News Analysis India

Tag: Bihar

  • Bihar to launch special drive to boost students’ enrollment in govt schools when it resumes

    Express News Service
    PATNA: Bihar the set to launch a state-wide drive to increase the enrolment of students from class 1 to 9 when government schools resume from March 8. 

    Christened the “Parveshutsav”, the objective of the ‘admissions festival’ is to encourage parents to send students to school especially after the state witnessed a dropout of nearly 10 lakh students amid the pandemic related lockdown.

    An official of state education department said that all the district magistrates have been directed to make arrangements to launch the drive across their districts.

    Besides the fest, a three-month long catching up bridge course is also set to take place from the first week of April for the session of 2020-2021 in order to help the students who have backlogs due to the lockdown. 

    Official sources from education department further confirmed that the ‘Praveshutsava’ drive of students will be launched from March 8 to March 20.

    Under this first-of-its-kind drive, almost all of the 78,000 government schools from primary to middle and high school levels will be decorated with balloons and the parents arriving to enrol their wards will be honoured by the school.

    “They have also planned to carry out a student march across the state on March 8 in order to create awareness among the people,” sources said.

    All the headmasters of government schools have been involved in the coordination and monitoring of the drive engaging social activists, anganwadi workers and women associated with SHGs.

    In Bihar, around 1.30 crore women are associated with 10 lakh SHGs and their participation in making the enrolment drive called ‘Parveshutsav” is set to make it a success.

  • RJD set to try electoral luck in Assam, West Bengal elections 

    Express News Service
    PATNA: Bihar Opposition party Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) is bracing to face the heat in Assam, West Bengal and Kerala Assembly elections. Its leader Tejashwi Yadav reached Guwahati on Friday evening to discuss alliance prospects. 

    Tejashwi Yadav told reporters, “We will have a discussion about the alliance for the upcoming elections with a few local parties in Guwahati. I will also be visiting a temple to seek the blessings of Mother Kamakhya.”

    The party will be fielding candidates in constituencies with Hindi speaking voters in both Assam and West Bengal. 

    RJD spokesperson Mritunjay Tiwari told The New Indian Express that the RJD will field its candidates on seats finalised by leaders and alliance partners.

    Describing its main objective, Tiwari said that they want to “prevent BJP from coming into power in Assam, West Bengal and Kerala by winning seats and supporting the alliance partners.”

    Prospective alliances in the cards for RJD are Badruddin Ajmal in Assam and Mamata Banerjee’s TMC in West Bengal as the parties are in talks. 

    While the doubts on who the party would align with remain, he said “it is sure that RJD will fight in the polls of these states now.”

    However, no final decision has been taken regarding the number of seats to be fought on.

    Recently, RJD had sent the party’s two senior leaders Abdul Bari Siddiqui and Shyam Rajak to West Bengal and Assam to explore their prospects ahead of the polls.

    Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav left for Assam at the end of the proceedings of the sixth day of the budget session of Bihar Legislative Assembly.

    Before leaving for Guwahati, he had strongly attacked Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar over prohibition of liquor.

    Other parties are also jumping into the fray

    Meanwhile, the JDU in-charge for the North East states including Assam, Sanjay Verma, said that his party will also field its candidates in the upcoming Assam and west Bengal elections.

    The LJP, which has suffered a major setback in the Bihar polls, has also announced to contest the polls in West Bengal and other states. 

  • Alarming rise in cyber crimes in Bihar sends cops into a tizzy

    Express News Service
    PATNA: Bihar is witnessing an alarming rise in cyber crimes with a number of people being duped of their hard earned money by fraudsters.

    This was admitted by the minister in charge of Home Sharavn Kumar in the assembly on Wednesday when 11 legislators of both ruling and opposition camps raised the issue of growing cyber crimes.

    Accepting the members’ concerns, the minister assured them that the state police are working comprehensively to check cyber crimes in the state. Citing figures, the minister said that 309 cyber crimes were registered in 2016 in Bihar followed by 433 in 2017, 474 in 2018 and 1050 in 2019.

    Meanwhile, police sources said if cyber crimes are not checked early, they will bog down the entire policing system in future. Bihar, after Jharkhand and West Bengal, is witnessing a rise in cyber crimes in eastern India while holding the 10th rank among all states and UTs in the country.

