Page 11 - Bihar Government

Can't provide free electricity to consumers in state, says Bihar CM

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Friday dismissed the opposition's demand for providing at least 200 units of free electricity to the poor and emphasised that electricity is already being supplied to consumers at highly subsidised rates. The CM made the remark in the assembly during a debate on budget allocation for the energy department for 2024-25. A budgetary proposal of Rs 11,422.67 crore of the department was passed by voice vote. "We can't provide free electricity to consumers. I have been saying this for years. We are already providing electricity to consumers at highly subsidised rates," the CM said, rejecting the demands of opposition members that at least 200 units of electricity be given free to 94 lakh families who earn less than Rs 6,000 a month. The demand was first raised by Sandeep Saurav, Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation's MLA, during a debate on budget allocation for the energy department. State Energy Minister Bijendra Prasad Yadv while

JD(U)'s Narendra Narayan Yadav elected as Bihar assembly deputy speaker

Senior JD(U) leader Narendra Narayan Yadav was on Friday elected unopposed as the deputy speaker of the Bihar assembly. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary congratulated him after he was elected for the post. The post fell vacant on Wednesday after the resignation of his party colleague Maheshwar Hazari. Yadav, a former state minister, has been representing the Alamnagar seat of Madhepura district since the 1990s. According to JD(U) sources, Hazari, who had been holding the post since 2021, is likely to be inducted into the cabinet or considered for a party ticket in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

Bihar achieves just 51.78% of mining revenue collection target till Feb 14

The Mines and Geology department of Bihar government has expressed concern over revenue collections falling short of the target and warned officials of strict disciplinary action if they fail to get their act together before the financial year comes to a close. Officials have managed to achieve just Rs 1,896.43 crore of its revenue target of Rs 3,662.39 crore for 2023-24 from the mining sector till February 14, 2024, according to documents. As per the latest review meeting chaired by the Director of Mines and Geology the department has achieved 51.78 per cent of the mining revenue collection target till February 14. In some districts such as Nalanda, Kaimur, Gaya, Aurangabad, Nawada, Jehanabad, Lakhisarai, Jamui, Munger, Kishanganj, Banka, Bhagalpur and Saran the revenue collection is less than 50 per cent, it said. "If the revenue collection in these districts does not increase immediately, strict disciplinary action will be initiated against the concerned officials of these ...

Bihar extends benefits of Ayushman Bharat scheme to ration card holders

The Bihar Cabinet on Tuesday decided to extend the benefits of free medical treatment up to Rs 5 lakh every year to all ration card holders of the state under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana. Talking to PTI, after a cabinet meeting, Deputy Chief Minister Samat Chaudhary, said, It's a major decision taken by the NDA government in Bihar. It will now extend the AB PM-JAY to all ration card holders of the state. At present, around 1.2 crore people in Bihar are availing the facility of the AB PM-JAY. Now, around 58 lakh people, who are beneficiaries under the National Food Security (NFS) Act, will also be covered under the scheme, he said.

LS polls: NDA will win all seats in Bihar, says deputy CM Samrat Chaudhary

When asked about giving a chance to Nitish Kumar again, Lalu Prasad Yadav on February 16 said, "Ab aayenge toh dekhenge, khula hi rehta hai darwaaza' (if he will we will see, door remains open)"

'Irregularities' took place when RJD was sharing power: CM Nitish Kumar

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday asserted that he has come to know about many irregularities that took place when the RJD was sharing power with the JD(U) and these were now being investigated. He was responding to media queries about the Bihar government's order to review all decisions taken by the departments headed by former Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav and two RJD ministers Lalit Yadav and Ramanand Yadav in the previous 'Mahagathbandhan' government in the state. "Irregularities (Gadbadiyaan) have taken place ... we will not tolerate this. Things are being investigated", said the CM. In a letter, dated February 16, issued by the Cabinet Secretariat department, headed by the CM, officials of the Health, Road Construction, Urban Development and Housing and Rural Works departments have been asked to review the decisions taken during the previous grand alliance government in the state. These departments were headed by Tejashwi Yadav. Besides, the government has

