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Tag: Nitish Kumar

  • Bihar Assembly adjourned multiple times amid pandemonium by Opposition members

    By PTI
    PATNA: The Bihar Assembly was adjourned multiple times on Wednesday as the opposition members created a ruckus in the House over Social Welfare Minister Madan Sahni’s remark against CPI(ML) legislators.

    Members of CPI(ML) rushed to the well of the House, seeking an apology from the minister for his comment which he made while replying to the call attention notice of Mahboob Alam, a legislator of the party, on the issue of alleged delay in payment of old age pension through direct benefit transfer.

    The CPI(ML) legislators were joined by the RJD and Congress members in their agitation and shouted slogans against the NDA government in the state.

    Speaker Vijay Kumar Sinha ordered that the objectionable words used by Sahni against the opposition members would not be in the record.

    Parliamentary Affairs Minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary was seen trying to pacify the agitating members.

    He expressed regret on behalf of the government for Sahni’s remark.

    Choudhary said the government wants to assure all the members of the House that it had no intention to disregard any legislator.

    Since it was the last item in the list of business in the pre-lunch session, the speaker adjourned the House till 2 pm.

    The speaker convened an all-party meeting in his chamber during the lunch break to resolve the issue but the opposition members refused to pay heed to his request.

    When the members reassembled for the post-lunch session, the opposition MLAs continued their protest and demanded that the minister should be asked to resign.

    They also alleged that Sahni made his comment against CPI(ML) members deliberately.

    As the Speaker’s request to members seeking their cooperation failed to yield any result, he adjourned the House for around 20 minutes till 3 pm.

    Meanwhile, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tarkishore Prasad presented the second supplementary budget of Rs 19,370.03 crore for the current fiscal in the post-lunch session, amid the din in the House.

    Prasad, who holds the finance portfolio, earmarked Rs 9,530.27 crore for annual schemes and Rs 9,399.98 crore for the establishment and committed expenditure.

    As soon as the legislators assembled again after 3 pm, the noisy scene was witnessed and the speaker adjourned the House till 11 am on Thursday.

  • No one dies of starvation in Bihar, claims CM Nitish Kumar in Assembly

    Express News Service
    PATNA: Bihar Assembly witnessed a stormy session on Tuesday on the issue of paddy procurement. The Opposition’s demand to extend the deadline of paddy procurement was rejected by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar while discussing the Governor’s address made in the house.

    Rejecting the extension demand made by the Opposition, Nitish Kumar said “the state government has procured more than 35 lakh metric tons of paddy as compared to only 72,000 metric tons in 2004-2005.”

    “No one starves in Bihar as there is an increase in agricultural production. The agriculture road-map has increased the productivity in the state giving major impetus to production of crops, vegetables and fruits,” the Bihar CM claimed. He also added that nearly five lakh farmers sold their paddy crops to the state government. 

    He said “demand for extension of procurement deadline is not justified and will not be possible.”

    Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav created a din along with legislators of opposition demanding sacking of the state agriculture minister alleging “dismal performance” in the paddy procurement.

    The Chief Minister went down heavily on the opposition for these allegations.

    “The state has got larger budgetary allocation from Rs 23,885 crore in 2004-5 to more than Rs 2.18 lakh crore in 2021-22. Now, the paddy production has increased to 108 lakhs metric tons compared to the 52 lakhs metric tons in 2005-6”, Kumar claimed.

    Taking a sharp jibe in the state assembly against Tejashwi Yadav, Nitish Kumar said that when Kumar was the minister in Centre, Tejashwi played in his laps. “Jab main waha tha tab ap godi me the. Ham godi me nahi uthayein hain?…(When I was there in Centre, you were a child. Haven’t you played in my lap),”

    “Some people have the habit of finding faults even in the good work done in the state”, Kumar further attacked Tejashwi.

    The Chief Minister also claimed that the paddy procurement was started when he came into power in Bihar. 

    “It did not happen in the earlier government of a party of which some people are creating hue and cry over it”, CM taunted, adding that the paddy procurement in 2004-5 was just 72,000 metric tons but now more than 35 lakh metric tons.

