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Tag: Bihar government
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Supreme Court refuses to restrain Bihar govt from publishing further data from caste survey
By PTI
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court Friday refused to restrain the Bihar government from publishing further data from its caste survey, saying it cannot stop the state from taking any policy decision.
A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and S V N Bhatti issued a formal notice on a batch of pleas challenging the August 1 order of the Patna High Court that gave the go-ahead for the caste survey in Bihar. It listed the matter in January 2024.
The top court rejected the objections of the petitioners that the state government had preempted the stay order by publishing some data and demanded that a complete stay should be ordered on further publication of data.
“We are not staying anything at this moment. We cannot stop the state govt or any govt from making a policy decision. That would be wrong. We are going to examine the other issue regarding the power of the state govt to conduct this exercise,” the bench said.
Senior advocate Aprajita Singh, appearing for the petitioners, said there was a breach of privacy in the matter and the High Court order was wrong.
To this, the bench said since the name and other identities of any individual have not been published, therefore the argument that there was a breach of privacy may not be correct.
“The more important issue for consideration of the court is a breakdown of data and its availability to the public,” the bench said.
On October 2, the Nitish Kumar government in Bihar released findings of its caste survey, months ahead of the 2024 Parliamentary elections. The data revealed that OBCs and EBCs constitute a whopping 63 per cent of the state’s total population.
READ MORE | TN parties demand the state government to hold caste survey
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court Friday refused to restrain the Bihar government from publishing further data from its caste survey, saying it cannot stop the state from taking any policy decision.
A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and S V N Bhatti issued a formal notice on a batch of pleas challenging the August 1 order of the Patna High Court that gave the go-ahead for the caste survey in Bihar. It listed the matter in January 2024.
The top court rejected the objections of the petitioners that the state government had preempted the stay order by publishing some data and demanded that a complete stay should be ordered on further publication of data.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });
“We are not staying anything at this moment. We cannot stop the state govt or any govt from making a policy decision. That would be wrong. We are going to examine the other issue regarding the power of the state govt to conduct this exercise,” the bench said.
Senior advocate Aprajita Singh, appearing for the petitioners, said there was a breach of privacy in the matter and the High Court order was wrong.
To this, the bench said since the name and other identities of any individual have not been published, therefore the argument that there was a breach of privacy may not be correct.
“The more important issue for consideration of the court is a breakdown of data and its availability to the public,” the bench said.
On October 2, the Nitish Kumar government in Bihar released findings of its caste survey, months ahead of the 2024 Parliamentary elections. The data revealed that OBCs and EBCs constitute a whopping 63 per cent of the state’s total population.
READ MORE | TN parties demand the state government to hold caste survey
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Hooch tragedy: Bihar govt announces to provide Rs 4 lakh as compensation to victims
Express News Service
PATNA: Bihar government, on Monday, announced to provide compensation to the Hooch tragedy victims in Bihar’s East Champaran district.
Talking to media persons on sidelines of his weekly ‘janata ke darbaar mein mukhya mantri’, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar said that dependents of each victim of hooch tragedies in the state will be provided Rs 4 lakh as compensation from the CM relief fund.
He said that letters were being sent to all district magistrates informing them about the government’s decision on compensation. “The compensation will be given to the affected families after collecting all information about the victims,” he added.
The development came after the main Opposition party BJP demanded an all-party meeting on the new prohibition policy to ban the sale and consumption of alcohol in Bihar in April 2016. The DMs of respective districts will send the list after verification of relevant documents from their end.
Senior BJP leader and Rajya Sabha member Sushil Modi claimed that over 300 people have died in hooch tragedies and others lost their vision due to consumption of alleged spurious liquor since the state was declared ‘dry’.
ALSO READ | In ‘dry’ Bihar, another hooch tragedy claims 20 lives
Former chief minister and Hindustani Awam Morcha patron Jitan Ram Manjhi had also said that the majority of the victims belonged to poor strata of society.
“The poor were the worst suffers from new prohibition policy,” he had told the media.