Bihar govt to review functioning of dept held by former Dy CM Tejashwi

Nitish Kumar further asserted that the Bihar government worked for every section of the society

Legal guarantee for MSP if INDIA bloc wins in LS polls: Rahul in Bihar

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday said his party will accept long-pending demands of farmers in the country and ensure a legal guarantee to minimum support price (MSP) of crops if the INDIA bloc comes to power after the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Addressing the 'Kisan Nyay Panchayat', a gathering of farmers, in Bihar's Rohtas, as part of his 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra', Gandhi claimed that "cultivators are not getting the remunerative prices for their crops". "If the INDIA bloc comes to power after the general elections, we will give a legal guarantee to MSP. Whenever farmers have asked for something from the Congress, it has been given to them. Be it loan waiver or MSP, we have always protected the interests of cultivators and will do so in future," Gandhi said. His comment comes at a time when Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), a farmers' body, called for 'Bharat Bandh' on Friday to press the BJP-led central government to accept cultivators' demands, including a legal guarantee of minimum

Tejashwi Yadav joins Rahul Gandhi's 'Nyay Yatra' in Bihar's Sasaram

This will be the first time the RJD leader will be seen sharing the stage with Gandhi in Bihar since state Chief Minister Nitish Kumar severed his ties with INDIA bloc

BJP's Nand Kishore Yadav elected unopposed as Bihar Assembly Speaker

Veteran BJP leader Nand Kishore Yadav was on Thursday elected unopposed as the Speaker of the Bihar Legislative Assembly. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav escorted the new speaker to the Chair. Kumar congratulated Nand Kishore Yadav and said he was an experienced leader. "You (Speaker) are an experienced leader. I congratulate you on your election. You have been supported by all MLAs. I am sure you will hear both sides, ruling as well as opposition". The Leader of the Opposition expressed hope that the new speaker will listen to the opposition also. "You are a very senior leader and I am sure that you will remain impartial and listen to the opposition also", Tejashwi Yadav said. Deputy Chief Ministers Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha congratulated Yadav on being elected as the speaker of the state Assembly. "You are our senior leader and you come from the land of Guru Govind Singh Ji. We all are thankful to our central leadership for this

Rahul Gandhi led 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' to resume with rally in Bihar

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will on Thursday pick up the threads of his 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' with a public meeting in Bihar's Aurangabad district, about 150 km from the state capital. According to senior party leader and MLC Prem Chandra Mishra, AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge is also likely to address the rally. "Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge are likely to reach Gaya by flight and take a helicopter for Aurangabad. Thereafter, Gandhi will resume the Yatra", Mishra told PTI over phone. Notably, Gandhi was last seen in Bihar a fortnight ago when his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra had covered four districts of the Seemanchal region. According to Mishra, after the rally, Gandhi is likely to interact with farmers in Tekari Vidhan Sabha area, which falls in Gaya district but is a part of the Aurangabad Lok Sabha constituency. "Gandhi will spend the night at Sasaram. On Friday he will travel to Kaimur district from where we will see him off into the adjoining state of Uttar Pradesh"

Bihar govt tables Rs 2.79 trillion Budget in Assembly for 2024-25 fiscal

The Bihar government on Tuesday tabled a Rs 2.79 lakh crore budget in the assembly for the financial year 2024-25. Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary, while presenting the budget, said the current 2023-24 financial year saw 2.5 crore people rising above the poverty line in the state. The state registered a growth rate of 10.64 per cent in the current fiscal, Choudhary, who holds the finance portfolio, said.

Bihar floor test: Newly formed Nitish govt to seek trust vote today

The NDA government in Bihar, formed as a result of JD(U) president Nitish Kumar's latest volte face, will on Monday seek trust vote in the assembly where the numbers are stacked in its favour, but the opposition snaps at its heels. The inaugural day of the budget session will commence with the Governor's customary address to members of the bicameral legislature after which the assembly will take up the no-confidence motion against Speaker Awadh Bihari Chaudhary before the trust vote. Chaudhary, who belongs to RJD, the largest constituent of the 'Mahagathbandhan' which Kumar quit a fortnight ago, has made it clear that he will not step down despite the motion moved by legislators of the NDA soon after the new government was formed. The NDA, which includes JD(U), BJP, former chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi's Hindustani Awam Morcha and an Independent, has a combined strength of 128 MLAs in the 243-strong assembly, six more than the majority mark. The absence of a few MLAs at the JD(U)

