Page 6 - Bihar Government

Bihar govt approves land acquisition to expand Darbhanga, Raxaul airports

The Bihar cabinet on Friday approved acquisition of an additional 89.75 acres of land for expansion and development of the Darbhanga airport into an international one. The council of ministers also gave its nod for acquisition of 139 acres of land worth Rs 207 crore for the expansion of Raxaul airport in the state, an official said. These decisions were taken in the cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar here. Talking to reporters soon after the meeting, Additional Chief Secretary S Siddharth said, "The cabinet approved a proposal for the acquisition of 89.75 acres of land worth Rs 244.60 crore for the development and expansion of the existing Darbhanga airport into an international airport. The state government will pay the amount to the owners of the land... land will be transferred to the Airport Authority of India for the project". The development and expansion of the existing Darbhanga airport will improve air connectivity and benefit the people of the entire .

Jan Suraaj Party moves Patna HC, seeks cancellation of BPSC exams

Amid Prashant Kishor's fast unto death over alleged irregularities in the Bihar PSC exams, his Jan Suraaj Party has moved the Patna High Court, seeking cancellation of the competitive tests, his counsel said on Friday. Advocate Pranav Kumar said the petition, highlighting "irregularities in the Combined Competitive Exams held on December 13", has been posted for hearing on January 15. "The case was mentioned today before the single-judge bench of Justice Arvind Singh Chandel. The matter has been posted for hearing on January 15," he told PTI-Bhasha. "We have highlighted large-scale irregularities in the exams held across the state, citing instances of people carrying mobile phones inside examination halls where there were no jammers. At many places, several examinees solved their question papers huddled together," he alleged. Kumar claimed that "such irregularities" were reported from many examination centres and not just Bapu Pariksha Parisar where many candidates had boycotted th

Prashant Kishor's health condition now stable, aides urge him to end fast

The health condition of Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor, who was admitted to the ICU of a hospital in Patna after leading a fast unto death, was stable on Tuesday night and intravenous fluid was being administered to him, doctors treating him said. Leaders of his party, Pavan K Varma and YV Giri, visited him in the evening and said that they had urged him to end his fast as his well-being was necessary. "We have asked Prashant Kishor to consider taking normal food and protect his health. His fight is commendable, but Bihar faces many problems and his well-being is necessary for a prolonged struggle," said Varma. "The CM's unwillingness to meet a five-member delegation of BPSC aspirants shows his insensitivity. He is the guardian of the state, but not willing to meet protesting aspirants," he added. Jay Prabha Medanta Hospital's Medical Director Ravi Shankar Singh said if Kishor's condition improved, he might be brought out of the ICU on Wednesday, but his discharge from th

SC refuses to hear BPSC paper leak row plea, asks petitioner to approach HC

A three-judge bench, led by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna, stated that the Supreme Court could not be the first forum for every issue and emphasised the importance of approaching the high court

BPSC protest: Patna Police detains Prashant Kishor, vacates Gandhi Maidan

Patna Police has vacated the place at Gandhi Maidan where Jan Suraaj chief Prashant Kishor was sitting on a fast-unto-death with the protestors

Tight security arrangements in place for BPSC re-examination today

District Magistrate (DM) Chandrashekhar Singh spoke on the protests near the Gandhi statue in Gandhi Maidan and said that it was a restricted area

BPSC exam protests continue in Bihar, disrupting traffic and rail movement

Protests intensified on Friday over the demand for cancellation of the recent Bihar PSC exam, as agitators disrupted rail and vehicular movement in Patna, while police stopped a few Left-leading students' organisations from marching to the CM's residence. A day ahead of fresh tests for a select group of candidates, Independent MP Pappu Yadav led his supporters in blocking rail and road traffic in several areas of Patna as well as other parts of the state, including Araria, Purnea and Muzaffarpur, officials said. The protesters gathered at Sachiwalay Halt Railway Station and squatted on the tracks for a brief period, causing a delay in the train movement, they said. Yadav's supporters also burnt tyres on roads in Purnea and Patna, the officials said. "The agitators stopped the Buxar-Fatuha passenger train at Sachivalaya Halt Station around 9 am. The train was stopped for 20 minutes," East Central Railway Chief Public Relation Officer Sarswati Chandra told PTI. Members of some ...