    The districts reporting maximum cases are Kishanganj, Purnia, Vaishali, Patna, Siwan, Gopalganj, Kaimur, Nawada, Jamui, Begusarai, Muzaffarpur and Gaya. In 2020, five persons were arrested from a village in Nawada district by the Chhattisgarh police on the charge of duping a retired scientist of DRDO of a sum of Rs 14 lakh, claiming that he was getting a car through the lottery.

    A youth from Vaishali district in May 2020 was also arrested by police for duping people on the pretext of providing Rs 15000 as aid from the Prime Minister Cash Relief Scheme. The arrested youth was sending messages to people asking them to fill an online form to get financial assistance through the scheme. A NALCO officer of Bihar was also duped of Rs 40 lakh by a cyber-fraudster in 2020.

    Most of those who fall victim to cyber crimes happen to be those from rural areas and women in the name of ATM verification.

    Taking serious note of the rise in cyber crimes, ADG of Economic Offence Unit (EOU) NH Khan said that 74 cyber units have been formed in every district to curb them besides carrying out a massive awareness campaign among the people through various means of communication by the police.

    He said that an appeal is regularly being made to the public to report any kind of suspected attempt of cyber crime on 0612-2216236 or the police helpline on 18603456999.

    Of late, demanding money from hacked Facebook accounts has become a common practice in Bihar. “The EOU has circulated an advisory of do’s and don’ts on Facebook to remain safe from cyber hackers,” Khan said. “A five-day training is also provided to the cops and more than 700 police personnel including more than 250 SHOs and 75 public prosecutors have been trained in detection and prosecution of cyber frauds,” an official source said.

    Amid the rising cyber crimes, the demand for setting up separate cyber-police stations in every district has started gaining momentum. Eleven MLAs had demanded it on Wednesday in the assembly but it was turned down by the minister in charge of Home.

  • 1.6 crore school students to be promoted sans exams in Bihar

    Express News Service
    PATNA: The education department of Bihar, headed by CM Nitish Kumar, will promote the students of nearly 78,000 government primary, middle and high schools to the next classes.

    Education Minister Vijay K Chaudhary told the Assembly on Tuesday that the state government has taken this decision considering the future of school students in the aftermath of the lockdown.

    The number of students to be promoted without appearing in exams will be around 1.66 crore. The education department has also decided to reopen primary schools for Classed I to V from March 1.

    Replying to a question, the education minister said higher secondary schools have opened in 8385 panchayats.

    The opposition, however, continued to attack the government, saying that the state remaining backward in education.

    “The NDA government has ruined education in the last 15 years of governance,” Tejashwi Yadav alleged.

  • Budget session: Nitish govt focuses on industrialisation, chaos in House over farm protests

    By PTI
    PATNA: The Nitish Kumar government in Bihar on Friday asserted that it was working with an aim to boost industrialisation of the state which would support its rapid pace of development and also lead to job creation.

    In his customary address to the state legislature as the budget session began, Governor Phagu Chauhan said that in the industrial policy formulated in 2020 a provision has been made for “additional capital subsidy” which would incentivise setting up of new units.

    The governor, who spoke for more than half-an-hour, also said the state government has succeeded in keeping the COVID-19 pandemic under control, and had excellent rates of testing and recovery while the mortality rate stood way below the national average.

    Chauhan also said that the state government has remained committed to establishing rule of law, which has fostered an environment of social and communal harmony.

    Besides, “zero tolerance for corruption” has been evident in crackdowns on public servants accused of corruption and confiscation of assets worth Rs 45.81 crore, amassed by 45 people facing action under the Money Laundering Act, he said.

    The state government has remained committed to providing its citizens with an efficient and transparent administration and empowered the people through measures like the Right to Public Services Act, he added.

    About the government’s plans for the future, the governor’s speech touched upon ‘Saat Nishchay 2’, the second phase of the chief minister’s seven resolves, a key component of which is the pledge to irrigate every field.

    Another key component is ‘Yuva Shakti Bihar Ki Pragati’, under which ‘a culture of enterprise’ would be promoted in the state through measures like making entrepreneurship a part of the curriculum, the governor said.

    The governor mentioned that the state government was commited to environmental preservation and improvements in health and education.

    Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Deputy CMs Tarkishor Prasad and Renu Devi, leader of the opposition Tejashwi Yadav and minister Syed Shahnawaz Hussain were among those present in the House during the governor’s address.

