News Analysis India

Tag: Patna

  • BJP opposes installation of Ram Vilas Paswan’s bust at former Delhi residence, RJD demands it in Patna

    By Express News Service

    PATNA: In a declaration, BJP in Bihar has opposed the installation of the bust of LJP founder and former Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan at the premises of his previous residence in Janpath, New Delhi.

    Ram Vilas Paswan’s bust was installed hurriedly after a notice for eviction of the bungalow was served to Jamui MP and his son, Chirag Paswan, who now heads another faction of the LJP after his uncle split the party.

    The 8-inch-tall bust of Ram Vilas Paswan was been installed at the center of the bungalow, a week ahead of Paswan’s first death anniversary on September 12.

    The bungalow had been reallocated to Union Railway and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnav after Paswan’s demise, by the central government, however, the Paswan family has been living there for the last 30 years.

    The controversy started after the assembly polls strained political ties between the LJP and BJP, following which, the notice for eviction was served to Chirag Paswan.

    Taking note of the bust’s installation, BJP national general secretary of OBC Morcha Dr Nikhil Anand in Patna said: “RV Paswan was a great leader..but the way Chirag Paswan has installed the bust of his father at his Delhi residence is wrong. All things have a process.”

    He further said that Chirag Paswan should have followed the proper procedure and shown maturity.

    “Chirag Paswan should have given a petition to the government’s concerned department before installation of his father’s bust. But he didn’t. This act is against the parliamentary procedures and he (Chirag Paswan) needs to be a little more sensitive,” Anand said, adding that tactics like this may spoil Chirag’s political prospects.

    On other hand, showing solidarity to Chirag Paswan a day after meeting him, RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav on Thursday demanded the installation of Ram Vilas Paswan’s bust in Patna, along with the statue of former RJD leader Raghuvansh Prasad Singh.

    “I demand the state government to install the statues of both Ram Vilas Paswan and Raghuvansh Prasad Singh in Patna as they were Bihar’s leaders,” Tejashwi said.

    He also added that both these leaders’ death anniversaries should be included in the list of state-sponsored functions.

    BJP leader Pramod Kumar responded to the ‘demand’ stating that there is no problem with following through with these installations but statues of the party’s stalwarts like Kailashpati Mishra and others should also be installed. 

  • Patna youth turns savior to transgenders of Bihar, works towards their empowerment

    Express News Service

    PATNA: Transgender people in Bihar, at least in Patna, have got a Samaritan in a 45-year-old Bharat Kaushik, who continues working for their empowerment in education, employment, and rights of survival with dignity through various activities and initiatives. 

    During the first and second phases of Covid, Bharat Kaushik spent almost all his savings in providing foods grains and all other supports to poor transgender people, who were facing an acute crisis of commodities during the lockdown. 

    When he ran short of money to support the transgenders during the lockdown, he sought help through crowdfunding used to manage his services.

    Thousands of transgender people have received help from him and continue to take support from him for carrying their education and eking out a livelihood.

    “I want them to stop indulging in begging and other activities and become self-reliant and empowered. For all this, education and training in skill development is the need of the hour”, Kaushik said.

    He distributed thousands of masks and hand sanitizers in addition to food grain packets among the transgenders, who were facing a starvation-like situation in the lockdown.

    As a gender justice activist, Bharat Kaushik runs a first-of-its-kind ‘ Transgender Model E-Magazine” with a wider pool of followers from the concerned communities from across the country. This is to propagate and voice for  the rights of transgender people,

    Kaushik is the name among transgenders, whenever they face problems.

    Soon after returning to Patna from Delhi in 2000, he was appalled to see the miserable condition and plight of most transgenders.

    “The moment, I realized that the transgender people are not meeting out the treatments as common human beings, I started rendering services to them in every crisis. I encouraged them through various activities for changes in their lives as a mission of my life”, he said.

    Kaushik is working towrads bringing developments and changes in the lives of transgender people, who are generally seen begging in trains and in public places, despite being talented in various creative areas.

    He has also made a documentary –“The Veera-The Untold Story” depicting the struggle of a transgender lady, who has managed to obtained post-graduation from Patna University.