    He also silenced the opposition leaders, who walked out, quoting figures that the state has increased production of paddy to 108 metric tons, fruits to 44 lakhs metric tons and vegetables to 167 lakh metric tons.

    Kumar said that per capita income of people in Bihar has increased from Rs 7,735 per capital in 2005-2006 to Rs 50,735 per capital in 2020-21.

    Tejashwi Yadav, other legislators of parties in the opposition, including the AIMIM walked out from the House when the CM Kumar continued talking.

    The CM also out rightly rejected the demand of AIMIM legislators for making Purnia as the second capital of state for proper development of Seemanchal areas.

    “Demand for making Purnia as second state capital is unwarranted and unnecessary. It does not make any sense. We are committed to develop all areas equally and have done this in the last 15 years”, Kumar said.

    Making a scathing attack on Congress party’s demand to re-open liquor shops in the state, Nitish Kumar, showing the paper of Congress Party membership slip to the House, said “what type of leaders are the! The leaders swore to abstain from alcohol but now demand the re-opening of liquor shops.”

    Kumar said that Bihar is progressing with developmental activities in all spheres. 

  • Nitish Kumar, Tejashwi Yadav lock horns in Bihar Assembly over law and order situation in state

    Express News Service
    PATNA: Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav went hard on the Bihar government led by Nitish Kumar on the issue of law and order in the state during the Assembly session on Tuesday.

    Yadav, citing data, attacked Nitish Kumar-led NDA government during the motion of thanks to the Governor.

    Tejashwi Yadav cited that only 97,850 cases of crimes were registered during the Lalu Prasad government when he handed over the power to Nitish Kumar in 2005 from 1990.

    “But the number of crimes have increased to 1,96,911 in 2018 during the 13 years of NDA government, registering a big jump of 102 per cent of crimes,” he said, citing the NCR data of crimes.

    Countering the term “jungle Raj”, which is still being used by the NDA to describe the 15 years of both Lalu Prasad and his wife Rabri Devi’s rule, Tejashwi Yadav asked whose regime suited to be branded as “Jungle Raj”– the Nitish Kumar or Lalu Yadav or Rabri Devi years?

    Tejashwi Yadav said that total crime in 1990 (when his father Lalu Yadav was the Chief Minister) in Bihar was 1,24,414, which dwindled to 97,850 only in 2005-the year RJD lost the power?

    “But in 2018,the total number of crimes rose to 1,96,911 registering a rise of 102 per cent under the Nitish Kumar rule. So, whose regime deserves to be dubbed as the Jungle Raj,” he said.

    Replying to the law and order issues later in the House, chief minister Nitish Kumar countered Tejashwi’s allegations citing that Bihar has improved in the Crime Indiex and had gone down from 23 position to 25 in the country.

    The chief minister claimed that a rule of law has been established in the state from those days when no one dared to venture out in the evening for fear of becoming the ‘victims of lawlessness.’

    According to an official figure of Bihar police, a total number of 2,69,096 cognizable crimes, including 3,138 murders, 1,450 rapes and 43 kidnapping cases were registered in Bihar in 2019 followed by a total number of  2,57,506 cognizable crimes, including 3,149 murders and 1,438 rapes in 2020.

  • Bihar assembly witnesses different shades of Nitish Kumar as he lashes out at Opposition

    By PTI
    PATNA: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Tuesday strongly defended his government against accusations of maladministration and berated the opposition for its allegations but making itself scarce whenever it was countered with facts.

    Observations to the effect were made repeatedly by the chief minister on the floor of the Assembly while replying to the debate on the motion of thanks to the governors address.

    The 70-year-old leader spoke for more than an hour and the last 30 minutes were spent with the opposition in abstentia as MLAs of the RJD, Congress and the Left staged a walkout expressing dissatisfaction with the chief ministers reply.

    “You all are free to go wherever you wish. But please make it a point to watch my speech on TV. I am responding to the very points you all had raised,” Kumar said sarcastically after the Leader of the Opposition Tejashwi Yadav signaled to his flock that it was time to leave the House.

