from tobacco related disease.

If serious and concerted efforts like awareness campaign and other measures were not taken the number of deaths caused from tobacco consumption could rise phenomenally and may touch 160 million by 2050. - PTI

Source: Hindu Businessline, October 2,2009

Caste-Naxal massacre in Bihar tests Nitish’s base

2009-10-03T09:51:00.001+05:30

Santosh Singh
Amba Icharua (Khagaria):Sixteen people, including four children, belonging to backward classes were dragged out of their huts, tied and gunned down in Bihar’s Khagaria district past midnight Thursday. While villagers called it “cold-blooded murder by Maoists and their supporters”, police said it was a fallout of an old dispute between the OBC Kurmis-Koeris and the Mahadalit Musahars over riverine land.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said prima facie it appeared to be the handiwork of Maoists “but the state government will take a final view and order an inquiry after getting a report from a team that has been rushed to the area.”

The incident occurred past midnight at Amausi Bahiyar diara, which can only be reached by crossing the rivers Kareh and Kosi, from Amba Icharua village, 175 km east of Patna.

Villagers said 16 of the 17 people guarding an urad crop over 500 acres of the diara were shot dead by over 50 armed men, allegedly assisted by the Sadas (Musahars) of Amausi, the nearest village situated across the Kosi. Of the 16 dead, 14 were Kurmis and two Koeris.

For the CM, the violence between these communities creates a particularly piquant challenge. It is uncomfortably close to home — and not just because Nitish Kumar is himself a Kurmi. The Kurmis-Koeris count among the OBCs and the Musahars occupy the lowest rung among the Mahadalits. Both Kurmis and Musahars belong to the unique caste coalition that Nitish has attempted to stitch for himself.

The Mahadalit is a new category formalised by the Nitish administration, ostensibly for the purpose of addressing the special development needs of the most backward among Dalits — 20 of Bihar’s 22 Dalit subcastes have been identified as Mahadalit by a commission set up by the Nitish government in August 2007.

When a team led by Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi reached the massacre site, an angry crowd shouted anti-government slogans, tried to attack Modi’s vehicle and heckled his ministerial colleagues.

DGP Anand Shankar said the killings seemed to be the result of a fight for possession of diara land. But he said “the role of sympathisers of ultras cannot be ruled out”. Security has been stepped up at Alauli and ten people have been detained for questioning.

LJP leader Ramvilas Paswan, who too reached the spot, called it an “outrageous Naxal attack”. In 2005, extremists had blown up a guest house of his brother Ramchandra Paswan at Chatal.

RJD chief Lalu Prasad said that Naxal violence had increased during the Nitish government rule and there was “complete anarchy and chaos” in Bihar.

At Amba Icharua, bodies had been placed on the Khagaria-Alauli road, the dead surrounded by their wailing kin. Though villagers blamed Maoists and their sympathisers, no pamphlets were found at the massacre site — the Maoists usually leave notes which own up for the killings and warn others.

Villagers alleged that the Maurkahi outpost and Alauli police station personnel turned a deaf ear to their repeated pleas for patrolling in diara area. Bhairon Singh, whose 25-year-old son Ramji was among those killed, said: “Like other villagers, my son also wanted to hold on to the land”. He said members of 15 families used to stay on the diara to guard the crop. They lived in thatched structures.

Jaychand Singh lost two sons — Ranjit (30) and Sanjit (25). “The diara land did not mean anything to me. How long do we live with this Maoist terror? The government should do something,” he said.

In New Delhi, Central government officials said the attack hardly fits into the pattern observed in Maoist violence in recent times. Maoist groups, they pointed out, refrained from killing villagers unless they suspected them of being police informers. And they rarely killed children — in this case, four were killed.

“We will be very surprised if this turns out to be a Naxal operation. The area is not known to be a Maoist stronghold. And the nature of the operation is very different from what the Naxalite groups are known for,” a senior police official associated with operations against Naxalites told The Indian Express. — With ENS from New Delhi

Source: Indian Express, 3rd October 2009

Patna’s Thumri fest proved the genre’s popularity.

2009-10-02T09:08:00.002+05:30

Changes may be the basic tenet to survive the ravages of time. Yet multiple genres of age-old Hindustani music seem to continue as a living tradition, though with slight alterations. This is especially the case with Thumri singing. This feeling was reaffirmed when the three Thumri singers, Malashree Prasad, Purnima Choudhary and Dharmanath Mishra presented a variety of thumris in various ragas at the Thumri Festival in Patna recently. The event was organised by
Doordarshan Patna to mark the Golden Jubilee Year of Doordarshan.

The event started with a Thumri recital by Malashree Prasad, who has received training from a number of gurus including Ustad Munawar Ali, the son and disciple of the Patiala gharana maestro, Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan. She began with a thumri in raga Mishra Tilak Kamod in Jata tala. The singer ably evoked the typical mood of this evening melody through the composition “Maharaja Kiwaria Kholo”. Multiple images of tender moods were evoked through the combination notes Pa Ni Sa Re Ma Ga Sa and the vakra chalan or intricate movement of other notes in the melody.

She continued her singing with a kajari “Barsan lage badaria jhum jhum kei” and the dadra in Mishra Pahari, “Jaye na paiyo hamari gali ake Shyam.” She was accompanied on the tabla by Nawwab Ali Khan and by Pankaj Mishra on the sarangi.

Purnima impresses

It was pleasing to hear Thumri singer Purnima Choudhary after a long gap in Patna. A disciple of Pandit Mahadev Mishra of Banaras and Pandit A. Khannan, she presented in raga Mishra Desh, the widely popular thumri “Mora saiyyan bulaye aadhi rat, Nadiya bairi bhai”. Gifted with a lovely voice, Purnima suitably delineated the soft mood of this Khamaj thaat melody of the evening. She then rendered a dadra from her rich collection, “Hamei na bhaye yaari” and a Mirzapuri kajri “Hamake sawan mein jhulani gadhawa de piya”.

The event also presented Dharmanath Mishra, a disciple of Pandit Vaidyanath Mishra, Bade Ramdasji and Ganesh Prasad Mishra. He sang a thumri in Mishra Khamaj, “Chavvi Dikhala Ja” and a dadra in Mishra Pahari, “Mar dala nazaria milay ke” and a kajri, ‘Ghir aai kari badaria’. He was supported on the tabla by Mahendra Singh and the sarangi by Makbool Hussain.

C.L. DAS

Source: Hindu, 2nd Oct. 2009

Sharp rise in Bihar’s establishment expenditure, to borrow Rs.2000 Cr.

2009-10-01T21:54:00.002+05:30

Though Bihar’s deputy chief minister, Sushil Kumar Modi, says that he always travels in economy class and that ostentatious Dussehra celebrations have been stopped the truth is that the establishment cost on the offices of the ministers and governor of the state has almost got doubled in the last one year.