    “Veera was the first transgender woman, who got admission in PU and obtained a degree. On ‘Transgender Model E-Magazine’, started in 2007 with more than 10,000 followers, I get a lot of responses and stories of struggle and suffering of transgender people, who are now living changed lives and doing better”, he said.

    According to him, in Bihar, there are more than 50,000 transgenders, who need supports to make them live normal lives and explore their talents.

    “For this, a social movement is being promoted through all my activities. Whenever any of them approach me, even at midnight for any kind of help in times of distress, I remain available for sorting out the problems”, he said.

    Kaushik as a gender justice activist plans to meet both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bihar CM Nitish Kumar in the near future with a charter of demands that included setting up a separate study center for the transgender people in various educational institutions, Transgender Hospitals, Clinics, the seats reserved in public transport systems, financial incentives for start-ups to transgender people, medical back-ups, representation in politics and reservation in educational sectors and public sectors of services.

    He has made an appeal to the state health department to set up a separate corona vaccination centre for transgender people in Patna and other districts as many of them shy away from going for vaccination from their homes.

    “A housing project should also be started for them as 90% of them are extremely poor and face accommodation problems”, he demanded.

    Awarded with the Baba Nagaarjun Samman and various others, Kaushik has emerged as the voice of transgenders in Patna. He said that a majority of transgender people are exploited and discriminated against just because of them being in the third gender in society.

    “If we support and help them through various initiatives and incentives, they are blessed with brain and talents to make major direct contributions in the nation-building. They can be good doctors, engineers, singers, scientists, bankers, officers, cops and specialised in various fields because 99% of them have the passion to carve out niches for themselves in society”, he said. 

  • Patna slums record zero Covid positivity in second wave

    Express News Service
    PATNA: Not a single Covid-19 case was reported from the slums of Patna during the second wave, whereas a huge number of cases came from VIP areas. Urban areas of Patna accounted for more than 70% of cases reported from the entire district.

    A study by retired IAS officer KC Saha, published by the Patna-based Asian Development Research Institute (ADRI), reveals this interesting fact that “none of the slums  in Patna reported  a single positive case of Covid-19”. The study titled “Learning From Covid-19 cases — A Sociological Study of Patna District, Bihar”, quoting  executive officers of Patna Municipal Corporation, further states that of 7,300 sanitary staff, who mostly live in slums with their families, only two or three tested positive.

    Asked what is the reason, Saha told this daily: “It is a matter of scientific probe but people who live in slum pockets are said to have stronger immunity than those who live in non-slum areas in comforts. It is a fact that none of the Patna slums reported a positive case”.

    Saha, who served as chairman of Bihar Public Service Commission and had been the development commissioner, also found in his study that the virus in Patna did not spread entirely due to the large number of returning migrant labourers. Rather, it was caused by social functions and lack of awareness on preventive measures among the public.

    In the study, Saha has warned that the infection can again rise during during the festivals months in October-November, when a number of people return home from other states.After interviewing nearly 200 Covid patients, Saha found that 90% were in home isolation and recovered in about three weeks. He has also recommended strengthening of the health infrastructure, including paediatric health infrastructure, in view of a possible third wave.

    He suggested that disease surveillance and laboratory testing infrastructure should be ramped up, other than creation of a public health management cadre, data management in health facilities involvement of panchayats and many other measures.

  • Home Ministry declares six Bihar districts Naxal-free

    Express News Service
    PATNA: The Ministry of Home Affairs has declared six out of 16 Naxal-affected districts in Bihar as Naxal-free, thus reducing the activities of the outlawed CPI (Maoist) in the state to only 10 districts.

    According to this new classification, Muzaffarpur, Vaishali, Jehanabad, Nalanda, Arwal and East Champaran have been cleared from the list of Naxal-affected districts. In the absence of any Naxal bases, security-related expenses in these districts will no longer be spent on the prevention of Naxal activities. 

    With the exclusion of these districts, only 10 districts of Bihar, namely Rohtas, Kaimur, Gaya, Nawada, Jamui, Lakhisarai, Aurangabad, Banka, Munger and West Champaran are currently in the category of Naxal-affected districts of the country. 

    Aurangabad district has been flagged as a ‘district of concern’ with regard to Naxal influences in the country.Earlier, the Ministry of Home Affairs had declared 7 other districts, namely Patna, Sitamarhi, Bhojpur, Bagaha, Begusarai, Khagaria and Sheohar, as Naxal-free.