At least 30 people are suspected to have died after consuming spurious liquor since Friday. The district administration, however, put the figures at 14 only.
ALSO READ | Slugfest resurfaces in Bihar over hooch tragedy as death toll rises to 28
The national human rights commission, earlier, had slammed the state government for hiding facts about the death of hooch victims in the Saran district in December last year. More than 43 people, as per official records, died.
PATNA: Bihar government, on Monday, announced to provide compensation to the Hooch tragedy victims in Bihar’s East Champaran district.
Talking to media persons on sidelines of his weekly ‘janata ke darbaar mein mukhya mantri’, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar said that dependents of each victim of hooch tragedies in the state will be provided Rs 4 lakh as compensation from the CM relief fund.
He said that letters were being sent to all district magistrates informing them about the government’s decision on compensation. “The compensation will be given to the affected families after collecting all information about the victims,” he added.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });
The development came after the main Opposition party BJP demanded an all-party meeting on the new prohibition policy to ban the sale and consumption of alcohol in Bihar in April 2016. The DMs of respective districts will send the list after verification of relevant documents from their end.
Senior BJP leader and Rajya Sabha member Sushil Modi claimed that over 300 people have died in hooch tragedies and others lost their vision due to consumption of alleged spurious liquor since the state was declared ‘dry’.
ALSO READ | In ‘dry’ Bihar, another hooch tragedy claims 20 lives
Former chief minister and Hindustani Awam Morcha patron Jitan Ram Manjhi had also said that the majority of the victims belonged to poor strata of society.
“The poor were the worst suffers from new prohibition policy,” he had told the media.
At least 30 people are suspected to have died after consuming spurious liquor since Friday. The district administration, however, put the figures at 14 only.
ALSO READ | Slugfest resurfaces in Bihar over hooch tragedy as death toll rises to 28
The national human rights commission, earlier, had slammed the state government for hiding facts about the death of hooch victims in the Saran district in December last year. More than 43 people, as per official records, died.
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Allies of JD(U)-RJD government in Bihar seek bigger piece of power pie; to meet Nitish soon
By PTI
PATNA: Smaller constituents of the ruling ‘Mahagathbandhan’ in Bihar are seeking top positions in commissions, boards and other entities under the state government to ensure ‘effective functioning’ of the Nitish Kumar-led dispensation.
A team of representatives of all the allies will soon meet the chief minister to discuss the issue, CPI-ML (L) Legislature party leader Mehboob Alam told PTI.
“I recently met Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Prasad Yadav and demanded that elected representatives or leaders of the alliance partners must be given space in various commissions, boards and corporations for the effective functioning of the government,” he said.
There are several bodies under the Bihar government, such as commissions for human rights, scheduled castes and scheduled tribes, women and public service, in which leaders of allies of the grand alliance can be offered responsible posts, said the CPIML(L) leader, whose party is part of the ruling coalition but supports the government from outside.
“The proposal, if implemented, will ensure effective functioning of a government at all levels. We are not seeking these posts for benefits attached to members or chairpersons of such bodies. A delegation of leaders of all partners of the Mahagathbandhan will soon meet the CM in this regard,” Alam, the party’s central committee member, said.
With 12 legislators, the CPI-ML (L) is the fourth largest constituent of the ‘Mahagathbandhan’, formed after stripping the BJP of power in the state in August.
Atul Kumar Anjan, a senior leader of the CPI, a minor ally of the grand alliance with just two MLAs, said that there must be a ‘participative feeling among all partners of the ‘Mahagathbandhan’ in Bihar’.
“There are several important corporations and commissions. Some of these have quasi-judicial power. Leaders of alliance partners should be given a decisive role,” the Left leader told PTI.
He also stated that since leaders of Left parties are “associated with several organisations and fighting for the cause of workers, tribals, farmers and landless people”, their accommodation in government bodies as members or chairpersons will “certainly improve the functioning of the administration”.
“This is the need of the hour and politics with commitment is very much required,” he said.