Will not be a surprise if Nitish switches again, says BSP's Danish Ali

Nitish took the oath of office for a record ninth time after his stunning 'Ghar Wapsi' to the BJP-led NDA

Bharat Ratna given to Karpoori Thakur for Bihar votes in LS polls: Uddhav

The Narendra Modi government has conferred Bharat Ratna on former Bihar chief minister Karpoori Thakur to get votes from the eastern state in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray said on Sunday. Addressing a gathering of Shiv Sena workers here, Thackeray claimed the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, which was the forerunner of the Bharatiya Janata Party, had opposed Thakur's decision to give 26 per cent reservation to backward classes in government jobs. "But now the BJP wants votes in the Lok Sabha polls from Bihar so announced the Bharat Ratna for him posthumously. I am happy his (Thakur's) work is being acknowledged after so many years," Thackeray said. The BJP announced Dr S Swaminathan's name for the Bharat Ratna but has failed to implement the recommendation made by a commission headed by him on increasing farm income, Thackeray further said. People can see through this hollowness, Thackeray claimed. The Union government announced five names for the Bhara

JDU MLAs to meet this weekend ahead of trust vote of Nitish Kumar govt

JD(U) legislators in Bihar will go into huddles this weekend ahead of the crucial trust vote to be sought by the Nitish Kumar government, party leaders said on Saturday. They, however, insisted that a luncheon to be hosted by Shrawan Kumar on Saturday and high tea at Vijay Kumar Chaudhary's place a day later are part of a "tradition of the JD(U) before every assembly session". "The party is confident of winning the trust vote on Monday. We usually meet before the beginning of every assembly session. Such gatherings were earlier held at the residences of the two senior party leaders", JD(U) national general secretary Afaque Ahmad Khan told PTI. The views were echoed by Vijay Kumar Chaudhary and Shrawan Kumar, both of whom are counted among the most trusted cabinet colleagues of Nitish Kumar, the JD(U) president. Both JD(U) leaders have been retained as ministers in the new cabinet of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. While Chaudhary has been a member of the Bihar Legislative Assembly si

No confidence against Speaker to be held before trust vote of Nitish govt

The Bihar Assembly on Friday made it clear that Speaker Awadh Bihari Chaudhary will have to face the no-confidence motion moved by the ruling NDA before the newly formed government seeks a trust vote on February 12. The assembly secretariat released the business agenda of the House for Monday, when the budget session will commence, with a customary address by the Governor to members of the bicameral legislature. As per the agenda, released unusually before time, the Governor's speech will be preceded by a preliminary address, to the assembly, by the Speaker. Immediately after Governor's address, the assembly will take up the proposal for removal of the Speaker, which will be followed by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar seeking a trust vote for the government. Chaudhary belongs to the RJD, which lost power as a result of Kumar's abrupt exit from Mahagathbandhan and return to the BJP-led NDA. Soon after the installation of the NDA government two weeks ago, a no-confidence motion had been

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Bihar's NDA govt will win trust vote, says JD(U) leader Vijay Chaudhary

A key aide of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday asserted that the newly formed NDA government in the state will win the trust vote, defeating "mala fide intentions of scared detractors". The NDA government in Bihar is scheduled to face a vote of confidence on February 12. Talking to PTI, senior JD(U) leader Vijay Kumar Chaudhary, who has been retained as a minister in the new cabinet, said, "The NDA government will easily win the trust vote. It is very simple... we (NDA) have the majority. "Those (opposition leaders) who are scared of the NDA are spreading rumours about the trust vote. Their intentions are mala fide. What I am saying that the NDA government in the state will win the trust vote is bona fide," Chaudhary, a close confidante of the CM, said. Chaudhary has been a member of the Bihar Assembly since 1982, and is currently holding portfolios of six departments, including parliamentary affairs. "Floor test is basically a number game... and we have the numbers.

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