Though the state’s internal revenue generation grew by 24.9 per cent in the last one year the salary of ministers and their allowances jumped by 76.99 per cent––from Rs 4.13 crore in 2007-08 to Rs 7.31 crore in 2008-09.

The expenditure on the ministers’ office maintenance, telephone and electricity bills increased by 137.20 per cent in this period––from Rs 86.34 lakh to Rs 2.04 crore.

The establishment expenditure incurred on Governor’s Secretariat increased by 101.87 per cent––from Rs 93.62 lakh in 2007-08 to Rs 1.89 crore in 2008-09.

According to Modi revenue growth has its own dynamics, which is independent from the rise in essential expenditure. “This is why all state governments are facing constraints,” Modi was quoted in Hindustan Times. He conceded that it is difficult to stop huge expenditure in such a situation.

While Bihar’s own revenue generation grew by 24.9 per cent in 2008-09 to Rs 6,352.47 crore the expenditure on pension for the period was Rs 2,937.67 crore. This is likely to rise further as the state government has recently hiked the pension.

Bihar to borrow Rs 2,000 crore from market to meet rising establishment expenditure

Bihar government is about to borrow Rs 2,000 crores from market to meet its rising establishment expenditure.
According to reports the time of the borrowing has been advanced by three months following fear that the interest rate may rise further.

Deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi was quoted in the media as saying that the borrowing was planned for December 2009 but the sate government was forced to advance the date by the rising cost of borrowing. If the state government waits till December it would have to pay a higher rate of interest.

According to Modi, who also holds the finance portfolio, the rate of interest is increasing because the Centre and various state governments are borrowing heavily to meet their growing expenditure demand. Rise in salary and pension following the implementation of the recommendation of the Sixth Pay Commission has increased the establishment cost. Besides, there is declining trend in state’s share of central taxes.

Source: Bihartimes.com, 1st October 2009

Rs 7 cr allotted for PU's development schemes

2009-10-01T21:39:00.000+05:30

PATNA: Lady luck seems to be smiling on Patna University (PU) which is preparing to celebrate its 93rd Foundation Day on Thursday. A massive
development plan of the university has been envisaged at an estimated cost of Rs 7 crore received from the UGC and the state government.

Giving details of the development schemes, PU vice-chancellor Shyam Lal said that while more than half a dozen new constructions have already been undertaken, the old, dilapidated buildings are being repaired and renovated. Since, most buildings of PU are of heritage value, the UGC as well as the state government have sanctioned necessary funds for their renovation.

The new building of Academic Staff College is under construction at Saidpur at an estimated cost of Rs 92 lakh. Another new building of biotechnology is being constructed at Science College at an estimated cost of Rs 20 lakh. Science College would also have a new indoor sports complex at an estimated cost of Rs 30 lakh, while its damaged gymnasium is being renovated at a cost of Rs 35 lakh.

A library-cum-seminar hall is to be constructed at Patna Law College for which Rs 1.35 crore has been received. The postgraduate law department would also be housed in a separate building to be constructed at a cost of Rs 15 lakh. A language block is under construction at Patna College at a cost of Rs 60 lakh. The renovation work of Menon Bhawan (the building of the Institute of Public Administration) has also been undertaken at a cost of Rs 15 lakh. Modernisation of the historic Wheeler Senate House is already in progress and PU office is also likely to be modernized soon. A separate block for the examination department is likely to be constructed at the annexe of PU office.

The VC said that a new multi-storied apartment for Class III and IV staff of the university would soon be constructed at Saidpur at an estimated cost of Rs 1.68 crore. PU office would also have a new canteen for its staff and the visitors. Steps have also been initiated for the repair of toilets and drinking water supply systems, besides the electrical wiring at Darbhanga House at an estimated cost of Rs 5 lakh. Magadh Mahila College will have a new hostel for its girls at an estimated cost of Rs 80 lakh sanctioned by the UGC, he added.

Source: B K Mishra, TNN 1 October 2009

PU bid to get back two former institutions

2009-10-01T21:36:00.000+05:30

PATNA: In its centenary decade, Patna University (PU) is striving hard to get back two of its former institutions into its fold. At present, the
university does not have either an engineering college or a medical college of its own.

PU did have both these much-needed colleges under its jurisdiction till some time back. But, while the Patna Medical College was taken over by the state government, the Bihar College of Engineering was converted into the National Institute of Technology, Patna.

PU vice-chancellor Shyam Lal told TOI that he has approached the state government for revival of both these institutions under the university. Chief minister Nitish Kumar has already agreed to the proposal for reviving the erstwhile Bihar College of Engineering once the NIT is shifted to its own campus. The state government has also been approached for providing sufficient land to the university for starting a new medical college.

At present, PU has got only 10 constituent colleges, including Patna Law College (which celebrated its centenary recently), College of Art and Craft, Patna Training College and Women's Training College, under its jurisdiction. But it lacks engineering and medical colleges. Patna Medical College is affiliated to PU only for the purpose of examination.

Lal said that PU is likely to have a media centre, first of its kind in Bihar, shortly with the financial sanction from the UGC. The university has already submitted to the UGC a detailed proposal for the same. The proposed media centre would facilitate production of documentaries on various socio-economic and cultural themes of the state. Films on eminent personalities of the state would also be produced by the centre, he added.

The university is keen on raising its academic standard by introducing socially relevant courses. An MoU has already been signed with the Rajendra Memorial Research Institute (RMRI) for taking up collaborative research programmes. Babu Jagjiwan Ram chair has been established by the Union government at the department of Public Administration and International Relations (PAIR) for undertaking researches in social sciences.

PU has got major research projects from the UGC, department of science and technology (DST), Government of India, and ISRO in the 11th plan period. After a long gap, the UGC has selected the geology department under its special assistance programme (SAP) and sanctioned handsome amount for execution of the project.

The publication of PU Research Journal and PU News Bulletin has been revived after a long gap. PU has made a budgetary provision for the sanction of Rs 30,000 per annum to each faculty for publication of papers. Steps have also been initiated for filling up all the vacant posts of principals, officers and teachers in the university, the VC said.

Source: B K Mishra, TNN 1 October 2009,

CM awards matric first divisioners

2009-10-01T21:31:00.001+05:30

PATNA: Kaveri, Gautam, Soni, Chanchala, Krishna, Afsana, Tauseef -- all were smiling. Besides the smile, they had other similarities: they
secured first division in 2008 matric exam and, therefore, they all were on Wednesday awarded Rs 10,000 each.

"We are extending the incentive scheme for minority students, which was a huge success, to the students of scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, backward castes and extremely backward castes," chief minister Nitish Kumar said after distributing bank drafts among the students at a function on Wednesday.

