Tag: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar

  • 53 people drown in Bihar during four-day Chhath festivities

    By PTI

    PATNA: As many as 53 people drowned in rivers and other water bodies in various parts of Bihar during the four-day Chhath festivities, said a disaster management official here on Tuesday.

    Expressing grief, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar announced an ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakh each for the next of kin of each deceased, the official said.

    The CM directed all district magistrates to ensure expeditious payment to the victims’ families.

    According to the official, five people drowned in Purnea district on October 30, while three deaths each were reported from Patna, Muzaffarpur, Samastipur and Saharsa.

    One person each died in Gaya, Begusarai, Katihar, Buxar, Kaimur, Sitamarhi and Banka among other districts.

    “At least 18 people died in the state on October 31, the last day of the festival. The state disaster management is trying to establish the identity of all deceased at the earliest,” added the official.

    PATNA: As many as 53 people drowned in rivers and other water bodies in various parts of Bihar during the four-day Chhath festivities, said a disaster management official here on Tuesday.

    Expressing grief, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar announced an ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakh each for the next of kin of each deceased, the official said.

    The CM directed all district magistrates to ensure expeditious payment to the victims’ families.

    According to the official, five people drowned in Purnea district on October 30, while three deaths each were reported from Patna, Muzaffarpur, Samastipur and Saharsa.

    One person each died in Gaya, Begusarai, Katihar, Buxar, Kaimur, Sitamarhi and Banka among other districts.

    “At least 18 people died in the state on October 31, the last day of the festival. The state disaster management is trying to establish the identity of all deceased at the earliest,” added the official.

  • Everyone is talking about opposition unity, wait for some time, it is going to be good: Nitish Kumar

    By ANI

    NEW DELHI: Chief Minister of Bihar Nitish Kumar on Wednesday met Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) General Secretary Deepankar Bhattacharya in his party office and discussed various issues including the development of Bihar and an urgent need for forging a dynamic and broad-based opposition unity.

    After meeting with CPI(ML) General Secretary, Kumar said, “Seven political parties united in Bihar and we are running the government together and on the other side there is only Bharatiya Janata Party. We had a discussion on how to work for the development of the state with consensus, how to uplift every section of the society and the work has to be done for the welfare of people.”

    “I have met all the people in Delhi and many of them thanked me for coming out from NDA. Everyone wishes that there should be unity in every state and such an atmosphere will be created in the country in the coming days,” the chief minister added.

    CM of Bihar further said that everyone is talking about opposition unity, wait for some time, it is going to be good.

    “Everyone realizes that those who have the power in their hands, they are creating damage everywhere in the country,” he added.

    “CPI(ML) General Secretary Deepankar Bhattacharya and Nitish Kumar also discussed to stop the BJP’s bulldozer raj in the country. Burning issues of Bihar also came up in the discussion” the party said in a Statement.

    CPIML General Secretary told ANI that he raised the urgent need for a united attempt for the release of political prisoners, who are lodged behind bars on fabricated charges.

    “We want that what happened in Bihar, should happen on a national level. In Bihar, BJP was left alone and other parties came together. This Bihar model should be repeated across the nation. Nitish ji is working hard and hard work will bear fruit,” said Bhattacharya.

    He further said that the formation of a non-BJP government in Bihar is a step in the right direction to rid the country of the BJP’s politics of conspiracy and disaster and generates fresh hope in forces fighting against attacks on the Constitution and democracy.

    Two leaders emphasised the need for coordinated efforts to fulfil the needs and aspirations of the people of Bihar and advance the agenda of opposition unity to defend democracy and save India.

    Kumar has been in Delhi since Monday afternoon to work for Opposition unity for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

    Ever since his arrival in Delhi, Bihar CM has met leaders various political parties in the country.

    Nitish Kumar met Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Samajwadi Party leaders Mulayam Singh Yadav, Akhilesh Yadav, Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Sitaram Yechury and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

    He also met Indian National Lok Dal leader Om Prakash Chautala.

    He also met with Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Sharad Yadav in Delhi, who said, “It is necessary that the opposition parties come together. There is no better face (of Opposition) than Nitish Kumar.”

    This came days after Nitish Kumar broke the alliance with the BJP in August and formed the government with RJD in Bihar.