Prashant Kishore joins BPSC protest, slams Bihar govt's 'lathi-tantra'

Earlier, on Saturday, Delhi Police detained members of the Students' Federation of India (SFI) protesting outside Bihar Bhawan against the lathi charge on BPSC aspirants in Patna

Prashant Kishor gives ultimatum to Bihar govt, vows to lead BPSC protest

Prashant Kishor flayed the recent police lathi-charge on protesting students and called upon the NDA government to take urgent steps

Bihar receives record Rs 1.81 trillion investment proposals, says minister

"Ab humara samay hai" - The time for Bihar has come, said state's Industries and Tourism Minister Nitish Mishra after it received a record Rs 1.81 lakh crore worth of investment proposals in its only second investor meet. Mishra said the focus will now shift to providing all the promised support to the investors so that the units could start quickly. "I am very happy personally and very satisfied, and I am thankful to my team in the industry department who has been for the last few months working on their toes, holding a series of events in different states, interacting with the business community, trying to pitch Bihar and the advantage Bihar," he said. The state signed with an array of companies' memorandum of understanding (MoUs), committing Rs 1.81 lakh crore of investment at the second edition of the Bihar Business Connect investor summit last week. "To be very honest, even we were not expecting this kind of figure," he said. "From now on it will be the emergence of a new ...

Bihar attracts investment proposals of Rs 1.8 trn at global investors' meet

The Bihar government on Friday said it has attracted record investment proposals of nearly Rs 1.81 lakh crore across different sectors such as renewable energy, food processing and manufacturing from an array of corporates, including the Adani Group, Sun Petrochemicals, and others. At the end of the two-day global investors' summit Bihar Business Connect 2024, Industries Secretary Bandana Preyashi said the Bihar government has signed MoUs for setting up 423 units with an investment of Rs 1,80,899 crore. "We are overwhelmed with the response from corporates. It is beyond our expectations. We have received investment proposals of over Rs 1.8 lakh crore," she told reporters here. Sun Petrochemicals and Adani Group were among an array of industrial houses that lined up a record Rs 1.8 lakh crore investments across sectors in Bihar, more than triple of Rs 50,300 crore the state received at its maiden investor meet last year. Preyashi said Sun Petrochemicals will invest Rs 36,700 crore i

Haldiram Snack to invest Rs 300 cr in Bihar, MoU signed to set up plant

Haldiram Snack, a leading player in the packaged food industry, will invest Rs 300 crore in Bihar to set up a manufacturing unit, said a company official here on Friday. The company, which manufactures sweets, namkeen, bhujia , snacks and other food items, has signed an MoU (memorandum of understanding) with the Bihar government to make an investment of Rs 300 crore, said its Vice President Sanjay Singhania. "We are setting up a manufacturing plant for sweets, namkeens and snacks in Bihar. We will be investing Rs 300 crore," Haldiram Snacks Pvt Ltd Vice President Sanjay Singhania told PTI on the sidelines of Bihar Business Connect 2024. The Agarwal family-promoted company has acquired a 12-acre land at Sikanderpur in Bihta to set up this plant. "The plant will be operational by mid-2027," he added. The state government is organizing a global investors summit -- Bihar Business Connect 2024 -- to attract investments. The second edition being held here has seen the signing of MoUs

Bihar to organise investor summit for 2nd time to boost industrial growth

After an impressive maiden show, Bihar will on December 19-20 host the second edition of Bihar Business Connect - the global investor summit that looks at boosting industrial and entrepreneurial growth in the state. The prestigious event, curated by the state's Department of Industries, seeks to showcase Bihar as a vibrant investment destination. "The inaugural edition in 2023 witnessed participation from over 600 entrepreneurs from India and abroad. Bihar Business Connect 2023 was a landmark initiative. During the two-day summit held last year, a total of 278 investment proposals amounting to Rs 50,530 crore were signed as MoUs, out of which 244 projects worth Rs 38,000 crore have already been implemented on the ground," an official statement said. This investment has significantly accelerated industrial development in the state and created numerous employment opportunities. "Considering the success of last year's Bihar Business Connect, the Department of Industries, Government of

Maruti signs deal with Bihar govt to automate driving tests at 5 sites

Maruti Suzuki India on Wednesday said it has inked a pact with the Bihar government to automate driving license test tracks at Bhagalpur, Darbhanga, Gaya, Purnia and Saran. With zero human intervention, the automated driving test tracks are aimed to make license testing more comprehensive, efficient and transparent, the auto major said in a statement. "According to data shared by the Union Road Transport Ministry, 15.3 lakh lives were lost in road accidents in the 10 years between 2014 and 2023 in India," Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) Executive Officer Corporate Affairs Rahul Bharti said. Road accident death rate in the country is around 250 per 10,000 km as opposed to 119 in China, 57 in the US, and 11 in Australia, he added. "An important aspect of road safety is driver's skill and knowledge of traffic rules. Automated driving test tracks will ensure that license seekers are better prepared and only skilled drivers are awarded a driving license. This will bring a positive transformat