Students securing first division in the matric exam are given the cash incentive under the scheme, started for minority students a couple of years back. While the CM handed over the bank drafts to a few students, the same for others have been sent to their respective schools. The ministers incharge of the districts will distribute them among the intended beneficiaries at the functions to be held at district HQ towns.

"This scheme aims to give a boost to the students of educationally and socially backward classes and it is an incentive to them to continue coming out with flying colours in exams," the CM said.

Altogether 2,112 SC students, 271 ST students, 3,633 BC and EBC students and 5,800 students of minority community passed the 2008 matric exam with a first division. The minister for BC and EBC welfare, Hari Prasad Sah, said a sum of Rs 3.63 crore has been earmarked under the scheme for such first divisioners.

Minority welfare minister Shahid Ali Khan said the incentive scheme has worked wonders as the number of Muslim students securing first division at matric exam increased manifold during the last two years.

Nitish said he wants too see every child of school-going age in school. A few years back about 25 lakh children were out of school and several schemes were started to bring them to the schools. Now less than ten lakh children are out of schools and they belong to Muslim and Mahadalit classes. Talimi Markaz and Utthan Kendras have been set up in their localities for informal education to them.

"Positive results of these efforts would be visible in the next two years," the CM said.

Nitish also talked about the success of other schemes like Rs 700 each for middle school girls for dress and footwear and Rs 2,000 each for high school girls for bicycle. The bicycle scheme has now been extended to boys too, the CM said and added he favoured direct payment to the beneficiaries to prevent a "bicycle scandal" in Bihar.

"I hope the Centre and other states will adopt these schemes too just as they have copied our programmes of 50% reservation to women in panchayat and local bodies and creation of a special force comprising ex-Armymen," Nitish said.

Source: Faizan Ahmad, TNN 1 October 2009, 01

Proposal for permits divisive, against constitution: Nitish

2009-10-01T21:23:00.001+05:30

Patna: Voicing his opposition to a reported proposal for introducing permit system to stop migration of people from one state to another in the country, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar today said it was "divisive and against the constitution".

"I don't know which party has the proposal for introducing permit system for stopping migration of people from one state to another in India... but if there is any such bid, it will be harmful for the unity and integrity of India and against its constitution", Kumar told reporters.

He was reacting to reports appearing in a section of the media about the Shiv Sena's proposal for permits to people who desire to move from one state to another in India.

Stating that the country would never allow such a "divisive tactic" to succeed, Kumar said a similar attempt was made in Punjab in 2007-08 which was opposed "tooth and
nail."

"It is the constitutional right of the people to move, work and stay freely in any state of India... I will call the proposal as not only unconstitutional but also against the constitution in letter and spirit", he said.

The chief minister said any such sinister attempt would be fraught with dire consequences and prove detrimental to the country's growth, unity and integrity.

Source: PTI/DNA, 1st October 2009

Bihar to extend help to self-help groups

2009-10-01T21:19:00.001+05:30

PATNA — The second phase of Bihar Rural Livelihoods Project (BRLP), Jivika, christened “Badhte Kadam” would be launched on Friday at S K Memorial Hall here at a function for 26 new blocks. The function would be attended by 2,000 women members and leaders of self-help groups (SHGs).

More than 1,500 SHGs would be provided finance to the tune of Rs 3 crore by the commercial and regional rural banks at the function in presence of CM Nitish Kumar and deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi. Each branch manager having extended credit to 100 SHGs would be felicitated by the CM and DCM, said BRLP managing director Arvind Chaudhary. A new website of this five-year project with computer-based management information system would also be launched on Friday, he added.

With this, 5.9 lakh poor families at 4,000 villages under 44 blocks of eight districts would be covered in phases I and II of the project, he added.

The objective is to propel social and economic empowerment of the rural poor through SHGs, producers’ groups and their federations in which women play a predominant role.

The first phase, which was launched on October 2, 2007, had till August this year covered 580 villages in 18 blocks forming 7,395 SHGs having 86,325 members. Their cumulative savings is Rs 4.79 crore while the cumulative inter-loaning reached Rs 7.34 crore among the SHGs.

Chaudhary said that the number of bank accounts of SHGs was 4,621 with 1,286 SHGs being extended loan worth Rs 2.42 crore. The community investments funds disbursed during the first phase was Rs 5.09 crore.

He added that at least 3,023 SHGs formed 293 village organisations (VOs) opening 158 bank accounts and 119 VOs were linked with food security, he said.

- AGENCIES

Source: Jaibihar.com

Comeback Lalu vs Dussehra Nitish

2009-09-30T20:50:00.002+05:30

Nalin Verma, The Telegraph, September 30, 2009

Patna, Sept. 29: Bihar governor Devanand Konwar and chief minister Nitish Kumar released balloons carrying a message of peace as Ravan effigies went up in flames at Gandhi Maidan last evening.

This Lanka dahan, though well attended, could not overshadow the Ram lila organised by Lalu Prasad early in the Nineties, thronged by hundreds.

However, Nitish’s event kept true to the message (of peace) that were inscribed on the balloons which cut across the monsoon-heavy air. The 10-day festival passed off peacefully with little incidents of teasing, thefts, vandalism and robberies, frequent in the past.

So what if it was less flashy and bereft of musical soirées, once an integral feature of Dussehra in Patna in the Seventies and the Eighties.

The Dussehra was good for Lalu Prasad as well, especially since the RJD boss was virtually written off after the Lok Sabha poll debacle. In the bypoll, Lalu’s RJD-LJP combination drubbed the Nitish-led NDA before Dusshehra.

Now that he is back politically, he is back to his old self. A cartoonist depicted Lalu Prasad as a tiger with his teeth bared, snarling at rivals seen scurrying for safety.

The manner in which RJD cadre celebrated their victory on the Patna streets reminded the public of the “days that were”.

Workers exploded loud firecrackers and party winner from Phulwari Sharief Udai Majhi rode an elephant through the airport area, a high security zone. He was accompanied by nearly hundred partymen.

Dharmendra Kumar, 28, an ice-cream vendor, whose trolley stands adjacent to a south Indian restaurant near Gandhi Maidan for 10 years, recalled a particular Dussehra.

“There used to be a Chinese restaurant, Shimlong, run by a Chinese woman. One Dussehra, the owner just disappeared. Actually, she had been kidnapped. A month later, she sold off her 30-year-old restaurant and left Patna for good,” he said.

Dosa Plaza has now replaced Shimlong and its owner has become a part of Patna’s lawless history. Like Dharmendra, others admit that RJD celebrations “terrified” them.

“If a bypoll win is followed by firecrackers, will they burst real bombs if they win the general elections?” Nitish Kumar wondered and pointed out that the NDA celebrations were “calmer”.

