Page 9 - Bihar Government

Bihar witnesses another bridge collapse, 10th incident in over 15 days

Another instance of bridge collapse came to the fore in Bihar on Thursday, making it the 10th such incident to have been reported from the state in just over a fortnight, an official said. The latest incident was reported from Saran which witnessed two more bridge collapses in the last 24 hours, District Magistrate Aman Samir said. No casualty was reported after the structure, built 15 years ago by local authorities, collapsed this morning, he said. The small bridge over the Gandaki river was situated in the Baneyapur block and used to connect several villages in Saran with the neighbouring Siwan district. The small bridge was constructed 15 years ago. I am going to the spot. Several other officials of the district administration have already reached there. The exact cause of the bridge collapse is yet to be ascertained but desilting work was recently undertaken," the district magistrate told PTI. On Wednesday, the Saran district witnessed the collapse of two small bridges - one i

Bihar set to become growth engine of East, says Minister Nitish Mishra

Bihar is planning to introduce a few policies in the next 2 months to attract capital in various potential sectors and is poised to become the growth engine of the East, State Industries and Tourism Minister Nitish Mishra has said. The state is implementing strategic measures to suit both large and small businesses in order to promote industry and employment, aligning with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision to develop East India as a growth engine, he said. "Bihar is ready to participate in the country's development and become the growth engine of the East," Mishra said on the sidelines of Bihar Business Connect 2024 first roadshow in Kolkata on Monday. Over 50 companies represented by some nearly 90 officials and industrialists attended the event. The state is prepared to participate in the country's development through Invest India, he said encouraging industries to explore Bihar's reality and potential before making any judgments. "We will come out with new sectoral policies

Bihar govt has formed committee to probe recent bridge collapses: Minister

The Bihar government has formed a high-level committee to investigate the recent bridge collapses across the state, including six incidents in the past 13 days. The latest collapse took place at Khausi Dangi village in Kishanganj on Sunday, involving a small bridge built over Boond river in 2009-10 with MPLAD funds. Most of the collapsed bridges, including those under construction, were either built or being constructed by the state's rural works department (RWD). RWD Minister Ashok Choudhary told PTI on Tuesday that the committee, headed by the chief engineer, will analyse the causes behind these collapses and recommend necessary corrective actions. "The department has constituted a high-level committee headed by chief engineer to probe recent incidents of bridge collapse that have been reported from different parts of the state. The committee will find out the reasons and also suggest remedial measures," he said. The committee, tasked specifically with incidents related to RWD-b

JD(U) names Sanjay Jha working prez, seeks special package for Bihar

The JD(U) appointed its Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Jha as working president on Saturday. The decision was taken at a meeting of its national executive where the party reiterated its demand for special category status for Bihar, while adding that the Centre could also consider an alternative in a special package, its senior leader Neeraj Kumar said. The BJP ally also demanded stringent action against culprits in exam paper leak cases and called for a strong law to rule out such incidents in the future. The decision to appoint Jha as working president is significant since he is known to have a good equation with the BJP leadership. He is also the party's leader in the Rajya Sabha. Party sources said Jha was well-suited to draw a good deal from the BJP and maintain a friendly relationship between the two parties, which have a history of bumpy ties. Bihar Chief Minister and JD(U) president Nitish Kumar, Union ministers Lalan Singh and Ram Nath Thakur, and other senior leaders from aro

Bihar Police arrests four more in constable recruitment exam paper leak

The Economic Offences Unit (EOU) of Bihar Police on Thursday arrested four persons, including three from West Bengal, in connection with the constable recruitment examination question paper leak on October 1, 2023, leading to its cancellation by the Central Selection Board of Constables (CSBC) on October 3. The arrested persons are Kaushik Kumar Kar and Sanjay Das, both residents of North 24 Parganas, West Bengal, and Suman Bishwas from Kolkata. Another arrested person, Saurabh Bandhopadhay, hails from Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. Earlier, on June 5, the EOU had arrested Ashwani Ranjan, Vikki Kumar, and Aniket, all residents of Bihar and alleged members of the interstate Sanjeev Mukhiya gang, currently in judicial custody. Several members of the Mukhiya gang have already been arrested by Bihar Police in connection with the NEET (UG) and Bihar Public Service Commission's (BPSC) Teachers Recruitment Exam (TRE) - 3 paper leak cases. The EOU has so far registered a total of 74 FIRs across .