    Earlier Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao had also visited Bihar and met Nitish Kumar, and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav as part of efforts towards opposition unity.

    NEW DELHI: Chief Minister of Bihar Nitish Kumar on Wednesday met Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) General Secretary Deepankar Bhattacharya in his party office and discussed various issues including the development of Bihar and an urgent need for forging a dynamic and broad-based opposition unity.

    After meeting with CPI(ML) General Secretary, Kumar said, “Seven political parties united in Bihar and we are running the government together and on the other side there is only Bharatiya Janata Party. We had a discussion on how to work for the development of the state with consensus, how to uplift every section of the society and the work has to be done for the welfare of people.”

    “I have met all the people in Delhi and many of them thanked me for coming out from NDA. Everyone wishes that there should be unity in every state and such an atmosphere will be created in the country in the coming days,” the chief minister added.

    CM of Bihar further said that everyone is talking about opposition unity, wait for some time, it is going to be good.

    “Everyone realizes that those who have the power in their hands, they are creating damage everywhere in the country,” he added.

    “CPI(ML) General Secretary Deepankar Bhattacharya and Nitish Kumar also discussed to stop the BJP’s bulldozer raj in the country. Burning issues of Bihar also came up in the discussion” the party said in a Statement.

    CPIML General Secretary told ANI that he raised the urgent need for a united attempt for the release of political prisoners, who are lodged behind bars on fabricated charges.

    “We want that what happened in Bihar, should happen on a national level. In Bihar, BJP was left alone and other parties came together. This Bihar model should be repeated across the nation. Nitish ji is working hard and hard work will bear fruit,” said Bhattacharya.

    He further said that the formation of a non-BJP government in Bihar is a step in the right direction to rid the country of the BJP’s politics of conspiracy and disaster and generates fresh hope in forces fighting against attacks on the Constitution and democracy.

    Two leaders emphasised the need for coordinated efforts to fulfil the needs and aspirations of the people of Bihar and advance the agenda of opposition unity to defend democracy and save India.

    Kumar has been in Delhi since Monday afternoon to work for Opposition unity for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

    Ever since his arrival in Delhi, Bihar CM has met leaders various political parties in the country.

    Nitish Kumar met Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Samajwadi Party leaders Mulayam Singh Yadav, Akhilesh Yadav, Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Sitaram Yechury and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

    He also met Indian National Lok Dal leader Om Prakash Chautala.

    He also met with Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Sharad Yadav in Delhi, who said, “It is necessary that the opposition parties come together. There is no better face (of Opposition) than Nitish Kumar.”

    This came days after Nitish Kumar broke the alliance with the BJP in August and formed the government with RJD in Bihar.

    Earlier Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao had also visited Bihar and met Nitish Kumar, and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav as part of efforts towards opposition unity.

  • Trying times for opposition: Nitish Kumar to head for Delhi on September 5, to meet non-BJP leaders

    By PTI

    PATNA: Amid the jolt caused by five JD(U) MLAs in Manipur joining the BJP and the bleak political situation for the opposition in the country, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar would be heading for Delhi on September 5 to meet political leaders from various affiliations in a bid to forge opposition unity, senior party leaders said here on Saturday.

    They said Kumar will return two days later and is expected to meet senior leaders of the Congress, which is now his ally in the state.

    Notably, Kumar had been in touch with Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi when he dumped the BJP last month.

    The JD(U) leader, whose party wants him to play a “national role” after having been the longest serving chief minister of Bihar, is also likely to interact with his Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal who heads the Aam Aadmi Party. Another prominent leader whom Kumar is likely to meet is former Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala, whom he has known since they were both in Lok Dal.

    Chautala is seeking to revive his Indian National Lok Dal by challenging the BJP which is ruling the northern state for the second consecutive term.

    Nitish Kumar vent his anger over the Manipur development by accusing BJP of using money power to poach legislators from other parties.

    Talking to reporters at the party office here, where a two-day national conclave is underway, Kumar who is the de facto chief of the JD(U) questioned the propriety and constitutionality of the alleged poaching by the BJP.

    “Is it proper? Is it constitutional? Is it in line with established norms? They are doing so everywhere.

    Hence all parties must unite in 2024 for a positive mandate,” said Kumar who is being pitched for a “national” role by his party.