    The chief minister kept his cool while reacting to barbs of the opposition leaders, but responded with righteous anger when a CPI-ML member sought to disparage his governments efforts at environmental preservation.

    “Do not become enemies of the environment contending that the poor have nothing to do with it. You have been lucky to win 12 seats for the first time. Do not waste your opportunity in this fashion,” Kumar shot back at the leader of CPI-ML with which he had allied in the 1995 assembly polls.

    He also came down heavily on suggestions made by various leaders of the Congress that his governments decision to ban alcohol be reviewed and some liquor shops be allowed to do business.

    Prohibition law was unanimously passed by this House, Kumar said referring to the development of April, 2016 when Congress was his alliance partner.

    He also whipped out a bundle of papers, saying this is the form which everyone signs while taking primary membership of the Congress party.

    “There is a column wherein the aspirant has to declare that he will consume no intoxicants. And the members of the very party have the temerity to speak in favour of liquor consumption. Prohibition is an idea inspired from Gandhian ideals,” Kumar fumed.

    The chief minister was at his paternalistic best when he was interrupted by 31-year-old Yadav number of times.

    “I did not interrupt you when you were delivering your speech. It gives me delight when the younger generation takes interest. We are not here for eternity. But being attentive to what is being said now will be of benefit to you and your generation, Kumar said disarmingly. Speaking with his face mask at his chin, Kumar also remarked smiling pointing to the opposition, You all seem to be less careful. This is not proper. If you have forgotten to bring your masks along, please contact the Speaker who has made arrangements for such situations.”

    Asserting that the state has made giant strides in power consumption, he agreed that the rates were quite high.

    “Bihar is paying Rs 4.50 per unit, highest for any state, a reason why I had suggested one nation one rate for power.”

    He had made the suggestion at a meeting of Niti Ayog chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last week.

    When Yadav interrupted again blaming the states power woes on policies formulated two decades ago by the then Atal Bihari Vajpayee government at the Centre, Kumar, who has been an old associate of the formers father Lalu Prasad, remarked You were a child at that time.

    “I am one of those on whose lap you used to play. You seem to know a lot about what took place back then. Come to me with the material you have. I can say only about the portfolios I held,” said Kumar who had served as the Minister for Railways, Surface Transport and Agriculture in the Vajpayee government.

    He fondly recalled the work done by Vajpayee government which paved the way for the rapid progress Bihar has witnessed in the past decade and a half.

    “We would like to know about you experience with the current regime,” quipped Yadav in a snide reference to Kumar’s not so comfortable equation with Modi, whose elevation in the BJP he had strongly opposed in 2013 and exited the NDA.

    To this Kumar retorted If you insist on that I would ask you to speak about your experience of the year and eight months you worked with me.

    Yadav had served as Kumars deputy, the post to which he was appointed soon after his electoral debut in 2015 and which he held until the JD(U) leader returned to the NDA in 2017.

    The RJD leader had in his speech sought to put the government on the mat on the issue of law and order and claimed that as per NCRB figures cognizable offences have seen a more than 100 per cent rise since Kumar took over.

    Kumar countered Bihar has slipped to the 25th position in the country in terms of the number of cognizable offences and added more on that later when the Home department reels out statistics in due course.

    AIMIM state president and MLA Akhtarul Iman, who stayed back after the Grand Alliance members had walked out, tried to interrupt Kumar and raise the demand for making Purnea in north Bihar the states up-rajdhani (second capital).

    “This is unnecessary. Patna is now well connected to the farthest corners of Bihar,” Kumar asserted.

  • ‘E-Sanjeevani, Ashwini portal’: Bihar government launches technology-based health care services

    Express News Service
    PATNA: Bihar on Sunday took a leap in providing health care facilities including telemedicine and other digital health care platforms as Chief Minister Nitish Kumar inaugrated the services of E-Sanjeevani, Ashwini portal, the Wonder-App and the Referral Transport Tracking system at a function organised by the state health department.

    “Ensuring better healthcare facility to the people of the state is our prime concern and we have been working on it since came into power in the state. The technology based health services started here today will go a long way in providing good health care facilities to the people,” Kumar said after stating the services.