Bihar govt cancels Rs 826 crore-contracts given during coalition regime

The NDA government in Bihar cancelled 350 contracts totalling Rs 826 crore that were awarded during the previous RJD-led 'mahagathbandhan' government

Bihar govt issues notification regarding handing over NEET case to CBI

This comes after the central government entrusted the CBI with the matter of alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG exam in 2024 for a comprehensive investigation

Under-construction bridge collapses in Bihar, third one in less than week

An under-construction small bridge collapsed in East Champaran district on Sunday in third such incident in Bihar in less than a week, officials said. No casualty was reported in the incident that happened in Ghorasahan block in Motihari, they said. The 16-metre-long bridge was being built over a canal by the state's Rural Works Department (RWD) to connect Amwa village to other areas of the block. It was being built at a cost of Rs 1.5 crore, they added. "The exact cause of the incident is not yet known. It is a serious matter and a departmental inquiry has been ordered. Strict action will be taken against those found guilty," Additional Chief Secretary of RWD Dipak Kumar Singh told PTI. "Senior officers of the district administration have reached the spot. A detailed report is awaited," he said. District Magistrate Saurabh Jorwal said the exact cause of the incident was being ascertained. "There are reports that a section of locals initially objected to the construction of certa

BPSC recruitment 2024: Apply for 1339 Assistant Professor posts on June 25

With 1339 vacancies, the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) is hiring for the positions of Assistant Professor (Medical). Visit the official website to apply and follow the instructions

Newly constructed bridge collapses in Bihar's Araria, no casualties

A portion of a newly constructed bridge over the Bakra river collapsed in Pararia village of Bihar's Araria district on Tuesday, a police officer said. No casualty was reported, he said. The bridge, constructed by the state government, was not opened to the public as approach roads to the bridge were yet to be constructed. The bridge connects Kursa Kanta and Sikty areas of Araria district. Talking to PTI, Amit Ranjan, Superintendent of Police (SP), Araria, said, A portion of a newly constructed bridge over Bakra river has collapsed. Officials have reached there to examine the matter." The cause of the incident is not yet known, he added. In March, an under-construction bridge over the Kosi river collapsed in Supaul district, leaving one person dead and 10 others injured.

LS polls highlights: PM Modi begins 'dhyan' at Kanyakumari Vivekananda Rock Memorial

LS polls LIVE: From Anurag Thakur's claim of BJP crossing 400 seats in the 7th phase to JP Nadda's claim of winning 30 plus seats in West Bengal, catch all the latest updates on elections here

Top colleges, care for heritage. Here's what Patna's well-known want

State-of-the-art higher educational institutions, urban renewal with sensitive planning and upkeep of shrinking built heritage are among the post-poll expectations of some of Patna's well-known families. Polling will be held in the two Lok Sabha seats under Patna district -- Patna Sahib and Pataliputra -- on June 1. Both the seats have over 43 lakh electors. Businessman Abhay Kanoria, 59, who comes from an affluent Marwari family of Patna and calls himself a proud Bihari, feels the state has the potential to regain its lost glory. "My expectations for Patna from the government that will come to power, is that it should help establish some state-of-the-art academic institutions here. We have a lot of good schools here, but after 12th, students just want to leave Patna and do not want to study in existing universities in Bihar, as they don't get the quality of education they can get elsewhere," Kanoria told PTI here. He alleged that bureaucratic red tape has "lessened" but still exi

Sushil Modi to be cremated in Patna today, JP Nadda likely to be present

The last rites of senior BJP leader and former deputy chief minister of Bihar, Sushil Kumar Modi, will take place around 6 pm in Patna on Tuesday, party sources said. Modi, 72, who was suffering from cancer, died in a New Delhi hospital on Monday evening. "The mortal remains of Sushil Modi will be brought from Delhi to Patna around 11.30 am and taken to his house in Rajendra Nagar. Later, his body will be taken to the Bihar assembly and the BJP state headquarters where party workers will pay their tribute to the departed leader, said a senior Bihar BJP member. The funeral will take place at Digha Ghat Crematorium in Patna, he said, adding, BJP national president J P Nadda is likely to be present. He will be cremated with full state honours, a statement issued by the Chief Minister's Office said. Modi served as the deputy chief minister of Bihar from 2005 to 2013, and again between 2017 and 2020. He breathed his last around 9.45 pm at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (A

Sushil Modi shall be remembered for expanding BJP's footprint in Bihar

Arguably the tallest leader the BJP has produced in Bihar, Sushil Kumar Modi shall be remembered for patiently working towards the party's ascendance in a state where it is on its way to become a dominant force. Born in a Vaishya family in Bihar, Modi got involved in student politics while pursuing his BSc at Patna University and had played a key role in the Bihar movement of 1974 led by legendary socialist leader Jayaprakash Narayan, during which he also came in touch with his future collaborator Nitish Kumar and would be adversary Lalu Prasad. He went on to become one of the most prominent leaders of the ABVP, the RSS's students' wing, in Bihar, and often credited his entry into politics to the late Atal Bihari Vajpayee. According to an anecdote Modi often shared, it was at his marriage ceremony in 1986 that the former prime minister, who at that time headed the BJP, told him that it was time to give up student politics and become a "full time political activist". He made his ...