Another grand alliance ally Congress said that all stakeholders of the ‘Mahagathbandhan’ government must be involved in all levels of its functioning.
Commenting on the issue, All India Congress Committee’s Bihar in-charge Bhakta Charan Das told PTI, “The proposal to bring in leaders of ruling allies in state bodies or agencies will be implemented soon. It has been delayed because of certain reasons. For a healthy political dialogue and to make the Mahagathbandhan government stronger, participation of alliance partners at all levels should be ensured.”
After the RJD and Nitish Kumar’s JD (U), the Congress with 19 MLAs is the third largest ally of the seven-member ruling alliance.
Lalu Prasad’s RJD with 78 MLAs is the largest constituent of it, while the JD(U) has 45 legislators.
Two other partners of the ‘Mahagathbandhan’ are former chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi’s HAM with four MLAs and the CPI(M), which just has two members in the 243-strong Bihar assembly.
PATNA: Smaller constituents of the ruling ‘Mahagathbandhan’ in Bihar are seeking top positions in commissions, boards and other entities under the state government to ensure ‘effective functioning’ of the Nitish Kumar-led dispensation.
A team of representatives of all the allies will soon meet the chief minister to discuss the issue, CPI-ML (L) Legislature party leader Mehboob Alam told PTI.
“I recently met Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Prasad Yadav and demanded that elected representatives or leaders of the alliance partners must be given space in various commissions, boards and corporations for the effective functioning of the government,” he said.
There are several bodies under the Bihar government, such as commissions for human rights, scheduled castes and scheduled tribes, women and public service, in which leaders of allies of the grand alliance can be offered responsible posts, said the CPIML(L) leader, whose party is part of the ruling coalition but supports the government from outside.
“The proposal, if implemented, will ensure effective functioning of a government at all levels. We are not seeking these posts for benefits attached to members or chairpersons of such bodies. A delegation of leaders of all partners of the Mahagathbandhan will soon meet the CM in this regard,” Alam, the party’s central committee member, said.
With 12 legislators, the CPI-ML (L) is the fourth largest constituent of the ‘Mahagathbandhan’, formed after stripping the BJP of power in the state in August.
Atul Kumar Anjan, a senior leader of the CPI, a minor ally of the grand alliance with just two MLAs, said that there must be a ‘participative feeling among all partners of the ‘Mahagathbandhan’ in Bihar’.
“There are several important corporations and commissions. Some of these have quasi-judicial power. Leaders of alliance partners should be given a decisive role,” the Left leader told PTI.
He also stated that since leaders of Left parties are “associated with several organisations and fighting for the cause of workers, tribals, farmers and landless people”, their accommodation in government bodies as members or chairpersons will “certainly improve the functioning of the administration”.
“This is the need of the hour and politics with commitment is very much required,” he said.
Another grand alliance ally Congress said that all stakeholders of the ‘Mahagathbandhan’ government must be involved in all levels of its functioning.
Commenting on the issue, All India Congress Committee’s Bihar in-charge Bhakta Charan Das told PTI, “The proposal to bring in leaders of ruling allies in state bodies or agencies will be implemented soon. It has been delayed because of certain reasons. For a healthy political dialogue and to make the Mahagathbandhan government stronger, participation of alliance partners at all levels should be ensured.”
After the RJD and Nitish Kumar’s JD (U), the Congress with 19 MLAs is the third largest ally of the seven-member ruling alliance.
Lalu Prasad’s RJD with 78 MLAs is the largest constituent of it, while the JD(U) has 45 legislators.
Two other partners of the ‘Mahagathbandhan’ are former chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi’s HAM with four MLAs and the CPI(M), which just has two members in the 243-strong Bihar assembly.
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Teachers to protest Bihar government’s directive to monitor liquor consumption
By IANS
PATNA: Teachers associations in Bihar will, on Sunday, protest against the Nitish Kumar-led government’s directive to keep a vigil on the liquor consumption and sale in their areas and inform the officials concerned on toll free numbers.