    The governor’s address was followed by Tarkishor Prasad, who also holds the finance portfolio, tabling the economic survey.

    Assembly Speaker Vijay Kumar Sinha adjourned the House till Monday after reading out condolence references for deceased former members of the legislature and also Buta Singh and Rama Jois, both of whom had held gubernatorial assignments in the state.

    A suggestion by Tejashwi Yadav that tributes be paid to the “more than 260 farmers”, who have died during the ongoing agitations against the farm laws, was turned down.

    This was protested by the members of the RJD and its MLA Bhai Virendra trooped into the well and announced that all members of the party shall be observing a two-minute silence on the floor of the House.

    Members of the opposition party, which has the largest number of MLAs, thereafter stood in silence for two minutes, in an expression of solidarity with agitating farmers, before leaving the House.

     

  • JeM planned terror attacks in Delhi; terrorists sourcing weapons from Bihar: DGP Dilbag Singh

    Malik was arrested on February 6 by the Anantnag police from Kunjwani in Jammu district while Rather was apprehended on February 13 from Bari Brahmana area of Samba district.

  • Part of Prashant Kishor’s house in Bihar demolished for road widening project

    By PTI
    BUXAR: A portion of political strategist Prashant Kishors paternal residence here was on Saturday pulled down by the authorities who said the razed part of the property fell on land acquired for the widening of a national highway.

    The house was built by Shrikant Pandey, late father of the former key aide of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar with whom Kishor had burnt his bridges last year leading to his expulsion from the JD(U) in which he held the post of national vice-president.

    KK Upadhyay, the sub divisional magistrate who supervised the demolition, said the razed gate and part of the boundary wall was on the land which has been acquired for widening of NH-84.

    He said the administration was removing all property situated on the land acquired.

    In some instances the owners themselves are doing the needful, but Kishors house has been empty for quite some time so we had to bring in our machines.

    He said the district administration has already announced compensation to all those whose land has been acquired and it will be handed over to the respective owners in due course.

    The SDM disclosed that a temple of Lord Brahma in the vicinity has also been shifted for the road widening project and was met with some resentment from the locals.

    Some people had raised an objection that the temple was being moved but property belonging to private persons was not being touched because they happened to be influential and well-connected.

    Hopefully, they are satisfied with the impartiality of the administrative action, he told PTI over phone.

  • Govt cracks down on unauthorised overseas placements agencies in Bihar, Jharkhand

    Express News Service
    PATNA: Beware if you are planning to go overseas for livelihood from Bihar and Jharkhand!

    In all, 68 unauthorised agencies from both states have been identified and a crackdown against them is on.

    “As of now, Bihar and Jharkhand have 11 and 5 registered overseas placement agencies respectively,” Protector of the Emigrants Tavisi B Pandey said.

    The unauthorised agencies charge a hefty sum for arranging visas. Recently, FIRs were lodged against two agencies in Patna’s Kankarbagh police stations, and 28 passports were seized by the Patna-based Bihar-Jharkhand Protector of Emigrants.

    According to a source, more than 1 lakh people from Bihar migrate to 18 gulf countries per year. However, half of the emigrants (50,000) go abroad in illegal ways.

    The fake agencies, who arrange fake passports and visas from Delhi and Mumbai, are active in Siwan, Patna, Jharkhand, Darbhanga, Chapra, Gopalganj, and many other parts of Bihar and Jharkhand.  The most striking fact is that fake visas and passports are being arranged from Delhi and Mumbai.

    Alarmed at this, the Protector of Emigrants at Patna for Bihar and Jharkhand, Tavisi B Pandey said her office has launched a direct WhatsApp number –9431246620 — for receiving complaints from anyone regarding overseas emigration. The office has received 39 complaints against illegal agencies since October 2015. 

    Crackdown against unauthorised agencies has been stepped up across Bihar and Jharkhand by the Protector of the Emigrants.

    Sources said that the fake visas for 18 gulf countries are being arranged from Bihar and Jharkhand. Recently, the emigration office had seized many fake visas for Russia, South Africa, Kenya, and Gulf countries. 

    Pandey said recently a youth working in Sharjah was rescued and brought back to Siwan when he made a distress call on December 24 in 2020.

    “I appeal to all to get your visas and other documents verified a the Patna-based emigration office. We are available round the clock for help”, she appealed to the aspiring immigrants.

    From Bihar, emigrations clearances were granted to 6,283 persons in 2020 and 11,085 persons in 2019.