    “When we were in NDA, they (BJP) gave our MLAs nothing.

    Now they have been won over,” said Kumar, in what appeared to be a reference to horse-trading.

    ALSO READ | Nitish Kumar: Running strong despite twists and turns

    The Manipur JD(U) MLAs switched sides around a month after Nitish Kumar ended his alliance with the BJP and formed a fresh government in Bihar with Mahagathbandhan comprising RJD, Congress, HAM and Left parties.

    Kumar said the party’s Manipur MLAs had confirmed their presence at the meeting, and had earlier backed JD(U)’s decision to quit the NDA.

    Asked about reports that he will be visiting Delhi in the next few days to meet top leaders and explore the prospects of opposition unity, Kumar replied in the affirmative but did not divulge details.

    JD(U) national president Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan alleged that the BJP did in Manipur what it had “previously attempted in Delhi, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra”.

    “Our MLAs in Manipur had defeated BJP candidates at the hustings. Ditto in Arunachal Pradesh where our MLAs were poached while we were still in NDA,” fumed Lalan.

    In a statement on Friday, Manipur assembly Secretary K Meghajit Singh said that the Speaker accepted the merger of five JD(U) MLAs with the BJP, the ruling party of the Northeastern state.

    The development comes as an embarrassment for the party which is holding its national executive meeting here and trying to project the Bihar chief minister for a bigger role in national politics.

    “Whatever tricks the BJP may play, it will not be able to stop JD(U) from becoming a national party by 2023,” asserted Lalan, who has been associated with Nitish Kumar for nearly four decades.

    ALSO READ | Power games: Nitish Kumar prepares for the battle of Delhi

    “The BJP should worry about itself. In 2015 assembly polls, none other than Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed 42 rallies but the party could win only 53 seats in the 243-strong Bihar Vidhan Sabha. They should think of their fate in 2024 when the entire opposition will stand united against them,” he said.

    Referring to Modi’s recent allegation that opposition parties were in a huddle to protect the corrupt, the JD(U) chief taunted: “What BJP is doing to other parties is ‘sadachar’ (virtuous act) but a joint fight against its brazen use of money power is ‘bhrashtachar’ (corruption). The prime minister has redefined these terms”.

    He also bristled at the remark of BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi that after Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur, it was Bihar’s turn to become “JDU-mukt” where the party could be split by its bigger ally RJD of Lalu Prasad.

    “Let Sushil Modi sell daydreams to his central leadership. It may help him to come out of political wilderness,” remarked Lalan.

    PATNA: Amid the jolt caused by five JD(U) MLAs in Manipur joining the BJP and the bleak political situation for the opposition in the country, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar would be heading for Delhi on September 5 to meet political leaders from various affiliations in a bid to forge opposition unity, senior party leaders said here on Saturday.

    They said Kumar will return two days later and is expected to meet senior leaders of the Congress, which is now his ally in the state.

    Notably, Kumar had been in touch with Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi when he dumped the BJP last month.

    The JD(U) leader, whose party wants him to play a “national role” after having been the longest serving chief minister of Bihar, is also likely to interact with his Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal who heads the Aam Aadmi Party. Another prominent leader whom Kumar is likely to meet is former Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala, whom he has known since they were both in Lok Dal.

    Chautala is seeking to revive his Indian National Lok Dal by challenging the BJP which is ruling the northern state for the second consecutive term.

    Nitish Kumar vent his anger over the Manipur development by accusing BJP of using money power to poach legislators from other parties.

    Talking to reporters at the party office here, where a two-day national conclave is underway, Kumar who is the de facto chief of the JD(U) questioned the propriety and constitutionality of the alleged poaching by the BJP.

    “Is it proper? Is it constitutional? Is it in line with established norms? They are doing so everywhere.

    Hence all parties must unite in 2024 for a positive mandate,” said Kumar who is being pitched for a “national” role by his party.

    “When we were in NDA, they (BJP) gave our MLAs nothing.

    Now they have been won over,” said Kumar, in what appeared to be a reference to horse-trading.

    ALSO READ | Nitish Kumar: Running strong despite twists and turns

    The Manipur JD(U) MLAs switched sides around a month after Nitish Kumar ended his alliance with the BJP and formed a fresh government in Bihar with Mahagathbandhan comprising RJD, Congress, HAM and Left parties.