A year after riding to power, Nitish had organised a different Dussehra at Gandhi Maidan in 2006. The chief minister stayed on for the whole night of classical and folk music session, which was attended by families — a departure from the past when families felt safer to stay indoors.

In 2007 and 2008 after the devastating floods, the government decided not to celebrate the event. This year, too, celebrations were low-key because of the drought, but people came out nonetheless to pandal hop, assured by the presence of police patrols and jeeps and jawans.

“We are happy that no one brandishes a pistol when we ask them to pay up nowadays,” said a staff at Palm Tree petrol pump, recalling the days when goons would fill their vehicles with fuel at gun point during Dussehra.

Govt may seize properties of corrupt babus

2009-09-30T20:19:00.001+05:30

Central Chronicle, September 30, 2009

Unable to arrest corruption among government officials despite a special criminal law, Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, the Centre is now planning to take a drastic step amend the Act to allow confiscation of properties of tainted babus. The PC Act, which provides for a maximum jail term of seven years for a convicted official, has no provision empowering the government to seize the unaccounted for property. ``We are seriously considering a proposal for amending the PC Act to allow the state to confiscate an official's property obtained through corrupt means after a court convicts him,'' law minister Veerappa Moily told.

However, the law ministry is still examining when to invoke this drastic measure -- after a court convicts a corrupt official or after the convicted official exhausts his appeal remedy. In either case, the amendments will not be as drastic as demanded by Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar. Kumar had recently met Moily over a proposed state law envisaging confiscation of property by the government immediately after the police files a chargesheet against an official accused of corruption.

The law ministry officials fear that such a provision would surely be misused by vindictive politicians after a regime change to wreak vengeance on officials close to the previous government.

Section 12 of the PC Act provides for a jail term between six months and five years along with a fine for government officials found guilty of corruption charges for the first time. However, the punishment gets a little stringent for habitual offenders under Section 14, which provides for a minimum two years imprisonment and a maximum of seven years in jail.

Chief Justice of India, K G Balakrishnan, at a seminar organized by CBI on September 12 had said that though the PC Act covered substantive acts of corruption among officials, the quantum of punishment appeared inadequate. He had echoed persistent demands for enhancing penalties and punishments under the Act.

``One prominent suggestion is the inclusion of a statutory remedy that will enable confiscation of properties belonging to persons who are convicted of offences under the PC Act. The rationale behind it is that if a public official amasses wealth at the cost of public, then the state is justified in seizing such assets,'' Justice Balakrishnan had said.

However, adding a note of caution, the CJI had said: ``Such proposals need to be thoroughly examined for their constitutional compatibility before being enacted in the form of legislation.'' This is what the law ministry is doing at present.

20,000 cops forced to serve retired IPS, IAS officers

2009-09-29T19:31:00.000+05:30

Prabhakar Kumar, CNN-IBN, 29th September 2009

Ranchi: Bihar and Jharkhand may be battling the Naxal menace but 20,000 Bihar policemen have been deployed for some other purpose.

They are serving IAS and IPS officials, many of them retired.

Bihar Police Association’s Jitendra Singh said, "Aise aaj ala adhikari hai, unke yaha kariban 20,000 hamare jawan begari main lage hai, kheti main lage hai, unke bacho ko school le ja rahe hai (20, 000 of our jawans are engaged in the service for the retired IAS and IPS officers for various domestic duties)."

The diversion of the force for domestic duties has become a serious issue in Bihar and Jharkhand. There's now a severe scarcity of police for law and order duties in these two states.

"We have asked our departments head to immediately look into the matter and strengthen the police picket posts,” added Jitender Singh.

The policemen were trained to counter crime and criminals but now about 20,000 of them have been reduced to the status of personal servants.

They are busy ferrying children to schools, carrying suitcases of their bosses and buying groceries for their homes. They do all household jobs except their assigned government duties.

Meanwhile, those they serve have been claiming that they deserve it.

Retired DGP of Jharkhand TP Sinha is entitled to two police personal but allegedly has more than eight jawans to his disposal.

“I don’t have any jawans from the Bihar police, even if I do, there is nothing wrong in it,” Sinha said.

As for the police, they don't have enough courage to act against their own bosses or former bosses.

This seems to be yet another case of law enforcers breaking the law.

(With inputs from Jaishankar Kumar)

Centre releases Rs.1158 Cr. for State Police Modernisation to Bihar

2009-09-29T09:27:00.000+05:30

Jaibihar.com, 29 September 2009

DELHI — The Union Government has released Rs 1,158 crore in the last fiscal, for the modernisation of the State police forces.

The bulk of this money has been given to seven Maoist-affected and four insurgency-prone States.

Under Modernisation of Police Force (MPF) scheme, the Union Home Ministry provides financial assistance to State Governments for procurement of weapons, purchase of vehicles, construction of residential and non-residential buildings and procurement of security, surveillance, communication and forensic science equipments.

Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Orissa, Jharkhand, Maharashtra and West Bengal are facing threat from the left wing ultras and insurgency activities are troubling the states of Jammu and Kashmir, Assam, Manipur and Nagaland.

The naxal affected States got Rs 372.37 crore while militancy-hit States were given Rs 255.42 crore during 2008-09 for the modernisation of police forces.

The Jammu and Kashmir top the list of allotments as the Home Ministry allotted Rs 109.65 crore to the State.

The Centre has given Rs 83.83 crore to Andhra Pradesh, Rs 75.86 to Maharashtra, Rs 69.85 crore to Jharkhand, Rs 68.11 crore to Assam, Rs 41 crore to Bihar, Rs 26.54 crore to Chhattisgarh, Rs 42.54 crore to Orissa, Rs 38.42 crore to Nagaland, Rs 39.23 crore to Manipur and Rs 32.18 crore to West Bengal.

- AGENCIES

(Source: http://jaibihar.com/centre-releases-1158-cr-for-police-modernisation/12768/)

In Mumbai-Maximum number of migrants are from Maharashtra

2009-09-29T09:15:00.000+05:30

According to the Mumbai Human Development Report brought out by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and UNDP, as reported in DNA, Mumbai, Contrary to popular belief, it is not people from the North Indian states but from other parts of Maharashtra who constitute the bulk of the city's migrant population.The report says one-third of the migrants in the city are from the state.

As per the 2001 census the percentage of migrants from Maharashtra (37.4) is the largest. It is followed by Uttar Pradesh (24.3) and Gujarat (9.6)."Together, however, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh form -- according to various census reports -- a little over 60% of all the migrants."

