Wednesday 4 May 2011

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

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

Kalam speaks up against Corruption

Posted: 04 May 2011 05:55 PM PDT

PATNA: Former President A P J Abdul Kalam has expressed concern over the growing tentacles of corruption which is hampering growth and development of the nation. “Corruption is not just an economic menace, but also weakens the social fabric and moral system of the society,” he said.

Kalam was delivering a lecture on “Socially and economically developing Bihar” at the Bihar Chamber of Commerce (BCC) on Tuesday. He said economic development of Bihar was very important, but the state equally needed citizens of high ethics and moral values in business, industry, politics, education and every other walk of life. One should ponder over “what can I give”, Kalam said.

He exhorted the BCC and all guests to deliver good service and promote zero corruption.

He said it was good to see that Bihar today is engaged in development politics. It has registered 11% growth. “When I asked chief minister Nitish Kumar what is the key to success, he (Nitish) said governance, governance and governance”. The state has potential to achieve much. Today, Bihar is socially and economically developed. However, there are a few areas which need attention to accelerate the pace of socioeconomic development to accomplish Mission 2020, he said.

Listing these areas, he said that rural-urban divide should be bridged, there should be equitable distribution and adequate access to energy and quality water, agriculture, industry and service sector work should go in tandem, education should be with a value system, and governance should be responsive, transparent and corruption-free.

Bihar, Kalam said, has to become the top producer of food grains in the country. It could be achieved by giving thrust to areas like sugar industry, dairy, horticulture, storage and processing industry. He said 30% of agro products in the country is wasted due to lack of proper storage. Industry and young entrepreneurs can take up this mission of cold storage chain through cooperative movement, the former president added.

Besides, each district in Bihar should have at least two mobile science laboratories for enriching science education in rural Bihar. “I am organizing two mobile science laboratories in Darbhanga district through Viksit Bharat Foundation under the leadership of M B Verma, who belongs to rural environment and is highly committed. He also emphasized the need for reviving public health care centres in public-private partnership mode, infrastructure development and flood water management. He further said the chamber can design tourist circuits and provide solutions for construction of roads, railways and air travel system.

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CM to visit China next month

Posted: 04 May 2011 07:40 AM PDT

PATNA: After visiting Bhutan on Wednesday, chief minister Nitish Kumar will travel to China next month.

Nitish said that he will be paying a three-day visit to Bhutan from Monday to Saturday at the invitation of Bhutan prime minister Jigme Yoser Thinley who sometime back made a pilgrimage to Bodh Gaya. Thinley had met Nitish and invited him to visit Bhutan. The external affairs ministry has given necessary clearance, he added.

During his three-day visit to the Kingdom of Bhutan, Nitish is expected to speak to the authorities there showing his interest in hydel power projects. “I will visit some power plants. We have been demanding that Bihar should get a good share of power from there,” the CM told mediapersons on Monday on the sidelines of `Janata ke Darbar Mein Mukhya Mantri` programme.

Nitish said that he would explore possibility of an agreement with Bhutan on power sharing even though there already exists an agreement between Bhutan and India. “That way, this is an issue between Bihar and the Centre,” he said.

After Bhutan, Nitish is expected to pay a six-day visit to China from June 13 to 18. “Recently, the Chinese envoy had extended an invitation to me. Earlier, the foreign secretary (India) had advised me to make a goodwill visit to China,” he said.

Both these will be state visits. A delegation of bureaucrats, including principal secretaries of energy, tourism and information and public relations, besides CM`s secretary and OSD, will accompany Nitish to Bhutan. The tourism department will also hold an exhibition in Thimpu during the official visit. However, no minister will accompany the CM.

“A big number of Bhutanese visit Buddhist sites every year and tourists from India also go to Bhutan. The two nations enjoy very cordial relationship. The ties between Bhutan and Bihar are quite emotional,” said Nitish who is expected to return on May 8.

Nitish said that he is quite interested to personally experience and feel the `gross national happiness` in the Kingdom, how it is working and how it is felt.

The Bhutan government has shown its interest to open its monastery in Bodh Gaya for which land has been allotted.

To a query about the developments in the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament, the CM said that the recent happenings were quite unfortunate and unimaginable. The PAC is a constitutional body and its reports are drafted by its secretariat after deliberating each issue before giving it a final shape. There is no question of parallel PAC and holding the meeting once chairman called the official meeting off, the CM said and added that the Speaker should take a decision on the report submitted by the chairman.

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Bihar CM on Bhutan trip, demands more share in power

Posted: 04 May 2011 05:37 AM PDT

Ahead of his Bhutan trip, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar today demanded that the Centre sanction major chunk of the power being availed by it from Bhutan to the state.

Kumar said he would reach Bhutan on a three day-tour on May 4 at the invitation of the Bhutan king and prime minister.

Though the visit to Bhutan would have nothing to do with the issue, the Centre should consider the state’s demand, Kumar told reporters on the sidelines of his Janata Darbar programme here.

He said there were several hydel power projects which were set up following the support of Indian government to Bhutan. “I will personally visit some of the hydel power plants in Bhutan.

“There are vast potential for hydel power plants in India and the cultural and historic ties between the two countries are very strong … Bihar too has sentimental relations with the Himalayan country as a lot of tourists from there visit Bodh Gaya, Rajgir and Nalanda,” Kumar said adding he would discuss with Bhutanese authorities for facilitating more tourists.