    Kumar said the party’s Manipur MLAs had confirmed their presence at the meeting, and had earlier backed JD(U)’s decision to quit the NDA.

    Asked about reports that he will be visiting Delhi in the next few days to meet top leaders and explore the prospects of opposition unity, Kumar replied in the affirmative but did not divulge details.

    JD(U) national president Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan alleged that the BJP did in Manipur what it had “previously attempted in Delhi, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra”.

    “Our MLAs in Manipur had defeated BJP candidates at the hustings. Ditto in Arunachal Pradesh where our MLAs were poached while we were still in NDA,” fumed Lalan.

    In a statement on Friday, Manipur assembly Secretary K Meghajit Singh said that the Speaker accepted the merger of five JD(U) MLAs with the BJP, the ruling party of the Northeastern state.

    The development comes as an embarrassment for the party which is holding its national executive meeting here and trying to project the Bihar chief minister for a bigger role in national politics.

    “Whatever tricks the BJP may play, it will not be able to stop JD(U) from becoming a national party by 2023,” asserted Lalan, who has been associated with Nitish Kumar for nearly four decades.

    ALSO READ | Power games: Nitish Kumar prepares for the battle of Delhi

    “The BJP should worry about itself. In 2015 assembly polls, none other than Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed 42 rallies but the party could win only 53 seats in the 243-strong Bihar Vidhan Sabha. They should think of their fate in 2024 when the entire opposition will stand united against them,” he said.

    Referring to Modi’s recent allegation that opposition parties were in a huddle to protect the corrupt, the JD(U) chief taunted: “What BJP is doing to other parties is ‘sadachar’ (virtuous act) but a joint fight against its brazen use of money power is ‘bhrashtachar’ (corruption). The prime minister has redefined these terms”.

    He also bristled at the remark of BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi that after Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur, it was Bihar’s turn to become “JDU-mukt” where the party could be split by its bigger ally RJD of Lalu Prasad.

    “Let Sushil Modi sell daydreams to his central leadership. It may help him to come out of political wilderness,” remarked Lalan.

  • New e-Seva portal to make document access easier for Delhi’s Bihari diaspora

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI:/PATNA: Good news awaits natives of Bihar living in Delhi and NCR. Bihar government’s newly-launched online e-Seva portal in New Delhi’s Bihar Sadan will help the Delhi-based Bihari diaspora get their hands on necessary government documents without having to go to Bihar in person.

    Taking to their official Twitter handle, Palka Sahni, the Resident Commissioner of Bihar in New Delhi, said the new RTPS centre, inaugurated at Bihar Sadan in Dwarka, will facilitate the diaspora of Bihar in availing several important e-services like income certificates, caste certificates and others.

    A new #RTPS Center inaugurated at #Bihar Sadan, Dwarka by the Principal Secretary to the Hon’ble @officecmbihar , @chanchal001 sir. It will facilitate the diaspora of #Bihar in availing several imp e-services like income certificate, caste certificate etc. @IPRD_Bihar @gadbihar pic.twitter.com/mF4IlRU4Nm
    — Palka Sahni (@palka2015) October 5, 2021
    The Bihari diaspora living in Delhi-NCR will only have to apply online through this e-Seva portal to get the certificates issued within the set time frame.

    Chanchal Kumar, the Principal Secretary of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, inaugurated this service called the e-Seva portal on Tuesday, October 5, 2021.

    Sahni said ensuring necessary access to services through the online e-Seva portal in a transparent manner within the stipulated time frame for the Bihari diaspora is the prime objective behind starting this service.

    Ensuring services availability through online e-seva portal in a transparent and accessible manner within the stipulated time-frame for the Bihari diaspora will be the prime objective RTPS center at #Bihar Sadan @chanchal001 @biharfoundation https://t.co/wTIsE6mAC4
    — Palka Sahni (@palka2015) October 5, 2021
    “With the opening of this service in Delhi, we will not have to go to Bihar just to get required documents like caste certificates etc. This will help us a lot”, said Sohan Kumar, who works in a factory said here.

    A significant number of people from across Bihar come and live in Delhi and NCR either for education, working or carrying out business activities.