Bihar govt approves investment proposals worth nearly Rs 30,000 crore

The Bihar government's State Investment Promotion Board has approved investment proposals worth nearly Rs 30,000 crore. This includes in-principal for proposals worth nearly Rs 29,000 crore in-principle approval (Stage 1) for 52 units and final financial approval to 35 proposals totalling around Rs 600 crore. The approvals were given during the 58th meeting of the State Investment Promotion Board, according to an official statement. So far this financial year, the in-principle approvals have been given to 260 proposals, while financial approvals have been granted to 161 proposals. The meeting was attended by Industry Secretary Bandana Preyashi. The Bihar government has created the State Investment Promotion Board to approve investment proposals. Bihar Business Connect - the annual investor meet of the state - drew "tremendous success by signing MoUs of more than Rs 50,000 crore" of investment proposals in its maiden show in 2023, he noted. The second edition is scheduled to be h

Bihar doubles down on major investments as industrial growth surges

Bihar, once seen as less industry-friendly, has seen a surge in big ticket investments from the likes of Adani Group to Coca-Cola as it packages its vast resources with progressive policy to lure investors. Its industries and tourism minister Nitish Mishra, with his CEO-style approach to governance, is pivoting Bihar into a state that could be a gateway for investors to eastern India. Mishra says the perception bias regarding Bihar's industrial capabilities is slowly being overcome. In recent months, Adani Group has announced investment of Rs 8,700 crore in the state, Ambuja Cements is setting up a Rs 1,200-crore unit, and Coca-Cola is expanding its bottling capacity. Bihar Business Connect-2023 -- the state's investor meet -- last year saw memoranda of understanding (MoUs) worth over Rs 50,000 crore being signed with 300 companies. And the second edition this week is expected to rake in more. Bihar's industrial potential is limitless, he says. "Bihar has been a victim of perceptio

PSC question paper leaks 'state-sponsored', alleges Tejashwi Yadav

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav has charged Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar with "maintaining silence" over alleged irregularities in a PSC examination, claiming that recent question paper "leaks" in such competitive tests were "state-sponsored". In a video statement late on Friday, the leader of the opposition in the assembly also accused Kumar of failing to communicate with job aspirants who staged protests over the alleged paper leak in the 70th Integrated Combined Competitive Examination (CCE) 2024, conducted by Bihar Public Service Commission. Kumar's "reluctance to communicate with students who were baton-charged by the police and slapped by Patna district magistrate" showed that the JD(U) supremo is a "tired man and unable to govern Bihar", Tejashwi claimed. "This government has failed in conducting any examination in the state without paper leaks ...whether it is for class 10th, 12th, police constable recruitment exams or BPSC tests, questions papers are leaked before the ...

Bihar: Rumours of BPSC paper leak spark protest, commission vows action

Rumours of a leak of question paper of the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) preliminary examination erupted at an examination centre on Friday, prompting the commission to warn of police action against those involved in the "conspiracy". Around 300-400 aspirants boycotted BPSC's 70th Integrated Combined Competitive Examination (CCE) 2024 held at Bapu Examination Centre at Kumhrar in Patna alleging the question paper was leaked even before the examination started. BPSC chairman Parmar Ravi Manubhai said that examinations were held in a free and fair manner in more than 900 centres, where close to five lakh candidates appeared on Friday. "The BPSC CCE 70th preliminary examination was held in a single shift from noon to 2 pm. The examination was held in 912 centres across the state, and of those, free and fair exams were held in 911 centres," Parmar told PTI. "However, in one centre in Patna, some of the candidates snatched questions papers from the invigilators and stormed out

Bihar govt transfers Moin-ul-Haq Stadium to BCA; revamp set for 2027

The renovated Moin-ul-Haq Stadium will have 76 corporate boxes, accommodation for 250 VIPs, and a modern sports complex

Bihar govt increases monetary reward for winners of gallantry awards

The Bihar government has increased the monetary reward for gallantry award winners, and those winning Param Vir Chakra from the state will now be given Rs 1 crore instead of the previous Rs 10 lakh, an official said on Saturday. The Param Vir Chakra is India's top military decoration awarded for the highest degree of valour or self-sacrifice in the presence of the enemy. The state government also hiked the reward amount for Ashok Chakra awardees from Rs 8 lakh to Rs 75 lakh, for Mahaveer Chakra from Rs 5 lakh to 50 lakh, for Kirti Chakra from Rs 4 lakh to Rs 10 lakh, for Veera Chakra from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 9 lakh, and for Shaurya Chakra from Rs 1.5 lakh to 8 lakh, according to a notification. The Army, Navy or Air Force Medal winners will get Rs 7 lakh instead of the current Rs 75,000 and in Mention in Dispatches cases, the reward was increased from Rs 50,000 to Rs 6 lakh, the notification said. Talking to PTI, Home Secretary Arvind Kumar Chaudhary said, The state government is ...