    A Memorandum of Understating (MoU) was also signed in th presence of Nitish and CEO of the Bihar Rural Livelihood Promotion Society (BRLPS) alias JEEVIKA, Bala Murgan D and executive director of health services Manoj Kumar for running the first of its kind kitchen called ‘Didi Ki Rasoi’ in every government hospitals to provide free foods to admitted patients and their attendants at cheaper rates.

    Speaking at the occasion, the chief minister, quoting a figure, said that before NDA came into power, only 39 patients were availing a public health centre per month but now, on an average, 11,500 patients turn up per month for getting health care services at PHCs in Bihar.

    “Acting on the findings of a survey which showed that poor families in Bihar have to spend a large amount of their hard earned money on health-related problems, the state government has now started converting PHCs into community health centres with a capacity of 30 beds each,” he said.

    “The new technology-based medical services are being made available and hospital buildings have been renovated along with many new ones built. Under the ‘Seven Resolves Part-II’ mission for making ‘Aatmanirbhar Bihar’, all health centres will be linked with sub-divisional and district hospitals by providing all medical facilities,” he said.

    He hoped that the telemedicine services, Wonder APP and other digital platforms like the Ashwani portal and others will help people in the age of digital technology to get healthcare services swiftly.

    Appreciating the move of providing free food to in-house patients at hospitals from the ‘Didi Ki Rasoi’ initiative, he said that Bihar is the first state in the country with 1.20 crore families associated with over 10 lakh SHGs running under the JEEVIKA care and command.

    The kitchen service by SHGs had started on a pilot basis in seven districts – Buxar, Vaishali, Sheohar, Saharsa, Gaya, Shekhpura and Purnia – by the women associated with the SHGs. Today, this service has been extended in all hospitals of the state for free of cost to in-house patients on behalf of the government.

    The MoU has been signed by the health department with the BRLPS for next 5 years and the government will pay Rs 150 per plate Rs 150 to in-house patient. He also said that treatment to the patients through telemedicine at 1724 health centres in 38 districts of state has started.

    Meanwhile, Principal Secretary (Health) Pratyay Amrit, who has brought a drastic change in health sector, said that the emergency ‘102 Ambulance Bihar’ app and the Ashwini portal among other services have been started by CM Nitish Kumar.

  • Bihar Assembly budget session kick-starts with ‘applauses’ from Governor for Nitish Kumar govt

    Express News Service
    PATNA: Applauding the state government in its fight against COVID-19 pandemic, Governor Phagu Chauhan marked the beginning of the Budget Session by addressing a joint sitting of the Bihar Legislature on Friday.

    On the first day of the Budget Session, Phagu Chauhan outlined the achievements of the state and spoke about how the Bihar government was trying to make the state ‘self-reliant’ at all fronts. 

    The governor said that the state government has been constantly trying to make women self-reliant and has also conducted skill-mapping of labourers, who returned back to the state during COVID-19 lockdown.

    Reiterating the government’s claim, the Governor said that free COVID-19 vaccines will be provided to all people in Bihar.

    Expressing his satisfactions on the government’e performance, he further said that the Nitish Kumar-led government is providing all possible assistance to youth and farmers of the state.

    He also appreciated that the organised crimes in the state were contained and modernisation of police forces has been taken up on the priority.

    At the end of Governor Phagu Chauhan and speaker Vijay K Sinha’s address, the state finance minister and deputy CM Tar Kishor Prasad presented the economic survey of Bihar for 2020-21.

    Prasad claimed that the state has started moving on the path of “good governance coupled with all inclusive developments.”

    Meanwhile, leader of opposition Tejashwi Yadav termed the address by governor as a “lie” and slammed chief minister Nitish Kumar for being silent on the deaths of farmers, who agitated against the three new farm bills.

    “Both the JD-U and the BJP are anti- farmer parties and deviating the people from real issues,” Yadav alleged.

    Some MLAs from the Opposition arrived outside the House either riding a bicycle or carrying earthen oven with woods pieces as a mark of protest against the rise in price of fuel.