Bihar Parivartankari Shikshak Sangh (BPSS) has announced to hold a protest against the directive on Sunday.
According to an official spokesperson of BPSS, the government should remove the burden of non academic works from the shoulders of teachers. Fresh directive to keep an eye on liquor operation could become genocide for teachers and their families.
“In Bihar, when police and secret agencies and other law enforcement agencies have been failing to stop operations of liquor mafias in the state, how can an unarmed teacher combat them. The education department directive attributes to mass murder of teacher fraternity in the state,” he added.
Ashwani Pandey, the spokesperson for TET-STET teachers association said: “Bihar education minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary, through such a directive, is forcing teachers and their families to jump into the death furnace.”
He pointed out that the state education department has a track record of assigning teachers such tasks in the past also. The department has also asked teachers to sell cotton bags of rice, pulses and other things in the past. These forcible acts mean humiliation for the teacher community.
“We have decided to go on agitation and we will set the papers of direction on fire in the district headquarters, blocks and Gram Panchayats of Bihar,” Pandey said.
The opposition leaders sharply reacted on this issue and said that Nitish Kumar government is desperate to make liquor ban successful.
Shivanand Tiwari, the RJD vice-president said: “People are laughing at such directives. First DGP and chief secretary rank officers searched for liquor bottles and now teachers have been given assignments to prevent liquor operation in the state. CM Nitish Kumar, through such directives, has become a laughing stock.
Nitin Nabin, the road construction minister of Bihar said: “Such a directive will help to make liquor ban successful in the state. The teachers have been given the responsibility to remove social evil like liquor consumption from the state and it is a good decision.”
Sanjay Kumar, the additional chief secretary of the education department has written a letter dated January 28, 2022 to deputy directors of all zones, district education officers, and district education officers of primary, middle and higher secondary schools of Bihar.
He has directed the officers to further communicate to principals, teachers, contract teachers and teachers of Madrasas and ask them to collect the information about consumption of liquor, manufacturing units, smuggling, transportation and other operations of mafias in their respective jurisdictions and informed on toll free numbers of liquor prohibition department.
“We have issued two cell phone numbers 9473400378 and 947300606 and toll free numbers 18003456268/15545 for them. We will keep the identity of teachers completely secret,” Sanjay Kumar said.
“We have also directed the teachers to not allow any person to use school premises for consuming liquor,” he said.
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Bihar government plans to open call centre for migrants
Express News Service
PATNA: The Bihar government is planning to open a 24×7 call centre soon to help migrant workers willing to return home in the wake of a surge in the Covid-19 cases across the country.
Labour minister Jibesh Kumar on Friday said, “We have decided to start a call centre to assist the migrant workers who want to return home from their workplace.”
The department swung into action soon after reports about problems faced by the migrant workers reached the office of the minister, who represents Jale assembly constituency in Darbhanga.
Darbhanga is among the districts from where a large number of migrant labourers go to different states.
The department will notify a nodal officer who, if required, would interact with the officials of the states concerned to ensure safe journey of the migrant workers. The personnel manning the call centre will register the names of the migrant workers, mobile numbers and workplace.
“A database will also be prepared,” a labour department official said.
The department is also working on a proposal to organise camps in each district to provide job to the migrants, based on their skills. A similar facility was made available during the lockdown in 2020, too.
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RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav attacks Nitish Kumar government over murders in Bihar
By PTI
PATNA: RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Sunday launched a blistering attack on the Nitish Kumar government in Bihar, accusing it of “protecting” the alleged perpetrators of a couple of high-profile murders that took place in the state in the last couple of days.
Addressing a press conference here, the leader of the opposition sought to place the government in the dock over the killing of an RTI activist cum freelance journalist in Madhubani and the husband of a district councillor in Purnea, the latter incident being blamed on the close relative of a minister.
Rintu Singh, whose wife is a member of the Zila Parishad in Purnea, was shot dead by unidentified assailants on Friday night, and bereaved family members have named a nephew of minister Lesi Singh as the prime accused.