  • Patna opens two round-the-clock vaccination sites with drive-in facility

    Express News Service
    PATNA: In a first, two round-the-clock vaccination centres have been set up in Patna. The sites with ‘drive-through’ facilities at Patliputra Ashoka Hotel and Patliputra sports complex, set up by district magistrate Dr Chandrasekhar Singh, are an instant hit among the people who want to get inoculated against Covid-19.

    The centres have so far received a good number of senior citizens and many of them are able to get the dose while sitting in their vehicles. 

    Dr Chandrasekhar Singh said, “Till Wednesday evening, 865 persons from all age groups have received the vaccine at Patliputra Sports Complex site and 637 at Patliputra Ashoka Hotel.”

    The Patna DM further added that the drive-through facility has been given to help disabled and age-old persons who can stay in their vehicles for observation.

    The vaccination centres have also been provided with drinking water, sitting and waiting arrangements. Alok Kumar, a youngster, who received his covid vaccine said, “It is an example of how the vaccination can be carried out by inculcating a festive cheer among the people.” 

    The site has been receiving vaccine beneficiaries since early morning till late night to avoid crowding.

  • Indian origin individuals in US donate two oxygen concentrators to Vaishali PHC 

    Express News Service
    PATNA: A group formed by individuals of Indian origin in the US donated two oxygen concentrators to a Primary Health Centre in Vaishali district.

    Settled in the US, Sanjay Gupta, Manika Agrawal, Ankit Agarwal, Chaitali, Vikas Malik and Kavindra Taliyan formed a voluntary group called “CovidCare4U.Org” in Madison to help people and health care centres located in rural areas of India that provide free treatment to Covid-19 patients. 

    So far they have donated two oxygen concentrators to the PHC based in Vaishali’s Belsar.

    These good Samaritans who are settled in different parts of the country raise funds, and arrange oxygen concentrators which are shipped directly to different parts of India.

    CA Abhishek Raj aka Raja Bhaiya said that the two equipments will benefit at least three to four lakh people in the area. Raja Bhaiya who had contested in the last Assembly Elections from Vaishali, had approached the team of covidcare4u.org through Binit Prasad later requested the group to extend a helping hand to the residents of Vaishali.

    “Taking into account the possibility of a third wave of Covid-19, the PHC will require ICU beds, ambulance and other essential amenities. We are arranging necessary facilities for the residents of Vaishali,” he said.

  • Patna: Girls are encouraged to develop reading habit in govt run homes

    Express News Service
    PATNA: Girls and boys, living in more than five dozen state government-run institutions, including specialised adoption agencies (SAA), are being encouraged through a first-of-its-kind initiative to develop their reading habit, in addition, to become economically self-reliant.

    After arranging vocational training for a number of girls living in Bihar’s different “girls homes” (GHs) in hotel management and other vocational skills, now the social welfare department in Bihar has started setting up a library in each child care institution.

    Sharing detail, the director of the social welfare department of the govt of Bihar, Raj Kumar said: “We have 70 child care institutions including girls home, the boys home, observation home and SAA. And out of them,  35 have already established good libraries”.

    A couple of days ago, one such library was inaugurated at the girls’ home in the Kishanganj district by the DM and the SP together.

    There are 11 girls’ homes in Bihar now of which 350 girls are living and getting educationally empowered.

    “There is a plan to set up a well-equipped library with a rich collection of books ranging from classrooms to competitive levels. The newspapers, magazines, and other journals are being made available to the inmates of girls and boys homes”, Kumar said.

    Prior to this initiative, aimed at exploring reading and comprehension intelligence by inculcating a good reading habit, a good number of inmates of the state’s various homes were sent for vocational training in Bangalore and Kolkata.

    “Many of them have exhibited their brilliant culinary talents besides arts and other vocational skills. Financial support would be arranged for them through the bank at the government’s initiative to make them economically empowered, the director said.

    Besides all this, the Bihar government has started providing normal gym facilities to boys and girls, nutritious foods including chayavanprash and others in their daily food menu. The interior decorations in almost all homes are being given aesthetical touches in order to enhance the creative ambiance inside the homes.

