Page 21 - Bihar

Severe groundwater contamination found in 30K rural wards in Bihar: Report

Bihar is grappling with severe groundwater contamination, with 30,207 rural wards exposed to "unsafe" drinking water that poses serious health risks, according to a new report. The report, which was recently tabled in the assembly as part of the Bihar Economic Survey (2024-25), highlighted the presence of arsenic in groundwater in 4,709 such wards, fluoride in 3,789 wards and iron in 21,709 wards. "Around 26 per cent of the rural wards in 31 districts, out of a total of 38, have groundwater sources affected by arsenic, fluoride and iron contamination beyond permissible limits," the state's Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) said in the study. The affected wards are located in Buxar, Bhojpur, Patna, Saran, Vaishali, Lakhisarai, Darbhanga, Samastipur, Begusarai, Khagara, Munger, Katihar, Bhagalpur, Sitamarhi, Kaimur, Rohtas, Aurangabad, Gaya, Nalanda, Nawada, Sheikhpura, Jamui, Banka, Supaul, Madhepura, Saharsa, Araria and Kishanganj districts. We are aware of the fact... ..

When Zambia replicated Bihar's programme to give bicycles to school girls

The Zambian programme was launched in 2009, three years after the Bihar initiative to empower schoolgirls (2006) and with similar objectives

Bihar to constitute 'task force' to prevent, eradicate child marriages

The Bihar government has decided to constitute a state-level 'task force' headed by the chief secretary to monitor action taken by authorities to prevent and eradicate child marriages in the state. According to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS)-5, Bihar has the second-highest rate of child marriage in the country, following West Bengal. The report said 40.8 per cent of women in the state get married before turning 18. However, only 19 cases were registered under the provisions of the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act (PCMA) between 2020 and 2024. "We are working on a focused intervention to curb child marriage in communities and geographical areas with a higher prevalence of the practice. The Bihar government has decided to constitute a state-level task force' to monitor the actions taken by authorities to prevent and eradicate child marriages in the state," chief secretary Amrit Lal Meena told PTI on Saturday. Police and other agencies have been instructed to effectively ..

IRCTC case: Lalu Prasad Yadav challenges validity of prosecution sanctions

RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav on Tuesday questioned the validity of sanctions obtained by the CBI to prosecute him in a corruption case connected to alleged irregularities in the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC). The former railway minister made the submission through his lawyer before special judge Vishal Gogne during the arguments on whether to frame charges against him in the case. The allegations include criminal conspiracy, cheating and corruption, which carry a maximum jail term of seven years. The judge, meanwhile, also granted exemption from personal appearance to Yadav, his wife and former Bihar chief minister Rabri Devi and son and former deputy chief minister of the state, Tejashwi Yadav, for the day on application moved by them. "Separate applications seeking exemption from personal appearance have been moved on behalf of A1 (Yadav), A2 (Devi), A3 (Tejashwi Yadav)... Heard. In view of the averments made in the application, aforesaid accused persons

Bihar govt tables Rs 3.17 trn Budget, proposes women-centric schemes

Bihar's Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary, who holds the finance portfolio, tabled a Rs 3.17 trillion Budget in the Assembly

Bihar Budget: Tejashwi demands Rs 2,500 monthly cash aid for poor women

A day before the Nitish Kumar government in Bihar is scheduled to present its last budget ahead of the assembly elections this year, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Sunday demanded an increase in social security pensions and cash transfer of Rs 2,500 per month to poor women. Yadav, the leader of the opposition in the assembly, said he expected that the government would announce 200 units of free electricity for all consumers in the state. Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary, who also holds the finance portfolio, will table the state budget for the financial year 2025-26 in the assembly on Monday. Talking to reporters Yadav alleged, "The NDA government at the Centre as well as in the state are least bothered about the welfare of the people of Bihar." He also claimed that the social security pensions have not been increased by the state government for the last 20 years. The leader of the opposition said, "The amount paid to people above 60 years, widows, and people with disabilities

Bihar to provide electricity to 285K farmers for agri activities by June

Around 2.85 lakh more farmers in Bihar are set to get electricity connections for agricultural activities by June this year, officials said. So far, 5.55 lakh farmers in the state have already received electricity connections through agricultural feeders, they said. By June 2025... around 2.85 lakh more farmers, who have already applied for agricultural electricity connections, will be provided connections, a statement issued by the state's Information and Public Public Relations Department (IPRD) said. Upon the direction of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, the state's energy department is working to ensure the remaining farmers receive agricultural electricity connections at the earliest, it said. The CM has consistently emphasised the significance of renewable energy, referring to it as real energy'. As part of the Jal Jeevan Hariyali scheme launched in 2019, he has called for comprehensive efforts to expand solar energy adoption. The energy department has begun implementing measure

