Page 16 - Bihar Government

Bihar bridge collapse: Govt says it was defective, being pulled down

An under-construction bridge over the Ganga river collapsed in Bihar on Sunday, portions of which were deliberately destroyed in a planned fashion under expert advice as it had design flaws, claimed state government officials. The bridge was supposed to connect Khagaria district with Bhagalpur. Images of the mishap that took place in Khagaria evoked immediate criticisms from the opposition, prompting Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav and Additional Chief Secretary of Road Construction Department, Pratyay Amrit, to hold a hurried press conference. It may be recalled that a portion of this bridge had collapsed on April 30 last year. We had, thereafter, approached IIT-Roorkee, which is esteemed for its expertise in construction matters, to conduct a study. It is yet to come up with a final report but experts who had studied the structure had informed us that there were serious defects," Yadav said at the press conference. Amrit, who took over, added, It was decided that we must not

Bihar: Under-construction bridge on Ganga collapses; labourers feared dead

The construction of the bridge started on March 9, 2015. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had inaugurated the project

Odisha train tragedy: Bihar govt issues emergency helpline numbers

After the deadliest railway accident in Odisha's Balasore district, Bihar government on Saturday issued helpline numbers for the family members of the victims.

Bihar cabinet approves change in Prohibition and Excise Act: Official

The Bihar cabinet on Tuesday approved a change in the Bihar Prohibition and Excise (Amendment) Act, 2022 which will allow authorities concerned to release vehicles carrying liquor in the dry state on payment of a far lower rate of penalty than that stipulated earlier, an official said. The authorities can now release vehicles carrying liquor after payment of either 10 percent of the insured value of the vehicle or Rs five lakh as penalty by the legal owner after consulting the judicial authority, additional chief secretary S Siddharth said. The decision was taken at a cabinet meeting on Tuesday chaired by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who had imposed total prohibition in Bihar in 2016. The modified section will be notified soon by the government department concerned after completing mandatory formalities, he said. The owner of a vehicle seized in Bihar for carrying liquor is at present is at present required to pay 50 percent of its insured value for its release after the Court's .

Bihar CM Nitish blames Centre for failure to attend Niti Aayog meet

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday blamed the Centre for his inability to attend the Niti Aayog meeting on Saturday where he wished to raise issues like caste census and special status for the state. The JD(U) leader, whose party is boycotting the inauguration of the new Parliament building on Sunday, dubbed the function as an attempt to change history by those who had made no contributions to the freedom struggle. Kumar, who was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a function to mark the death anniversary of first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru, said, When I received the schedule of the Niti Aayog meet I sought a change in the timings since it clashed with the function here. We have respected Pandit Nehru since our childhood, though politically I have pursued a different line, said the veteran socialist leader, who now has the Congress as an ally. They (the Centre), however, did not agree to change the timing of the Niti Aayog meeting. Had they even agreed to hold

Opposition unity bid: Nitish meets Naveen, but 'no talks on alliance'

It is unlikely Patnaik would attend any meeting that might require sharing the stage with the Congress

Bihar Cabinet approves proposal to recruit 178,000 school teachers

The Bihar Cabinet on Tuesday approved the proposal to recruit 1.78 lakh teachers for primary, middle, and upper classes in the state. The cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar approved the proposal to recruit 85,477 primary teachers, 1,745 middle and 90,804 for upper classes. Talking to reporters, after the cabinet meeting, S Siddharth, Additional Chief Secretary (Cabinet Secretariat), said, "The cabinet approved the proposal to recruit 1.78 lakh teachers for different classes. The recruitment will be done by the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC). The entire recruitment process will be completed very soonpositively by the end of this year". The cabinet also approved the proposal of the Transport department to ban operations of all commercial vehicles that are more than 15-years-old and diesel-powered buses and autos in Gaya and Muzaffarpur from September 30 (midnight) this year, said Siddharth. The state government would provide financial support to owners of

UP IAS association appeals Bihar govt to reconsider Anand Mohan's release

"We strongly appeal to the state government of Bihar to reconsider its decision at the earliest in the interest of the nation," said the association in a statement released on Twitter

Bihar CM Nitish Kumar meets Akhilesh, Mamata to forge opposition unity

Ramping up efforts to forge Opposition unity, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday met Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav and said work is on to bring together as many parties as possible to remove the BJP from power in the next general elections. No welfare work is being done by the present dispensation which is only relying on publicity, the JD(U) leader said attacking the BJP after meeting Yadav at the SP office here, hours after he held talks with his West Bengal counterpart and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata. "I am not looking for any position for myself. My endeavour is to work for country's good," Kumar, who was accompanied by RJD leader and Bihar's Deputy Chief Minister Tejaswi Yadav, told reporters. He alleged that efforts are being made to change the history of the country. Akhilesh Yadav raised the issue of price rise and said there was a need to remove the BJP government without any delay. The Bihar chief minister had come to Lucknow a

Notices served to 221,000 people for not completing houses in Bihar

The Bihar government has served notices to 2.21 lakh beneficiaries for not completing their houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana Gramin (PMAY-G) even after disbursal of the entire amount (Rs 1.20 lakh per unit) in their respective accounts by the authorities concerned in the state. The Rural Development department of the state government has also initiated departmental action against 347 government employees (309 Aawaas Sahayak and 38 Awaas Paryavekshak) for not ensuring complete construction of houses even after disbursal of the entire amount to the account of beneficiaries in their respective rural blocks. While, 94,027 beneficiaries have been served 'red notices', 1,27,463 have been served 'white notices' by the state Rural Development department for not completing their houses despite receiving funds for the purpose several months/years ago under the PMAY-G scheme, according to the documents accessed by PTI. The red notice is issued to those violators against whom the ..