    Pratima Kumari and Shakil Ahamed of Congress Party arrived with an earthen oven and a bundle of firewood as a symbolic protest.

    Congress MLA from Rajapakar Pratima Kumari said that the high fuel prices had made “running households extremely difficult.”

    “Since LPG prices are sky-rocketing, we have come here with earthen oven that is used by poor in the rural areas to cook food.”

    The assembly session, which started on February 19, will last till March 24. There will be a total of 22 working days in this session. 

  • Nitish vocal again on reservation

    Express News Service
    PATNA: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has reiterated his demand for a census on the basis of caste and reservation for the backward. HAM, part of the ruling NDA alliance in Bihar, has called for reservations in the public and private sectors as well as the judiciary.

    Speaking to the media after interacting with a select group of 100 party workers on Wednesday, Kumar said: “Only through a caste-wise census can we know how many people belong to which caste. Making policies for them will become easier if this is done. We have been making this demand for a long time. This used to happen in the past, but stopped after Independence.”

    He claimed that for the caste-wise census, a unanimous resolution was passed by the Bihar Assembly and Legislative Council and sent to the Central government earlier.Asked about the ideal policy for reservation, Kumar said: “I don’t know what the discussion is over reservation, but the provision will remain the same. In Bihar, Karpoori Thakur’s formula has been implemented.”

    Taking to Twitter, HAM chief Jitan Ram Manjhi said that reservation should remain until everyone gets equal status in the society. “We believe as well as demand that there should be reservation in private sectors as well as in the judiciary.”

  • LJP to suffer big jolt in Bihar soon as party leaders likely to join ruling JD-U on Thursday

    Express News Service
    PATNA: If speculations were to be believed, the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) will suffer a major jolt in Bihar as nearly five dozen leaders are expected to join the ruling JD-U, along with their supporters, on February 18.

    The rebellion against Chirag Paswan started getting louder in the LJP after the party’s poor performance in the Bihar Assembly elections 2020.

    Many district heads of Chirag Paswan’s party are among those who are speculated to revolt and leave the LJP.

    If former spokesperson and leader of the LJP, Keshav Singh, is to be believed, over 60 leaders will join the JDU on February 18 to strengthen Nitish Kumar’s camp. Singh had turned rebellious after he was expelled from LJP.

    Keshav Singh told media persons that a decision to join JD-U by dozens of leaders and their supporters was taken recently at a meeting of rebel LJP leaders.

    He further added that the LJP rebels will attend a meeting of JD-U on February 18 and join the JD-U to strengthen Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s hand. He said that he would be among others taking the membership of JD-U.

    A veteran political analyst of Bihar, Arun Kumar Pandey, said that rebel LJP leaders joining JD-U, led by Keshav Singh, can create political hype in the short run but won’t have a long term damaging impact on LJP.

    “It is almost sure that those joining JD-U will not get any berths. But JD-U, by welcoming the LJP rebels in their party, can put a demoralising pressure on Chirag Paswan for taking a stand against LJP’s in Bihar polls,” Pandey said.

    LJP leader Awadhesh Singh said that Keshav Singh and others can not make any impact on LJP as he along with many others were expelled.

  • Nitish Kumar dodges answering question on fuel price hike

    By ANI
    PATNA: Refraining from commenting over the fuel price hike, Bihar Chief Minister and Janata Dal (United) president Nitish Kumar on Tuesday said that it is true that prices are rising and it is clearly visible.

    Responding to a question on rising prices of diesel and petrol in the country, Nitish Kumar told reporters, “Everyone would like it if the prices do not rise but right now the prices are on a rise. Everybody can see that.”

    Petrol and diesel prices in the national capital stand at Rs 89.29 a litre (increase by 30 paise) and Rs 79.70 per litre (increase by 35 paise), respectively.

    The Bihar CM was talking to reporters after offering prayers on the occasion of Saraswati puja.

    ALSO READ: Petrol soars to Rs 99.87 in Rajasthan; LPG, ATF prices up

    Extending greetings to the people Nitish Kumar said, “Today is Basant Panchami and Saraswati Puja and I give my best wishes to the people on the occasion of these festivals. Today we performed Saraswati puja which is done to obtain knowledge.”