The report was prepared by DP Singh, chairperson of the Centre for Research Methodology at Tiss.
The MNS has been opposing the influx of migrants from Bihar and UP. But the report gives some interesting facts about Biharis. The percentage of Biharis entering the city was as low as 0.22 in the 1961 census. In 2001, the figure reached 3.5.
"The maximum number of migrants is from Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg", says the report.
"Nearly 60% of the intra-state migration is from Ratnagiri, Satara, Pune, and Raigad districts. The percentage of migration from Ratnagiri (including Sindhudurg) declined from 44.5 to 31.5 in the past four decades. But the influx from Marathwada (Latur, Nanded, Solapur, Parbhani, Jalna, Osmanabad, and Beed districts) indicate higher numbers."
From 1961 to 2001, the migration from North Indian states has increased substantially and that from South Indian states has declined.

(Based on a Newsitem in DNA, Mumbai, 29th September 2009)

Drought saves sacrificial goats in Bihar

2009-09-28T12:09:00.000+05:30

Patna, Sunday, September 27,2009 (Inditop.com)
The drought in Bihar has come as a blessing in disguise for hundreds of goats. Many financially-battered people are not slaughtering them during Durga Puja and Dussehra.

After the devastating floods last year, an acute drought now is forcing people in rural areas to celebrate the festivals without fanfare.

Many of them are in fact still battling the after effects of the 2008 floods that left hundreds dead and destroyed houses of over three million people.

It is part of tradition to sacrifice goats to mark the festivals but fewer animals were bought for slaughter this time.

“We decided not to sacrifice a goat in view of the drought,” said Munna Singh, a villager in Aurangabad, one of 26 districts declared drought hit by the government.

Scanty rainfall has virtually destroyed the rice crops of Munna Singh and other farmers.

Ram Mohan Sharma, a villager in Jehanabad, another affected district, told Inditop: “The drought has saved the animals.”

Both Munna Singh and Sharma used to sacrifice goats each year in a bid to appease the gods. Now they lack the money to buy goats. And they are not the only ones.

All across Bihar’s sprawling drought-hit region, there are similar stories.

The festivities have gone low key in Saharsa, Madhepura, Supaul, Araria and Purnea districts.

“A few people did offer the customary animal sacrifice,” said Bhagwan Bhaskar, a resident of Gaya district. But he noted that their number was minimal.

He said that in Magadh region, comprising five drought-affected districts, the number of animals sacrificed was hardly 10 percent of the usual quota.

Bihar recorded a rainfall deficit of 21 percent this monsoon. The situation improved following rains in August

राहुल गांधी पर 'तालाब' का असर

2009-09-28T11:50:00.000+05:30

visfot news network 22 september 2009
कांग्रेस के महासचिव राहुल गांधी ने अपने हाल के तमिलनाडु दौरे में एक बड़ा महत्वपूर्ण बयान दिया था. राहुल गांधी ने कहा था कि वे नदियों को जोड़ने के खिलाफ हैं क्योंकि ऐसा करना प्रकृति के साथ बहुत बड़ा खिलवाड़ होगा जिसकी भरपाई मुश्किल होगी.

उनके इस बयान के बाद से ही हम इस पड़ताल पर लग गये थे कि आखिर राहुल गांधी ने ऐसा बयान दिया क्यों? राहुल गांधी की शिक्षा-दीक्षा और राजनीतिक सोच समझ में यह बात कहीं फिट नहीं बैठती है कि नदियों को जोड़ने काम बहुत विनाशकारी है. पिछली दफा इसी यूपीए सरकार ने सिर्फ वामपंथियों के दबाव में आकर नदी जोड़ो परियोजना को किनारे रखा था अन्यथा नदी जोड़ने की परियोजना को शुरू करने के लिए व्यावसायिक घरानों का बहुत दबाव है. इसका कारण भी है क्योंकि एक बार नदी जोड़ो परियोजना शुरू हुई तो यह इस देश की अब तक की सबसे बड़ी एकल परियोजना होगी जिसमें छह से सात लाख करोड़ का बिजनेस जनरेट होगा.

लेकिन नदी जोड़ने के भीषण और भयावह प्राकृतिक परिणाम होंगे जिनसे आनेवाली नस्लें ऐसी दो चार होंगी कि उससे उबरना मुश्किल होगा. जब एनडीए सरकार ने इस योजना को हरी झंडी दिखाते हुए एक कमेटी का गठन किया था और सुरेश प्रभु को इसका मुखिया बनाया था तभी दिल्ली में विरोध करनेवाले लोगों की एक बड़ी लॉबी सक्रिय हो गयी थी जिसमें नानाजी देशमुख से लेकर कई जाने माने पर्यावरणविद शामिल थे. उस विरोध को पर्यावरणविद अनुपम मिश्र का भी समर्थन था और बाद में लोकसभा चैनल पर एक टीवी कार्यक्रम में उनके तर्कों के आगे सुरेश प्रभु भी दोबारा विचार करने की बात करने लगे.

इसी कड़ी में राहुल गांधी भी आते हैं. राहुल गांधी की राजनीतिक ट्रेनिंग आजकल जिन लोगों की देखरेख में हो रही है उसमें दिग्विजय सिंह प्रमुख हैं. दिग्विजय सिंह पानी और पर्यावरण के मुद्दे पर संवेदनशील व्यक्ति हैं इसलिए पर्यावरण पर काम करनेवाली संस्थाओं के संपर्क में रहते हैं. पानी के काम की अहमियत वे समझते हैं इसलिए राजेन्द्र सिंह की जल बिरादरी को भी उनका समर्थन मिला हुआ था. ऐसे में दिग्विजय सिंह ने ही राहुल गांधी की भारत के पानी और पर्यावरण के चिंतन के लिए जो पुस्तकें मुहैया करवायीं उसमें अनुपम मिश्र की एक किताब 'आज भी खरे हैं तालाब' और 'तैरनेवाला समाज डूब रहा है' नामक पुस्तिका भी थी. आज भी खरे हैं तालाब जहां भारत के परपंरागत पानी संरक्षण के लिए तालाब के महत्व और दर्शन को समझाती है वहीं "तैरनेवाला समाज डूब रहा है" बिहार में बाढ़ को समस्या मानने की बजाय उसे व्यवस्था का दोष साबित करती है.

इन किताबों का राहुल गांधी के मन पर गहरा असर हुआ है. कहते हैं जब वे लुधियाना की शताब्दी यात्रा कर रहे थे तब भी और जब तमिलनाडु के दौरे पर गये थे तब भी वे इन्हीं किताबों का अध्ययन कर रहे थे. अब यह समझना मुश्किल है कि राहुल गांधी की कमजोर हिन्दी के बावजूद क्या वे इस किताब को पढ़ पा रहे हैं जो बहुत देशज शैली और भाषा में लिखी गयी है? एक लाख प्रतियों की बिक्री का रिकार्ड दर्ज कर चुकी आज भी खरे हैं तालाब तो हिन्दी के ऐतिहासिक साहित्य में पहुंच चुकी है. किताब के लेखक अनुपम मिश्र खुद आश्चर्य प्रकट करते हुए कहते हैं कि "उन्हें इस बात का बिल्कुल इल्म नहीं है कि राहुल गांधी इन पुस्तकों को क्यों पढ़ रहे हैं उन्हें किन लोगों ने इस किताब के बारे में बताया. लेकिन जहां तक नदियों को जोड़ने के बारे में उनके बयान का सवाल है तो उनके इस बयान का जरूर स्वागत किया जाना चाहिए." अनुपम मिश्र कुछ उन गिने चुने लोगों में हैं जिन्होंने पानी और पर्यावरण पर बहुत भारतीय शैली में काम किया है. इसका नतीजा यह है कि उनके लेखन के प्रभाव में दर्जनों पानी के काम चल रहे हैं.