    “The inmates of both boys and girls homes are exhibiting their brilliance in drawing paintings, wall paintings and other creative pursuits”, said the director.

  • Have turned my govt bungalow into COVID care centre, says Bihar opposition leader Tejashwi

    Express News Service
    PATNA: Bihar’s Leader of the Opposition Tejashwi Yadav on Wednesday said he has turned his official government residence at 1-Polo Road in Patna into a full-fleged COVID Care Centre from his own legislator fund.

    Sharing the information with the media, Tejashwi Yadav said he took the decision as people are struggling to get beds and oxygen in government hospitals in Patna after testing positive for COVID-19.

    Offering it to the state government, he said the beds at the residence, located at Polo Road, have oxygen facilities and medicines.

    “This centre at my residence has beds and all other facilities made available by me from my legislator fund. Now, I appeal to the government to take it over as an isolation ward and quarantine centre,” he said.

    “Not only this, as a responsible opposition, we are ready to support whatever arrangements are needed for the treatment of patients,” he said.

    He also said that had had written to the government several times about it, but so far no response was received.

  • Patna man turns messiah, has cremated over 130 coronavirus victims since last April

    Express News Service
    PATNA: Forty-nine-year-old Mukesh Hissariya has been receiving endless calls. With COVID-19 pandemic striking us hard, this Patna-based businessman-turned social activist has come as a messiah for the poor. Since April 2020 till this year, Hissariya has helped with the final rites of 130 coronavirus victims and 15 others. Among these, he also helped create 35 such bodies in instances where the family members of the victim did not turn up for the funeral in the fear of contracting the deadly virus. 

    He is known to act swiftly in cases where family members refuse to perform the final rites of the coronavirus victims. 

    On April 30, Mukesh sent an ambulance he has hired to transport the bodies of a retired armyman and his wife that were lying in a morgue of Danapur for two days as their only son was also battling with COVID-19 at hospital.

    The Patna resident receives almost 20 calls on a daily basis seeking his help in arranging cremations of those who have succumbed to Covid. “When nobody shows up for cremating these bodies, we make sure that the final rites are done in the right manner,” he says.

    “I have made arrangements to transport over 135 bodies of coronavirus victims and 15 others since last April for their final rites at Bansghat and Gulabighat in Patna.”

    Hissariya has deputed Ram Pravesh at Bansghat and Bhim Kumar at Gulabighat. These two make all the arrangements for the cremations in the presence of the family members. They make sure that workers transport the bodies from ambulances and placed on the pyres before being consigned to the flames. The duo also helps family members get one last glimpse of their loved ones. 

    If this humane gesture weren’t enough, there is more. with the second wave claiming more lives, Hissariya has also started arranging free food for the attendants of Covid victims who have to wait for long hours for their turn.

    He is also known to organise mass wedding functions with the help of the business community in Patna, and has recently formed a virtual blood bank with over 20,000 volunteers. “Service to humanity is service to mankind and when the humanity is in danger due to the pandemic, everyone should come ahead to fight it out together,” he said.

    Hissariya’s kindness has also made news in the Bollywood when he was invited on the sets of Kaun Banega Crorepati where he met with veteran actor Amitabh Bachchan.

  • Railway employee kills COVID-positive wife before ending his own life in Patna

    Express News Service
    PATNA: An employee of the East Central Railway (ECR) killed his COVID-positive wife and then ended his own life on Monday morning in Patna.

    This heart-wrenching incident took place at Chitraguptanagar under the Patrakarnagar PS when Atul Lal, posted at Patna junction, first slit the throat of his wife Tulika Kumari after an altercation and thereafter jumped from the 5th floor of the house.

    Sources in the police department said that the husband and wife had quarrelled over some family issues but neighbours didn’t attempt to pacify them for fear of being infected with COVID-19 as one of them was positive.

    Ina fit of rage, Atul Lal slit the throat of his wife allegedly with a blade and when his two children, aged about 6 and 9, cried out in shock, he jumped from the fifth floor and died instantly. The couple belonged to Ara district, said police.

    In another incident, Dr BK Rajak who was in charge of the COVID-19 Danapur railway hospital also succumbed to the coronavirus on Monday.

    In the last 24 hours, more than 68 people who had tested positive for CVID-19 died in different parts of Bihar including Patna.