Yadav challenged the government to cull out the “call details record of Lesi Singh and the SHO of the police station concerned”, alleging that the same would point towards the involvement of the cabinet member herself.
He also blamed the “health sector mafia” in the state for the murder of Buddhinath Jha alias Avinash Jha, who had gone missing a few days ago and whose charred body was recovered from a secluded spot in Benipatti police station area of Madhubani on Friday night.
Family members of Jha have lodged an FIR, alleging that the deceased had exposed many hospitals and nursing homes running illegally in the district and that those involved in the businesses had got him kidnapped and murdered.
The RJD leader also blamed the government for the hooch tragedies that claimed more than 40 lives in West Champaran, Gopalganj, Samastipur and Muzaffarpur districts around Deepawali, alleging that illicit liquor business in the dry state was “thriving, with full support of political leaders in the ruling coalition and the administration”.
“An impartial probe into all such crimes may land all legislators of the ruling NDA behind bars. They will end up being brought in prison vans to attend sessions of the House,” Yadav said with a rhetorical flourish.
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Back from Delhi after meeting PM Modi, Nitish Kumar expects ‘positive outcome’ on caste-census
By PTI
PATNA: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has listened ‘attentively’ and ‘intently’ to submissions of an all-party delegation from Bihar which met him on the issue of caste census and a positive outcome was expected, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said here on Tuesday.
Kumar, who had on the previous day led the 11-member delegation comprising a legislator each from 10 parties, was replying to queries from journalists at the airport upon his return from the national capital.
“He listened attentively (dhyaan se)….intently (prem se)…..so it is natural that we would expect some positive outcome”, said the chief minister with a smile. ‘hThe Centre’s recent statement before Parliament that enumeration of only the SCs and the STs was proposed has triggered vociferous demands for including the OBCs, especially in states like Bihar where the numerically powerful intermediary castes wield tremendous political clout.
ALSO READ | PM hears out Bihar all-party delegation’s caste census pitch, asks about Lalu’s health
The Bihar chief minister underscored that the last time a caste census was held way back in 1931, under the British Raj.
Fresh census could not be held a decade later because of the Second World War.
Thereafter, the nation has been making do with estimates based on 1931 figures, he said.
“This is not a desirable state of affairs. No wonder the desire for a fresh caste census is finding resonance across the country and from among all sections of the society. This is not an issue that concerns only Bihar.”
“We took the lead because in our state all political parties concur over the issue. Twice, resolutions backing the demand have been passed unanimously by the legislature. The decision to meet the PM to discuss the issue was, significantly, taken in view of a request from the opposition”, remarked Kumar.
ALSO READ | Samajwadi Party to initiate caste census if voted to power in UP Assembly polls
During the Monsoon Session of the assembly last month, leader of the opposition Tejashwi Yadav had met Kumar with the request.
“A copy of the letter that I had received from the opposition has also been made available to the Prime Minister. Moreover, he now knows first-hand the prevailing sentiment in Bihar, having listened to the averments of all delegates”, said the Chief Minister.
Asked whether his government was prepared to conduct a state-level survey of castes if the Centre did not come out with a positive response, the Bihar chief minister said “let us have some patience. A decision will take place at the appropriate time”.
Kumar, who is the de facto leader of the JD(U), was also asked about the possibility of the Centre keeping ‘silent’ over caste census, like it has done over the long-standing demand for a special status to Bihar.
“Please do not have such misgivings. The census cannot be put off for an indefinite period. And once the census begins, we will get to know whether or not the Centre has considered our request”, he quipped.
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CPI-ML survey finds over 6,000 unreported Covid deaths in Bihar, submits findings to Speaker
Express News Service
PATNA: The CPI-ML (Liberation) has claimed to have traced out 6,420 unreported deaths with symptoms of COVID-19 from across 1,693 villages in 9 Bihar districts and another 780 deaths without symptoms in a survey by its party cadres.The CPI-ML (Liberation) alleged that the state government in Bihar has been showing eaths due to Covid-19 during the second phase 20 times lesser than the actual numbers. After submitting a copy of survey- finding to the speaker of Bihar Legislative Assembly on Thursday, state general secretary of CPI-ML Kunal released the provisional unreported death figures from Covid -19 to the media.
