Posted: 16 Apr 2011 07:53 AM PDT

PATNA: With mercury gradually rising, the Danapur division of East Central Railway (ECR) has stepped up summer safety measures to ensure smooth running of about 260 passenger and 45 goods trains either originating or passing through the division.

Railways is taking special care at vulnerable places as well as on different sections of the division. Maximum alert is being maintained on major bridges under the division, particularly during peak time of the day. Movement of trains is badly affected in summer due to buckling of tracks caused by excessive heat. The buckling often causes derailment of trains if preventive measures are not taken in time. Keeping this in mind, the railways has taken safety measures to avert any mishap on tracks due to buckling or other reasons, sources said.

According to divisional railway manager (DRM), Danapur, Gyan Prakash Srivastava, the railways has set up action force teams for carrying out track patrolling during the peak time from 11 am to 4 pm on each section of the division. In case of any fault, the team will immediately swing into action and inform the Danapur control room. And, repair work of the tracks will be carried out on top priority, he said.

Besides, railways is carrying out surprise inspections at different places during day and night to check the alertness of safety staff. Footplating (travel on locomotives) is going on to give proper counselling to drivers and other staff posted at different stations under the division, the DRM said.

To ensure foolproof safety during summer, railways has already introduced breath analyser test, which is mandatory for each driver (loco pilot) and assistant driver while reporting on duty. This test checks whether the loco pilot has consumed liquor before reporting on duty, the DRM added.

That apart, railways has set up a team of senior railway officials to check summer safety measures from time to time under the division. Railway gangmen and keymen have been asked to remain vigilant round the clock during peak summer time. Destressing of the tracks is the only solution to buckled tracks, a safety official of Danapur division said.

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Biometric driving license introduced in Bihar

Posted: 16 Apr 2011 03:51 AM PDT

PATNA: Now, people will not be able to obtain driving licence from the district transport office here in absentia. Gone are the days when touts used to obtain licences on behalf of people by greasing the palms of district transport office employees.

This is no more possible as physical presence of the applicant has become mandatory for obtaining a biometric smart card driving licence (DL). The old diary DL system has been scrapped.

However, till date, most DL holders are not aware about the fact that their physical presence is essential for obtaining biometric DL card. A large number of DL users are still continuing with old diary DL.

Biometric smart card driving licence is quite different from the diary DL. It has a SIM-card like micro-chip that has hidden information about the owner`s thumb impression and permanent address. While other basic information like the name of the card holder, photograph, present address, date of birth, blood group and validity of card are printed on the card.

“Gone are the days when one used to get driving licence without visiting the district transport office,” said DTO Harihar Prasad, adding “I can say with certainty that without physical verification of the applicant not a single driving licence is being issued from our office”.

To get a biometric smart card DL, applicant has to fill up an application form giving details of address poof, thumb impression, photograph and other essential details. Within three days of submitting these, a learning DL is issued.

To make it easy to get biometric smart card DL, DTO provides a single window system. One can complete all formalities at window number 7. There is a separate window for women.

One can get his old dairy DL converted into a smart card one within three days by submitting the old DL along with a fee of Rs 200.

Even those who have shifted here from other cities can get smart card DLs by paying Rs 200 each along with their old DL and furnishing proof of local address and reason of staying here. After verifying their old DLs from their city DTO, new ones will be issued here within three days.

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IIT Patna new sprawling campus soon

Posted: 15 Apr 2011 10:48 PM PDT

PATNA: The IIT-Patna has reasons to cheer as finally the process for land acquisition for its campus is complete and days are not far off when this newly-created technical institute will have its own sprawling campus. Around 500 acres near Bihta, about 30 km from the state capital, has been acquired to set up the new IIT campus.

The land acquisition has been done by the Infrastructure Development Authority (IDA). Earlier, the state government had decided to set up the IIT at Sikandrapur on Bihta-Bhojpur Road. But it later shifted the venue to Amhara on Bihta-Aurangabad Road after an IIT-Roorkee team said that Sikandrapur area was prone to waterlogging.

Union HRD minister Kapil Sibal will lay the foundation stone for construction of the new premises of IIT-Patna on April 19, while chief minister Nitish Kumar will preside over the function. The welcome address will be delivered by chairman, board of governors, IIT-P, G Madhavan Nair.

It may be mentioned here that IIT-Patna is functioning from a new building constructed on the premises of the New Government Polytechnic, Pataliputra Colony, since August 2008. The IIT-P recently hired the building of Software Technology Park of India (STPI), Patna, adjacent to the institute, where it has labs and classrooms to teach electrical, electronics and computer science and chambers for the faculty.

“My vision was to make the present campus look like a mini IIT till its permanent campus is ready at Bihta. That is why, we recently hired the STPI building to accommodate more students and facilities,” said the IIT-P director, Prof Anil K Bhowmick, recently. A new hostel with larger capacity has also been constructed adjacent to the existing hostels. The hostels are provided with wi-fi facility. The institute has also rented several flats to accommodate girl students.

“However, we hope that if everything goes well, in the next two-and-a-half years our new campus will be ready at Bihta. It will be a township as of other major IITs in the country like Kharagpur,Delhi or Kanpur,” said IIT-Patna registrar Subhash Pandey.