    Basant Panchami, also known as ‘Vasant Panchami’, marks the arrival of the spring season in India.

    Basant Panchami is also dedicated to the goddess of knowledge, Goddess Saraswati who bestows her devotees with wisdom, learning and knowledge.  

  • INTERVIEW | Education top priority for Bihar govt, says Dr Ashok Kumar Chaudhary

    Express News Service
    PATNA: Bihar is on the right track to become empowered all spheres of development under the NDA government headed by a visionary like Nitish Kumar, said state education minister Dr Ashok Kumar Chaudhary.

    Chaudhary, who holds the additional charges of the ministry of social welfare, building construction, science and technology and minority affairs, is one of the well educated and closest allies of CM Nitish. In an interview with TNIE, he claimed that education is among the top priorities of the government. Excerpts:

    What is Bihar’s plans for education amidst the push to become a developed state?

    Education for the present state government is not a mere ministerial responsibility but an empowerment mission. Therefore, we are spending 20% of the state’s total budget on education  — which is higher than normal spending on the field. Besides this, the state government is working to fill the vacancies from primary schools onwards.

    If we speak about school education, the state government has revamped the entire infrastructure. Almost all facilities are being made available for promoting education and encourage children from all marginalised sections of society to attend classes. The books, uniforms and cycle schemes are important parts of an initiative to make Bihar excel in education.

    The most remarkable thing is that the education of girls has have got adequate momentum with the implementation of cycle and poshak (uniform) schemes. Simply put, Bihar is excelling in educational empowerment. One day, the state will have not only the highest literacy rate but also the most educational institutions.

    With the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic, education was hit from school to university levels. What measures are being taken to bring things back under control?

    Bihar government under the leadership of CM Nitish Kumar have brought the covid-19 under control and have resumed classes ensuring proper adherence to safety protocols. After the senior classes in schools, now classes for the students of Class 6 to 8 are starting from February 8. Classes in colleges and universities are happening with 50% attendance and examinations are being conducted. The officials of education department led by principal secretary of education Sanjay Kumar, are working round the clock to take education way ahead. And we will resume the full-fledged working of the educational sector in the next few months.

    It is learnt that the school dropout rate among children has increased in the wake of Covid 19 pandemic. How are you going to deal with it?

    Yes, more than 20 lakh cases of school dropout have been estimated till date amid the corona crisis. The education department will soon launch a drive to bring all those children back to schools.

    We had started online classes during the peak times of pandemic for school children in addition to classes conducted through programmes on Doordarshan and radio. In order to enhance speaking skills in English as well other languages, we have started educational schemes in association with the Kaushal Vikas mission. We are committed to exploring talents through proper educations. Let me tell you that vacancies to  2,451 posts in polytechnic institutes and engineering colleges are also being filled in order to promote science and technology-based education. 

    What all have your government been doing for women empowerment and environment protection?

    For boosting women empowerment in education, the state government has doubled the financial assistance to unmarried girls on passing intermediate from Rs 25,000 and Rs 50000  for both married and unmarried girls on completing graduation. The daughters of Bihar will be able to step up their higher education plans and ensure their participation in the progress of the state.

    Bihar has got the highest number of women cops in the country and it shows how our government is concerned with the “Nari Shakti” in every sphere. According to the India Justice Report 2020,one in 4 cops in Bihar is a woman- which is the highest across all states.

    As far as, works for environmental protection are concerned, the Jal-Jivan Hariyali started by CM Nitish Kumar is globally acclaimed now and has started redressing out many problems including safe drinking water along with enhancing greenery. The water bodies have been renovated to save water besides setting a record of having planted crores of trees.

    Any plans to upgrade the state’s e-education?

    Yes, we have started an initiative to strengthen the “E-education” under the pilot project through the “StepApp Tab” in two girls schools in Patna. Our government is striving to strengthen education through technical means. Besides this, the department of education and the ‘Centre for Health Policy” have signed also MoU to provide support in health and gender-related activities, strengthening financial accountability for need-based research.

    We are also working to develop the language skills and numerical knowledge of the children.