“The state government is under reporting the Covid death toll at least by 20 times. This is absolute injustice to the families, who have lost their members. We have carried out a thorough survey across 1,693 villages in 9 districts and come out with a provisional figure”, Kunal claimed.
कोविड पर चर्चा से भाग रही और सदन में ऑक्सीजन के बारे में झूठ बोल रही सरकार को आज सदन में माले विधायकों ने घेरा।9 जिलों के 1693 गांवों के सर्वे में दर्ज 7200 मौत की अंतरिम सूची अध्यक्ष को सौंपी गई और सबों के परिजनों को 4 लाख मुआवजा की मांग की गई। pic.twitter.com/ptqIHnrEuo
— Kunal/SC Chaudhary (@ShyamKnl) July 29, 2021As per the official data, 9,639 deaths have happened due to the pandemic in Bihar till date. If the CPI-ML tally is added in the official figure, the death toll will rise well above 16,000-mark.
Kunal further added that 6,420 deaths with symptoms of Covid-19 were collected from Bhojpur, Patna (Rural), Rohtas, Siwan, Darbhanga, West Champaran, Arwal, Kaimur and Aurangabad.
“The highest number of 1,978 deaths with symptoms of Covid-19 have been found from Bhojpur’s 132 panchayats followed by 1048 from Patna Rural’s 122 Panchayats, 1043 from Siwan’s 80 Panchayats, 696 from Arwal’s 66 Panchayats and others”, he added.
Quoting details, he said that the dependents of only 126 out of 6420, who had died with symptoms akin to Covid-19, have applied for compensation of Rs 4 lakh from the state government.
“Data collection on the unreported cases of Covid-19 deaths is still going on across 29 districts of state. We will soon after the collection of data on deaths will share the total finding from all districts “, Kunal claimed, adding that the majority of them with symptoms died without being tested.
The data on deaths with symptoms of Covid were collected by the party from April 1, 2021 to May 31. The villages covered by the surveying members of CPI ML constitute 3.75 percent of the total 45,103 villages of Bihar.
“We think the actual death tally after proper collection of unreported cases may go up to not less than 2 lakh”, he said. “Our findings expose the lies being continuously told by the government on Covid deaths. If the government and all of us are not serious about this, then how will we be able to deal with the challenges of the possible third wave? We want to tell the government that instead of hiding the data, it should start accepting the truth”, Kunal said.
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Illegal sand mining: 35 cops including two IPS officers suspended in Bihar
Express News Service
PATNA: The Bihar government for the first time has suspended 35 police officers, including two IPS officers over their alleged involvement in illegal sand mining.Earlier this week on Tuesday, the Economic Offence Wing exposed 17 police officers, including two SPs from Bhojpur and Auranabad who were suspended after their links with sand mafia surfaced.
Again on Thursday, 18 more police officers from different districts right from the raks DSP to ASI rands were suspended on the instructions of DGP SK Singhal.
The internal inquiry was carried out by a team led by ADG NH Khan, an IPS officer known for his tough stand.
The Bihar government’s action against the tainted officers in the illegal sand mining case will continue further as the EOW will conduct an internal inquiry against many others on their links with the sand mafias.
Along with the cops, three officers of the Mining Department and three officers of the Transport Department are also suspended.
The sand mafia run a parallel economy in many districts like Rohtas, Saran, Aurangabad, Vaishali, Patna and other districts of Bihar.
Recently, the minister of mining and geology Janak Ram had admitted that the state suffered an annual loss of Rs 700 crore due to illegal sand mining. He told the media that crackdown will continue against the sand mafia and their illegal sand mining till their entire networks are dismantled.
Meanwhile, the state government has made an arrangement for the sale of legally mined sand at various places for the people. According to an official figure, more than 11.56 crore cft sand are avaibale for sale in the state at the government fixed rate.