अनुपम मिश्र कहते हैं "किताब पढ़ने और बयान देने का स्वागत करना चाहिए लेकिन असल स्वागत तो उस दिन होगा जब राहुल गांधी के प्रभाव में ही सही सरकार पानी के परंपरागत काम को आगे बढ़ाएगी." उम्मीद करते हैं कि सरकार पानी के निजीकरण और नदियों तक को बेच देने की अपनी दबी इच्छाओं के बीच इस दिशा में अभी से काम शुरू कर दे तो किताब पढ़ना और राहुल गांधी का बयान दोनो ही सार्थक दिशा में आगे बढ़ जाएंगे.

Bihar Govt. Reconstitutes Medical Council

2009-09-27T09:52:00.001+05:30

TNN, Bihar 26 Sept. 2009
PATNA: Bihar government has reconstituted Bihar Council of Medical Registration after a lapse of five years. Ten doctors have been nominated to the council for which the health department has already issued a notification.
Three of them - noted eye surgeon and convenor (community services) of Bihar ophthalmological Society Dr Sunil Kumar Singh, PMCH's retired professor of medicine Dr Ramesh Chandra Sharma and cardio thorasic surgeon Gyasuddin Rayee, are the government nominees in the 10-member council.

Others, including Dr Amar Kant Jha `Amar', Dr Sohan Prasad Chowdhary, Dr Kiran Kumari, Dr Narendra Prasad, Dr D K Chowdhary, Dr Basant Singh and Dr Sahajanand Prasad Singh, have been selected under different quotas.

Dr Sunil Kumar Singh said the ten members of the council would soon elect a president and a registrar from among themselves.

2009-09-27T09:41:00.000+05:30

BALCO tragedy: Nitish announces Rs. 1 lakh compensation

Shoumojit Banerjee
The Hindu, 27 September 2009

PATNA: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday announced a compensation package of Rs. 1 lakh for the families of 17 workers, hailing from the State, who were killed when a chimney at an under-construction thermal power plant of the Bharat Aluminium Company Limited caved in at Korba, 220 km north-east of Raipur on Wednesday.

According to reports, the death toll has mounted to more than 40 as Chhattisgarh authorities continued rescue operations and search for bodies under the debris.

Of the 17 workers, 11 were from Chhapra and 6 from Siwan district, authorities said. The bodies of the workers are yet to be sent to Bihar.

Official sent to Chhattisgarh

The Bihar administration has also dispatched a senior official from the Labour Department to Chhattisgarh to probe the accident.

2009-09-27T09:36:00.000+05:30

22 mill workers sent back to Bihar, Jharkhand

Staff Reporter
Hindu, 27 September 2009

Coimbatore: Nineteen persons from Bihar and three from Jharkhand, who were working in a textile mill here, were sent back to their hometowns on Friday following a skirmish with workers who hailed from Tamil Nadu. The incident is said to have happened at their place of residence.

Superintendent of Police, Coimbatore Rural, N. Kannan, said a top government official in Bihar told him over the phone that mill workers from his State had been injured in a clash with fellow workers here.

Based on the information, the police checked all the textile mills in the district. The Madukkarai police found that 22 workers of a private textile mill at Athipalayam in Madukkarai wanted to go back home.

Inquiries revealed that these workers had quarrelled over watching the channels of their choice on television. The police said no worker was injured; there had been no violence but only a skirmish.

However, since these workers wanted to leave, the police put them on a train to their hometowns on Friday. No case was registered as the workers did not lodge a complaint.

PTI reports from Patna:

Earlier in the day, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had asked authorities to look into reports that around 20 youths from the State were assaulted in Coimbatore.

After coming to know about the incident, news of which appeared in a section of the press here, Mr. Kumar called Principal Secretary (Home) Amir Subhani and asked him to take it up with his Tamil Nadu counterpart, an official spokesman said.

Mr. Kumar also asked the Tamil Nadu government to protect the people from Bihar and take immediate steps to free the youths and arrange for their transport. According to the Chief Minister, the Bihar government would provide compensation to the victims, the spokesman said.

2009-09-27T09:25:00.000+05:30

Cow dung cremations catch on in Bihar

By Amarnath Tewary
Sunday, 27 September 2009 , BBC News, Patna, Bihar

In India's remote north-east, the people of the state of Bihar have devised a novel and environmentally friendly way to cremate their dead.

Where traditionally only the wood from a mango tree was used to fuel the funeral fire in this part of India, now people are making do with cow dung as an alternative source of fuel.

It may sound outlandish but this unique local innovation is not only catching on fast but has achieved widespread social acceptance.

Annual flooding in two districts of of northern Bihar has meant that access to mango trees is restricted.

Entire mango orchards have been swept away by the flood waters.

The new system is known as the "goraha" way of cremation. Cow dung is fashioned into a long rod-shaped cake, locally known as goraha.

Goraha is easily available and coming from herbivorous cattle, acceptable in sacred terms too. All this has helped Biharis opt for this new method of cremation.

Flooded forests

There are many factors behind the new development.

The new method is said to be more environmentally friendly

The ritual of the funeral fire consumes on average an entire mango tree.

Besides being less cumbersome and environmentally destructive, the use of cow dung cakes is also more economical.

"With the stringent restrictions over cutting green trees, the mango woods have become costlier and it even becomes difficult during the flood season to get, especially when the whole area remains chronically waterlogged for months," Professor Vidyanath Jha told the BBC.

Professor Jha, a botany professor in Darbhanga, has conducted extensive research on the goraha method of cremation in north Bihar.

He says that the perennial flooding in the area has led to a rapid depletion in forest cover. This is what ultimately forced rural people to search alternative fuels for cremations.

Only 7% of Bihar is forested. North Bihar has a meagre 1.92% forest cover.

"There are waterlogged areas like Kusheshwarasthan where mango orchards have completely been wiped out," said Professor Jha.

Under the new method of goraha cremation, people dig a large pit and arrange long rod-shaped cow dung cakes in rows set in three tiers.

The lowest tier comprises three horizontal rows arranged in a scaffolding pattern and an additional fourth layer is added when the soil is moist.