Congress' Rawat admits to holding political discussions with Nitish Kumar

Senior Congress leader Harish Rawat on Thursday said he held a political discussion with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in Patna but declined to comment on whether he was sent on a special mission by the party high command. Sharing a photograph of his Wednesday evening meeting with Kumar on Twitter, Rawat wrote, "Shri Nitish Kumar, the strong voice of opposition unity in 2024..." However, when asked about the meeting, Rawat said Kumar is an old friend and he had travelled to Patna to appreciate his good works. "He is our old friend. He is doing good work and it is everyone's responsibility to salute good work," he said. Rawat, a former Uttarakhand chief minister, admitted that there were political discussions between the two leaders. "We are no saints. When political people meet, political talk is bound to happen," he added. However, when asked if the party high command had sent him to Patna on a special mission, Rawat refused to comment. The two leaders' meeting is being see

Bihar govt approves Rs 309 cr for construction of AIIMS, Darbhanga

The Bihar government on Tuesday approved Rs 309 crore for soil filling and land levelling work, which would facilitate construction of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) at Darbhanga. An amount of Rs 309.29 crore for the construction of AIIMS on 189.17 acres of land at Darbhanga was sanctioned by the state cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. The fund will be utilised for soil filling and land levelling work, S Siddharth, Additional Chief Secretary (Cabinet Secretariat), told reporters. This is a major step towards facilitating the construction of AIIMS at Darbhanga, he said. The Union government had in September 2020 granted approval for the AIIMS at Darbhanga, the second in Bihar after Patna, at an estimated cost of Rs 1,264 crore. Once operational, it will have 750 beds along with various healthcare facilities. The new AIIMS is likely to be completed within a period of 48 months from the date of starting of the project. Besides, the cabinet also ..

Those who will vote for BJP in 2024 LS polls will bring destruction: Nitish

Launching a veiled attack on the BJP-led NDA, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Friday said those who will vote for them in the next year's Lok Sabha elections will bring destruction on themselves. Kumar, who dumped the BJP in August last year and formed the Mahagathbandhan government, claimed that he has been working to forge opposition unity. I am working towards forging opposition unity...but I am not a claimant for the prime minister's post. All opposition parties are united over forming an alliance against the BJP-led government at the Centre before the 2024 general elections," the JD(U) supremo said. He was addressing party workers at a JD(U) office here on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Bhim Rao Ambedkar, the architect of India's Constitution. "I must tell one thing that those who will vote for them (BJP) in the coming general elections will bring destruction on themselves and the country and those who will vote for us will ensure the well-being of themselves, t

Owasi targets Nitish Kumar govt again over communal violence in Bihar

AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi on Monday stepped up his attack on Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar after the police there reportedly said the violence during Ram Navami was pre-planned, saying as to why the state government "was sleeping". This comes a few days after the Hyderabad MP had slammed the Bihar and West Bengal governments over the processions during festivities leading to violence on Ram Navami. "I had said earlier that it was pre-planned. When it was pre-planned, why were you people sleeping?... It is the failure of the Nitish Kumar-RJD government. They proved to be a failure in stopping this violence," he told reporters here. The authorities gave permission for a procession and the police remained a mute spectator when a madrasa is burnt in front of them, Owaisi alleged. "When such a major violence takes place, the government so far does not talk about giving compensation. You (Bihar government) don't suspend those policemen. Instead of that, you do 'Iftar', eating .

Nitish blames Centre for 'not supplying' adequate Covid vaccines to Bihar

With Covid-19 cases once again increasing in the country, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar alleged on Monday that the Central government is not supplying adequate Covid vaccines to the state

BJP blames Speaker for taking side of ruling Mahagathbandhan in Bihar

BJP MLAs on Wednesday blamed Bihar assembly Speaker Awadh Bihari Choudhary for taking side of ruling Mahagathbandhan in the state on the last day of the budget session

ED raids at Lalu's family as I am part of Mahagathbandhan, alleges Nitish

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said that ED raids on the premises of former Union Railway minister Lalu Prasad and his associates was a result of him being a part of the Mahagathbandhan

Bihar govt asks depts to prioritise domestically manufactured goods

As part of its efforts to promote domestically manufactured goods, the Bihar government has directed all state-controlled bodies to accord priority and provide price preference to products manufactured by industrial units located within the state. In a circular issued to all corporations and autonomous bodies, the department of industries has asked them to strictly follow the state's 'Purchase Preference Policy-2002' and 'The Bihar Finance (Amendment) Rules, 2005' during government procurements. All departments of the state government have also been directed to abide by the directive, starting next financial year. "The notification will certainly provide impetus to domestic manufacturers and suppliers. It will also lead to growth in employment opportunities and income," Samir Kumar Mahaseth, the state industries minister, told PTI. Explaining further, the minister said that goods produced by the large or medium industries that are located and registered in Bihar will be given up to

Land-for-jobs scam: CBI summons Bihar Dy CM Tejashwi Yadav for questioning

The CBI has summoned Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav to appear for questioning in connection with the alleged land-for-jobs scam on Saturday, officials said. Yadav was earlier called for questioning on March 4 but he had not appeared before the CBI sleuths, following which a fresh date was given for Saturday, they said. The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader was asked to appear for questioning on Saturday forenoon but he is yet to arrive at the headquarters of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) here, they said. The federal agency recently questioned RJD supremo Lalu Prasad and his wife Rabri Devi in Delhi and Patna respectively. The case pertains to people allegedly given employment in the railways in return for land parcels gifted or sold at cheap rates to the Yadav family and its associates, the officials said.

Big fish cannot ignore political stature of Manjhi, Chirag Paswan

The 2024 Lok Sabha election may be a tought fight between the BJP and Mahagathbandhan in Bihar, but the importance of smaller parties cannot be ruled out.