The chief minister said that following the visit of the Bhutanese home minister, the neighbouring country had identified a piece of land for a monastery in Rajgir.

Bihar Tourism Corporation would hold an exhibition in Bhutan, he said adding he would be accompanied by a delegation of officials from Energy, Tourism and Information and Public Relations departments during the proposed visit.

“I have also received invitation from China but the dates of the visit have not yet been decided,” Kumar said.

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Kalam predicts Paliganj to be center of next Green Revolution

Posted: 04 May 2011 03:35 AM PDT

Paliganj (Patna), May 3 (PTI) The hub of the second Green Revolution of the country would be at Paliganj in Bihar with the farmers “immensely contributing” towards achieving a revolution in foodgrain productivity, former President A P J Abdul Kalam said today. “You all started with 2.4 hectare of land in 1999 and extended it to 2000 hectare by 2004 and during this period, using sound agricultultural policies, quality seeds and input material, you have been able to demonstrate that the productivity of rice and wheat can be more than doubled in the five years time”, Kalam said while addressing farmers at Paliganj, about 55 km from here, this morning. He said this trend undertaken by Paliganj farmers should continue and there was a need for making Bihar the granary of India. Referring to Bihar, Kalam said the net area under cultivation of grains was around 56 lakh hectare and the average yields of rice and wheat in this area was 1.45 and 2.19 tonne per hectare respectively. “The Paliganj farmer have proved beyond doubt that they can produce at least four tonnes per hectare of paddy and six tonnes per hectare of wheat”, he said. “It it time that the agriculture univesities like Rajendra Agriculture University and other universities in the state work in partnership with farmers of Paliganj and the district development officers of all the 38 districts, so that we can achieve the goal of doubling the productivity of wheat and paddy within the next five years,” he suggested. He said the Paliganj farmers should also work in enhancing the productivity during 2016-2020 as this effort would make Paliganj “the hub” of propagating second Green Revolution. The former President said India has to now embark upon the second Green Revolution which would enable it to increase the foodgrain production from the existing 230 million tonnes per year to at least 340 million tonnes per year by 2020. The former president said the increase in production would have to overcome many impeding factors and the requirement of land for the increasing population as well as for greater afforestation and environmental preservation activities would force a situation whereby the preset 170 million hectare of arable land would not not be fully available. More PTI AJK MM

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Prisons of Bihar appearing in new colors

Posted: 03 May 2011 11:35 PM PDT

PATNA: The face of prisons has indeed changed and changed for good. No more a suffocating black hole with a life of seclusion for prisoners, inducing suicidal tendencies, the prisons of Bihar have seemingly got into a mode that is more than reformatory.

Inmates have not only been honing skills of traditional crafts but have also picked up newer skills in making craft items which are in tune with the tastes in metros. “The productive engagement of these prisoners has indeed brought in encouraging results,” said IG prisons, Bihar, Ramesh Lal, adding “as a positive fallout, the cases of suicide in jails have also drastically reduced.”

From bakery to printing press to pottery making, carpentry, weaving and spinning, the inmates have literally taken to almost all vocations, generating an annual turnover of Rs 11.38 crore in the last financial year. The highest revenue generated by Buxar central jail was to the tune of Rs 9.27 crore.

As many as 367 convicted prisoners of Buxar central jail are engaged in spinning, weaving (both on powerlooms and handlooms), carpentry and other gainful employment. In an international prison reform conference held in New Delhi in 1989, Buxar’s metal swings, garden umbrellas and carpet pieces won the largest number of awards. “The products registered a sale of around Rs 10.7 lakh daily,” deputy director, industries, BCP Singh, who then led the team from Buxar, informed TOI.

A point worth noting is that the garden umbrella and `jhula’ produced at Buxar are not made in any other jail of India, he said, adding “the cotton textile industry, established here in 1844, is the oldest composite unit in the country.”

`Lifer’, a soap produced at Buxar, is rated highly for its quality, said the officer. The rope used for hanging a person convicted with capital punishment all over the country is also produced here.

The prisoners are also skilled at tailoring, carpet weaving, tent and mat making, the highest requisition for which comes from the police department. Furniture of all types for in-house use is also produced at Buxar jail by the inmates. Besides, apart from 8,000 woollen blankets, Buxar jail produces clothes for the convicted and undertrials, towels and bed sheets for in-house use.

Muzaffarpur jail’s `kabuli chappals’, made by female prisoners, and leather goods â€" shoes, sandals and belts for cops â€" are also in great demand.

Gaya central jail boasts of its inmates’ skills in pottery making and sculpting terracotta figurines and other art objects.

To keep the prisoners fruitfully engaged, at Bhagalpur central jail, a printing press was started this year. Sculptures made here recently found their way to Kolkata where an exhibition to showcase the talents of prisoners from across the country is scheduled shortly. Around 40,000 utensils are made at this prison and sent to all the 54 jails of the state.

While very soon training in tikuli art and jute products making will begin at the city’s Beur Central jail, bakery that was recently launched here has been doing well. Soap and phenyl making is common to all the jails. A number of prisoners here have already enrolled for painting and computer classes along with other certificate courses.

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