Pressure is exerted on the lower layers which breaks into smaller pieces and help absorb the soil moisture.

The lowest tier serves as the podium on which the corpse is laid in a sitting posture to minimize the surface area. A small space is left between tiers to light the pyre through performing the rituals.

The flame gradually reaches the lower layers and sets the whole body alight instantly.

Cheaper cremation

Forest cover in Bihar is rapidly disappearing

About 200kg of cow dung cakes are used for burning a corpse compared with about 240-280kg of mango wood.

"Under this system the whole body gets disposed of within one-and-half-hours, whereas in the traditional system mourners needed to be at the funeral site for three to four hours".

One has to spend only 400-500 rupees ($6-$8) in the goraha system as opposed to between 3,000 - 4,000 rupees ($62-$83) in the traditional mango-wood cremation of a dead body," said Shambhu Ram, a college employee who cremated one of his deceased relatives using the goraha one year ago.

"It's easy, cheap and consumes less time for us who are waterlogged in flood waters for three to four months every year in monsoon season," Mr Ram says.

But what happens when there is no dry area when flooding is at its worst?

"We put a kothi (earthen container) on the front portion of a country boat and then take the corpse inside it and follow the same process as in goraha. When the body gets burnt over we push the kothi in flood water," explains Shambhu Ram.

Kothi is generally used for storing grains.

"As about 40% of people in these northern districts have now opted for this new system of cremation it has become socially acceptable too," Professor Jha said.

Environmentalists say this new trend of cremation also saves mango trees from further depletion - something this flood-prone region has been distinctive for.

2009-09-26T21:20:00.000+05:30

Inter-linking of rivers a dream or reality

(Central Chronicle ) Friday, September 25, 2009

Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi's remark on the Inter-Linking of Rivers Project on September 10 saying that it would be dangerous to "play with nature on a massive scale" is borne out of the current-day ambience created by "environmentalists" against all river valley projects, "chemical fertilizers and what not and a total ignorance of the issues involved, including the fact it is actually a project envisaged and finalized by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in early 1980.
For someone who aspires to be the Prime Minister of India one day, it would be necessary to learn one or two things about the very philosophy of linking of rivers and also that this process began in India as early as in 1886 itself. There are other schemes too which are older than 100 years and they have all benefited people, not proved to be disasters. Anyone familiar with the story of the success of agriculture in Punjab must also be aware that this success owes to a great extent -along with the advent of the Green Revolution triggered by Dr. Norman Borlaug - to the inter-lining of the three main rivers of Punjab, the Ravi, the Beas and the Sutlej. The Ravi and the Beas were interinked much before Independence.
The Secretary of State for India during the British era and the Maharaja of Travancore had signed an agreement in 1886 making indentures in respect of lease of certain territory in the Travancore State in connection with the Periyar Irrigation Project which is operative for 999 years. That had helped the construction of the Mulla-Periyar Project enabling diversion of some volume of water from the Periyar River in today's Kerala to the Vaigai River in today's Tamil Nadu. The people of the parched districts of Ramanathapuram and Madurai in the erstwhile Madras province, many of whom were accused of being cattle lifters, could till their land and had become rich landlords in no time. The people of Tamil Nadu had penned a ballad in praise of the builder Pennycot for this project.
If Mr. Gandhi looks closely at the map of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh today, he will find that the river Tungabhadrs from Karnataka enters Andhra Pradesh near Kurnool, and joins the Krishna near there. However, before that takes place, a canal takes off from the Tungabhadrs from near Alampur and flows southwards to join the river Pennar near Kadapa, the political headquarters of the late YSR of Andhra Pradesh Built by the great Sir Arthur Cotton probably in the 1930s. This canal provides water for the perennially drought-stricken Rayalseema region of Andhra Pradesh. Arthur Cotton had also built the Dowlaisaram barrage across the Godavari around that time and the people of Andhra Pradesh have honoured him by building his statute near that barrage.
Even before the country was partitioned, the British had felt that some waters of the river Ravi could profitably be diverted to the river Beas by a linking canal in order to boost irrigation in the Punjab. So had come the Madhopur-Beas Link. After Independence, this link was renamed the Ravi Beas Link and an irrigation and hydel project across the Ravi built and named the Ranjit Sagar project. Meanwhile, at a place called Pandoh in the Himachal Pradesh, a dam was built across the Beas river in order to divert some waters of the river southwards to a place called Dehar to join the Sutlej. This diverted water falls into the Bhakra reservoir. At the same time, another dam was built across the Beas at a place in Punjab called Pong. This Pond Dam drives water to the Harike Barrage from where this volume of water flows into what was called the Rajasthan Canal earlier, now known as the Indira Gandhi Nahar Pariyojana. This project has changed the face of north Rajasthan from a desert territory to one brimming with greenery.
Before Independence, the area in Bihar known as the Chhotanagpur region, used to suffer from both drought and floods caused by rivers such as the Damodar the Barakar, the Tilayya etc. The Damodar Valley Corporation envisaged by Jawaharlal Nehru constructed short-distance links besides dams and canals which have brought prosperity to Bihar (now Jharkhand) and West Bengal.
Long-distance water transfers from the Bhakra and Tehri Dams provide drinking water to Delhi, from the Cauvery to Bengaluru and from the Krishna, 460 kilometres to the north at Sri Sailam to Chennai.
More examples can be cited but one has to mention here that it was Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's time that a final shape was given to the National Perspective for Water Resources Development, which became the Inter-Linking of Rivers project, in May 1980.
When on October 31, 2002, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee had proposed in the Lok Sabha to set up a task force for re-activating the river-linking project in the background of the severe drought that year, one of the first members to support it was the then Leader of the Opposition, Mrs. Sonia Gandhi.
Arabinda Ghose, NPA

2009-09-26T11:35:00.000+05:30

Panji Prabandh of Mithila, Vol.III

(Posted by Gajendra Thakur)

Mapping 450AD to 2009AD- Panji Prabandh of Mithila Vol.I-III authors Gajendra Thakur, Nagendra Kumar Jha & Panjikar Vidyanand Jha (BASED ON 10000 PAL-LEAF MANUSCRIPT).
English translation under progress, will be released in due course. The complete PDF book may be downloaded from: http://www.box.net/shared/f6hypnr035 or
Right click the following link and save target as http://videha123.wordpress.com/files/2009/09/genome_mapping_panjiprabandh_of_mithila_gajendrathakur1.pdf
Or, http://sites.google.com/a/videha.com/videha-pothi/

Kosi Floods

2009-09-21T20:11:00.000+05:30

A Sustainable Engineering Disaster

Dinesh Kumar Mishra
SUMIT DAYAL

Dinesh Kumar Mishra looks back at the history of floods in North Bihar and wonders what this year has in store .
Had the Kosi river not breached its eastern embankment at Kusaha last year, 2008 would have gone down as a drought year in North Bihar.

