Sunday 10 April 2011

Bihar News, Latest News from Bihar, News of Bihar, Biharprabha News

Bihar News, Latest News from Bihar, News of Bihar, Biharprabha News

Bihta to have a new industrial park

Posted: 10 Apr 2011 07:34 PM PDT

PATNA: The glimmer of hope for a bright industrial scenario, including joint production of sugar and ethanol, has begun to appear on the largely agrarian landscape of the state that was bereft of operational sugar mills.

The most ambitious and innovative and one of its kind in Bihar is Logistic and Industrial Park (LIP) that is slated to come up at Bihta (Patna) at the place where its sugar mill, closed for decades, existed. Earlier, deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi had given an indication of this saying the government had decided to give the Bihta sugar mill to a bidder.

The LIP is to come up at Bihta,” said a source in the industries department, adding: “The bid money has been paid. The formal agreement is to be signed sometime this month or early next month. It is the industrial and marketing unit of its own kind in the state.”

As an integrated unit, LIP plan envisages establishment of a cluster of smallscale industries, marketing of agriculture produce, transportation of produce, establishment of cold chain and utilization of the freight corridor of the railways for the transportation and supply of perishable items for marketing in keeping with their demand in other states and metros. “The cost of the total LIP project is around Rs 200 crore,” the industries department source said.

it has been learnt that the government decided to go for the LIP project at the 23 acre Bihta sugar mill site, since it was felt that the available site of the sugar mill there would not be sufficient to facilitate joint production of both sugar and ethanol.

Earlier, beginning 2006 investors had expressed their interest for the “stand-alone production” of ethanol at the plants where the closed sugar mills of the state existed, but the Centre did not give permission for “stand-alone production” of ethanol in the state and. accordingly, it brought in its Cane Control Order, 2007. Given the circumstances, investors showed interest in combined production of sugar and ethanol.

Consequently, the site of the closed Bihta sugar mill was found to be insufficient for this. “As a result, the government decided to go for an alternative and gave green signal for the LIP project when the bid was made,” the industries department source said.

 

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I- Cards mandatory for entry at Patna International Airport

Posted: 10 Apr 2011 09:28 AM PDT

PATNA: Visitors to the city’s Jaya Prakash Narayan International (JPNI) airport will now have to carry a valid identity proof along with airport entry ticket to enter the terminal building from next week. The norm will also be applied on temporary airport entry pass holders. 

In a bid to beef up the airport’s security, Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) has decided to introduce the new entry norm. The system will be effective at all the airports across the country.

Local airport authorities on Sunday circulated an internal notice to all concerned at the airport to this effect. The notice has also been displayed at prominent points at the airport.

Airport director Arvind Dubey told TOI that any valid identity proof will be acceptable. “We do not want to be rigid about identity proof. Any valid identity proof will be accepted. We want to make the system liberal,” he added.

Pan card, driving licence, voter’s identity card, passport, identity proof provided by any recognized institution, school and college and other valid proofs will be accepted.

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Nitish orders removal of security forces from schools

Posted: 10 Apr 2011 07:34 AM PDT

PATNA: CM Nitish Kumar has directed the authorities concerned to get all the schools which are in possession of security forces vacated. The directive came during a meeting of the Bihar Education Project Council (BEPC) held on Thursday evening.

It was pointed out at the meeting that several schools, particularly in Maoist-affected areas, had been turned into police camps. The CM said police pickets be removed from the school buildings immediately.

Briefing media about the decisions taken at the meeting, HRD minister P K Shahi said it was decided to upgrade Talimi Markaz and Utthan centres into residential schools even if the Union government does not extend its help. These centres opened for the out-of-school children of Muslim and Mahadalit societies provide pre-school elementary education.

The CM expressed satisfaction of the decline in out-of-school children which is now stood at 3.5 per cent. He, however, expressed concern over drop-out rate of 11.2% which is 2% higher than national average.

 

 

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Bihar police to offer phaeton ride to Patnaites

Posted: 10 Apr 2011 05:33 AM PDT

PATNA: The Bihar Police has decided to provide Phaeton ride on the pattern of metros like Mumbai and Kolkata to the common public twice a week at a nominal rate.