  • Judge’s assault: SC rejects PIL, says nothing found in enquiry by Bihar Police

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has dismissed a plea seeking registration of an FIR and initiation of contempt proceedings against a police officer for allegedly assaulting a district judge in Aurangabad, saying Bihar Police found nothing in their enquiry.

    A bench comprising justices A M Khanwilkar and Aniruddha Bose referred to the response of the Bihar Police and told PIL petitioner and lawyer Vishal Tiwari that the plea cannot be allowed to remain pending in view of the fact that the enquiry could not verify the allegations of assault.

    The bench refused to hear further the PIL in the proceedings conducted through video conferencing on Friday.

    The plea had alleged that Dinesh Kumar Pradhan, a district judge in Aurangabad in Bihar, was assaulted by a police officer in October last year.

    The court had on December 16, 2020, issued notices to the Bihar government, Bihar’s Director General of Police, Superintendent of Police of Aurangabad district and Sub-Inspector Pranav Kumar, who had allegedly assaulted the district judge.

    The plea had sought registration of the FIR and initiation of criminal contempt proceedings against the police officer for allegedly assaulting the judicial officer.

    Tiwari, in the PIL, had also sought an inquiry into the incident by a panel of two serving high court judges.

    The plea has alleged that Pradhan was abused, threatened and assaulted on October 21 when he was on an evening walk by a Bihar Police sub-inspector, who was accompanied by some Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel on election patrol duty.

    The plea had claimed that the sub-inspector had a grudge against the judicial officer as he had taken action against him and a few other police officers for dereliction of duty a few months back.

    The petition had sought action against senior police officials, including Director General of Police (DGP), Bihar and Superintendent of Police (SP), Auarngabad for their alleged inaction in the matter.

    It had also sought lodging of an FIR in the matter against the erring police official and direction to all state governments to ensure and take safety and security measures for judicial officers of subordinate judiciary in their respective states.

    The Bihar Judicial Services Association had earlier written a letter to the DGP seeking action against the erring officer, but no step was taken yet in connection with the incident, it had claimed.

    “Attack and assault upon the judges and magistrates by police not only lowers the dignity of judiciary but also leaves an impression in the minds of the public that when the judicial officers are not safe from police atrocities than what safety the public will expect,” the plea had said.

    “The judges of the subordinate judiciary are the vital part of our judicial system.

    Assault upon them with the feeling of a grudge is the assault upon the dignity and supremacy of the judiciary of this country, which cannot be tolerated and requires strict punishment against the erring police officials under the contempt law,” it has said.

  • Two suspended in Bihar as new minister Janak Ram does not get proper welcome

    By PTI
    PATNA: Lack of proper welcome to a newly inducted minister in Bihar on Wednesday caused the suspension of two officials of the department concerned.

    BJP leader Janak Ram, who was inducted into the Nitish Kumar cabinet on Tuesday, had reached the department of mines and geology as per schedule to take charge.

    Thronged by supporters, Ram was left mortified to find there was no director rank official to escort him to his chamber as per tradition and the principal secretary was in a meeting.

    Bristling at the unintended slight, Ram, a dalit leader who has formerly represented the Gopalganj Lok Sabha seat, said he would accept the bouquet from the Class IV employee standing nearby.

    As peon Santosh Yadav did the needful, Ram fondly patted him on the back and said he considered the lower rank employee mera bhai (my brother) and vowed to crack down on the mafia, who I am told this department has to contend with.

    Murmurs about the states notorious afsarshahi (bureaucratic high handedness) kept doing the rounds until Principal Secretary Harjot Kaur arrived, expressed regret to the minister for the lapse and offered him a bouquet which Ram gladly accepted.

    Replying to queries by journalists later, she said All this took place because of the failure of the honourable ministers personal secretary Rajendra Chauhan and LDC (lower division clerk) Santosh Kumar to inform us about the arrival schedule.

    They have hence been suspended and issued a show cause.

    She also voiced disapproval of the whispers in the corridor that absence of senior officials to receive the minister denoted afsarshahi.

    It is unthinkable that senior officials will fail to give ministers the respect that is their due.

    In Bihar this is not possible, she said.

    Ram, who was sitting across the table, his temper by then cooled, concurred.

    We will all work in tandem to ensure that the department functions in the best possible manner.

    There is no afsarshahi here, he said.