The rains were scanty and there was virtual drought after the breach occurred. That is why the Kosi hit only 3.3 million people across five districts, 35 blocks, 993 villages and an area of 368,000 hectares (ha) and 527 people were killed.

Among Bihar’s rivers, the Kosi’s sediment load is high and it meanders. It was embanked in late 1950s and made to flow in a channel so that 214,000 ha outside the embankments could be spared the seasonal flood. These embankments are nearly 125 km long on either side and are spaced at an average width of 10 km apart. A barrage was constructed to regulate water for irrigation and the embankment was extended upstream. It is in these extensions, called afflux bundhs, that the breach happened last year.

The embankments were to stop spilling of floodwater, but they also prevent the sediments from escaping. This has raised the riverbed, forcing the embankments to be raised accordingly. But there is a limit to raising and maintaining embankments. The riverbed rises an average of 10 cm each year, where the breach took place. It was flowing five metres higher than the level at the time the river was embanked—this makes for an unstable river that can easily breach embankments, which also prevent rainwater from draining into the river, causing water logging outside. On August 18, 2008, that’s what happened for the eighth time (see list on map).

And this was when the amount of water in the river was less than a sixth—15 per cent—of the flow that the embankments were designed to endure. After the breach, nearly 90 per cent of the water flowed through a new course the river had carved for itself outside where it had been engineered to flow.

“Nothing short of immediate plugging of the breach was acceptable to the people hit by the floods who were living in the new floodplain of the river,” said Gautam Chaudhary, a resident of Birpur on the protected countryside of the eastern embankment. “They were not used to such floods after the embankments were built. The boats are not there because they were not needed; people have forgotten how to swim.”

Between Kosi’s embankments

Had the Kosi not breached its sides and run through its designated course, it would have inundated 414 villages (34 of them in Nepal) that live within the embankments. When the river was engineered, it was assumed these villages would get rehabilitated in the land freed from the Kosi’s seasonal floods, but they would be able to cultivate their lands within the embankments during the lean season. This did not prove very practical; most residents returned to their ancestral homes.

“Punarwas to banwas hai” (Rehabilitation is exile), said Manoj Chaudhary of Saharsa district’s Murali village, located within the Kosi embankments. People choose to stay where they can earn a living. Most migrate seasonally for supplementary income.

The suddenly matured Bagmati

The river has three distinct reaches. The lower reaches were embanked in the 1950s and the upper reaches in the 1970s. The middle was left untouched because the river was said to be unstable here. In 2006, out of the blue, the current government criticized its predecessor and talked of providing succour to the people of the middle Bagmati basin. It decided the river had matured here, and started building embankments.

It is well known that rivers which carry such high sediments take centuries to stabilize in a channel. Government’s figures show the Bagmati has breached its embankments 20 times in the past 20 years; on an equal number of occasions, the embankments were breached by people within or just outside them to drain flood waters or logged waters.

“Rising riverbed and water logging outside is the natural outcome of embanking rivers,” said Ram Swarth Rai, ex- mla of Belsand in Sitamarhi. “If the river is prevented from spilling, it will either breach the embankment or the people will cut it.” He reminded this is what happened in 2001 in Surgahi village on the western embankment of the Bagmati. “The river obliged the villagers before they could cut it. Embankment busters had approached me to save them from any police harassment,” he said.

The Mahananda and Kamla

The Mahananda is a boundary between Bihar and West Bengal. In 1998, irate villagers of Shibganj, located within the embankments in Katihar district, cut the embankment after the rising flood waters became intolerable. The floodwater that gushed out of the gap spelled doom on Barahiya Parti and Koch Khali villages, where the water tried to re-enter the river, smashing the embankment. Such incidents are par for the course. Villagers on both sides sat together and reached a consensus—for varying reasons—to oppose the government if it tried to plug the breach.

They might have sorted out their problems but the water through these gaps is destined to submerge the blocks of Pranpur, Azamnagar, Amdabad, Manihari and Dhankhora. The embankment is not in good shape of repairs.

The embankments on the Kamla are restricted to Madhubani district. They are notorious for the large number of breaches any given year, right since their completion in 1962. The people here have acquired an expertise in breaching the embankments in a way that the villages do not get destroyed and the fertile silt deposits on their fields. “Has the government ever bothered to assess the cost of the earth that the river puts free of cost on the countryside after a breach? asked Rameshwar Sah of Gunakarpur village.

Breaches, past and future

There was an unprecedented flood in the Burhi Gandak in 2007. There were seven breaches in the Bagmati embankments, 14 in the Kamla-Balan embankments, five in the Burhi Gandak, three in the Masan embankments, and one each in the Bhutahi Balan, Khiroi and the Kosi.

The government response was a proposal to raise and strengthen the embankments. Its quixotic approach is illustrated in the handling of the Bhutahi Balan, a small river in Madhubani district. Flash floods occur in this river without warning and disappear equally quickly before any remedial action is taken—hence the name Bhutahi, meaning ghost. Its western side is embanked, so flood waters push to 52 villages east of the river. People here have demanded an embankment on their side for a long time. The government obliged, but railways authorities objected. For, if the embankment is completed, the waters would threaten a railway bridge. On June 18, 2009, the district administration went to a village on the bank of the Bhutahi Balan for a mock drill in disaster management. Not prepared for what they thought was a theatre of the absurd, the people chased away officials, who returned after completing the formality of driving a motorboat through whatever water was there in the river.

Government engineering actually keeps disaster in place.

Dinesh Kumar Mishra is a civil engineer and convenor of Barh Mukti Abhiyan. He has researched and written on floods in Bihar for more than 25 years

Child Prodigy- Tathagat

2009-09-21T20:01:00.000+05:30

'I broke Kelvin's Grade 10 record at the age of nine'

By Nilima Pathak, Correspondent
Published: September 11, 2009, 23:15

New Delhi:
Considered a child prodigy, Tathagat Avatar Tulsi is now India's youngest Ph.D. holder at 21, from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bangalore. He has a long list of achievements behind. Never keen on toys and naughty pranks, he was always amidst books and loved discussing mathematics and physics, which people found quite intriguing from an average boy of his age. His parents understood him and neither imposed their will on him nor forced him to play or do anything beyond his wishes. Tathagat knew his priorities in life and spurred by records, was at one time in a hurry to complete his Ph.D. and turn professor by 17. But today, after years of hard work, Tathagat is a relaxed person.

The youngster is not just about new theories and records. In his leisure time he plays chess and loves going for walks. Although keen on watching off-beat Hindi movies, he does not have any favourites. His ideal is Albert Einstein. In an exclusive interview with Gulf News, Tulsi spoke about his life's achievements and how he overcame the obstacles that came his way.