Although the Phaeton ride, which used to be part of official ceremonial entourage during the British Raj and rule of the rajas and maharajas, became part of the presidential entourage in the post-Independence period. Security hazards in the recent times paved the way for the luxurious cars. In 1960s and 1970s, Phaetons were also mode of transport in some places, including the state capital.

The Bihar police currently have two Phaetons which are used during the marriage season, mostly used by grooms. One such Phaeton (baggi) ride would hired out to the public throughout the year on the payment of a nominal sum. Sources in the police headquarters told TOI that it would be part of entertainment for those who want to take a joyride in the evening.

This apart, the Phaeton ride would also help the state capital in acquiring a kind of metro culture. While the Phaeton ride in Mumbai has become cynosure of onlookers in Marine Drive, one can also see such a sight near Kolkata’s historic Fort William.

Unlike in Mumbai and Kolkata where the Phaeton operators are from the general public, in patna it would be under the supervision of Mounted Militarty Police (MMP) personnel. This would ensure that those who take Phaeton ride are fleeced extra money. Sources further said the Phaeton ride would be run on trial basis every Saturday and Sunday from one end of Eco Park to the other end and back. Each person going for the ride would have to pay Rs 50 per ride. The ride would be available between 5 pm to 6.30 pm.

Phaeton would be drawn by two horses with Havildar Krishna Murari Singh and constable Pramod Kumar on the driving seat. The two horses would be taken care of by Sais Shankar Chowdhary. The two horses, which have either become old or do not participate in any BMP contest, would be used for such kind of joy ride.

Sources further said the ADG (BMP) A C Verma had mooted the plan which was endorsed by the DGP Neelmani. If the public response is good, the two-day ride would be extended further, the sources said.

 

 

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Death toll in jails declines in Bihar

Posted: 10 Apr 2011 05:30 AM PDT

PATNA: The total number of deaths in Bihar jails has come down drastically. Jail authorities credit it to better living conditions, improved medical facilities, fruitful engagements and an attitudinal change towards the inmates.

According to the figures available up to 2010, the number of deaths in jails have declined from 208 in 2006 to 93 in 2010.

Surprisingly enough, there has been no suicidal deaths or deaths due to internal clashes reported so far in any of the state’s jails since May 2010, IG (prisons) Ramesh Lal said adding there are eight central jails, 31 district jails and 16 subjails in Bihar.

The last time suicide took place was in May 2010 in Bhagalpur Central jail. Haro Sao, a 35-year-old who used to spend most of his time at the railway station, according to his mother, was mentally disturbed. Brought to the jail by GRP police he committed suicide just two days later, sources told TOI.

Some suicide bids ended in failures. “Once a convict tried to hang himself from a two-feet high iron gate by tying a knot around his neck.”

Loneliness and sense of desertion by family are major reasons of depression leading to suicides inside jails, said the IG. He agreed that at present there was no system of counselling in Bihar prisons for improvement of mental health of these inmates.

The maximum number of deaths have been due to old age, disease or prolonged illness, he stated adding a changed perception of prison from a place of isolation and punishment to correctional measures have helped matters to a great extent.

De-clustering of jails has proved very effective, Lal said. He added as against the capacity of 32,000 prisoners there are currently 33,000 inmates in Bihar jails.

Improvement has been noticed in areas like living conditions be it toilet facilities, food quality or sleeping arrangements. “We have put a television set and at least two fans in each ward of our jails,” the official said adding medical facilities have not only been improved but its access has also been hastened. Monthly health camps are also organised on a regular basis, he added.

He said inmates were shifted from one jail to the other keeping their needs in view. For example, while couples lodged in different jails were brought together, some were sent to jails nearer their home.

Many of them were released on parole (for 15 days) in case of emergencies like daughter’s marriage, property related case or for visiting an ailing spouse. The number of parole cases have swelled since 2010 and the effect is perceptible, said Lal.

Engagements in bakery plant, printing press, soap making, tailoring, handloom textile production has indeed effected this gradual but positive trend, said the official. Besides, Art of living, yoga and meditation classes in these prisons have also helped.

 

 

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