Lok Sabha polls 2024: Shahabuddin's widow to contest as independent

Former Bihar assembly Speaker Awadh Bihari Chaudhary has entered the fray on a RJD ticket from Siwan, the lone parliamentary seat where the party did not formally announce its candidate. Choudhary, who has been a multiple-term MLA from Siwan, filed his nomination papers on Tuesday in the presence of RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, son and heir apparent of party supremo Lalu Prasad. Choudhary, who is a few months shy of 70, had lost the Speaker's post in February after he was voted out following a no-confidence motion moved by the NDA upon realignment with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, the JD(U) president. The Siwan Lok Sabha seat is currently held by JD(U), which has dropped sitting MP Kavita Singh and announced the candidature of Vijaylaxmi Devi who joined the party recently. The pitch has been queered for both parties with Hina Shahab, the widow of multiple-term former MP Mohd Shahabuddin, filing her nomination papers as an Independent. Following the conviction of her husband in a num

BJP's 400-plus film has flopped on day 1 of polls: RJD's Tejashwi Yadav

Meanwhile, according to the Election Commission, voter turnout in Bihar was recorded at 48.88 per cent in the first phase of the Lok Sabha election

LS polls: 'Modi govt gave Bihar raw deal,' says Congress' Jairam Ramesh

The Congress attacked the Modi government on Tuesday over key issues of Bihar, and asked why has the state not been granted special category status as promised. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh hit out at the prime minister ahead of his poll rallies in Bihar. "Today's questions for PM Modi as he heads to Bihar: Why hasn't Bihar been granted Special Category Status as the PM had promised?" Ramesh said on X. When will the Modi government address the flooding of the Kosi river and what happened to the airports that the PM promised, he asked. "Jumla details below: After 10 years in power at the Centre, and 15 years in power in Bihar, why has the Modi Sarkar failed to deliver Special Category Status in the state? As per the Centre's own Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) Report, Bihar ranked as the poorest state in India, and 52% of the state's population lacks access to requisite health, education and living standards," Ramesh said. In 2013, the Raghuram Rajan Committee ...

Highlights: Andhra CM Jagan Reddy injured in stone pelting incident during road show in Vijayawada

From Uddhav Thackrey's jibe at PM Modi to the evolving Israel-Iran conflict in West Asia, we bring to you the latest news from around the world. Stay tuned.

RJD's poll manifesto promises 10 mn govt jobs, Rs 1 L to poor 'sisters'

The RJD, the largest constituent of Mahagathbandhan in Bihar, on Saturday released its election manifesto for the Lok Sabha polls, promising 1 crore government jobs and Rs 1 lakh per year to "sisters" from poor families on Raksha Bandhan. Former deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav, while releasing the RJD's election manifesto 'Parivartan Patra', said the party is making 24 "jan vachan" (public promises) for the 2024 polls, and it will fulfill these commitments. "If the INDIA bloc comes to power at the Centre, the RJD will ensure that unemployed youth across the country get 1 crore government jobs... the process will start on Independence Day this year... it will be like 'berozgaari se azadi' (freedom from unemployment)," he told reporters. "Unemployment is our biggest enemy but the BJP leaders never talk about it. They had promised 2 crore jobs... but we deliver on our promises," he said. "On the occasion of Raksha Bandhan this year, we will start providing Rs 1 lakh annually to o

LS polls: Lalu's two daughters among 22 RJD candidates from Bihar

The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) on Tuesday formally announced its candidates for all but one of the 23 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar where the party is contesting as a constituent of the opposition Mahagathbandhan. Party president Lalu Prasad's daughters - Rohini Acharya and Misa Bharti - are among the RJD nominees. According to a release issued by RJD state president Jagdanand Singh late in the evening, Acharya will contest from Saran which her father had won many times. Prasad represented the seat until his disqualification in 2013 when he was convicted in a fodder scam. Bharti, his eldest daughter who is enjoying her second term in the Rajya Sabha, will try her luck in the Patliputra Lok Sabha constituency. A party functionary said that a candidate is yet to be announced for Siwan where the RJD had for years been fielding late Mohd Shahubuddin. After Shahubuddin's disqualification, his widow Heena could never win the seat. It has been understood that Heena has a strained relationshi