Women farmers in Bihar turn to solar pumps, overcoming patriarchy, woes

Indu Devi, a 35-year-old widow from Suryahi village, knows the weight of despair all too well. When her husband was hanged over a land dispute, she was left with little more than a small patch of land and debts. But then, she heard about the concept of using solar pumps in fields for business. Despite her initial fears of how would she, a woman with no technical knowledge, operate a pump? She took the leap of faith. Today, she earns a steady income by supplying water to neighbouring fields. "It's just a switch on and off. But it has given me a way to survive," she said. In this area, Indu's story is inspirational but not unique. A number of women, as part of self-help groups (SHGs), have invested in solar pumps on their land for irrigation, transforming their lives and livelihoods. For decades, irrigation has been a major challenge in Bihar. With erratic rainfall, extreme summers amid climate change and unreliable electricity, farmers have struggled to grow crops. Diesel pumps we

NDA govt burden on Bihar, should be scrapped like old vehicles: Tejashwi

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Saturday mocked the BJP-led NDA government in Bihar, asserting that time has come to change the two-decade-old dispensation, much like 15-year-old vehicles are banned in the state for spreading pollution. Yadav also said that the state government has now become a burden on the people of Bihar. The 20-year-old NDA government in Bihar, headed by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, has now turned into a rickety vehicle. There is a ban on vehicles that are more than 15 years old across Bihar as they emit too much smoke, increase pollution and are harmful to the public. Therefore, why should the 20-year-old rickety NDA government be allowed to operate in the state? This government has become a burden on the people of Bihar it must be changed, the Leader of the Opposition in the assembly said in a post on X. Yadav claimed that over the past 20 years, the Nitish Kumar-led government has spread the deadly pollution of poverty, unemployment, corruption, crime and ...

Bihar's economy has increased to Rs 8.54 trn in 2023-24: Dy CM Choudhary

Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary on Friday said the size of the state's economy at current prices has increased 3.5 times, from Rs 2.47 lakh crore in 2011-12 to Rs 8.54 lakh crore in 2023-24. Choudhary who holds the Finance portfolio tabled the Bihar Economic Survey report for 2024-25 in the state assembly on the opening day of the budget session on Friday. "Bihar has witnessed significant economic growth over the last two decades, resulting in notable improvements in several socio-economic indicators. The size of Bihar's economy at current prices has increased 3.5 times, rising from Rs 2.47 lakh crore in 2011-12 to Rs 8.54 lakh crore in 2023-24", he said. "According to the latest available estimates, the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) of Bihar for the year 2023-24 is estimated to be Rs 8,54,429 crore at current prices and Rs 4,64,540 crore at constant (2011-12) prices. In the fiscal year 2023-24, tax revenue amounted to Rs 1,61,965 crore, making it the most ...

SHG Plus model helping Bihar's rural women build homes, educate children

Kiran Kumari of Bihar's Muzaffarpur remembers a time when borrowing money at exorbitant rates was the norm for her. Now, a unique community loan system designed to empower rural women has not only provided her with an escape from the debt trap but also a way to secure her family's future. Women in Bihar who once struggled to make ends meet are now growing strawberries, building homes and investing in their children's education through SHG Plus -- an evolution of the traditional self-help group (SHG) model that is designed to empower rural women through financial inclusion, transparency and collective strength. The system's evolution was dreamed up by the women themselves. The model was developed with help from the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme India. "We used to borrow money from lenders at 60 per cent interest. It's only 2 per cent under SHG Plus," Kiran Kumari says. "Now, we don't need to borrow from outside." In the villages of Muzaffarpur, Kiran Kumari's journey is not ...

Bihar CM Nitish Kumar expands Cabinet, inducts seven new faces from BJP

At a ceremony held in the Raj Bhavan here, Governor Arif Mohammad Khan administered the oath of office to the new inductees who raised the strength of the Cabinet to 36

Punishment for breach of privileges must be proportionate to misconduct: SC

The judgment also outlined a few guiding principles for courts to consider while scrutinising the proportionality of actions taken by the House against its member(s)

PM Modi to release 19th installment of PM KISAN in Bihar's Bhagalpur today

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar will accompany the Prime Minister, and the rally is expected to witness the participation of around 500,000 farmers

Why hasn't Bihar been given Special Category Status as promised: Cong to PM

The Congress on Monday posed questions to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Bihar, asking why hasn't the state been granted Special Category Status as promised and why are so many essential projects lying incomplete there. Ahead of Prime Minister Modi's visit to Bihar, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh posed four questions for him. "Where are the promised airports for Bhagalpur, Muzaffarpur, and Purnea," Ramesh asked in his post on X. "The PM promised an airport in Purnea on 18th August, 2015. Six years and three Nitish Kumar U-turns later, his government is yet to fulfil the promise," Ramesh said. In a 2019 rally, Modi promised to open Patahi Airport in Muzaffarpur and in 2023, Home Minister Amit Shah also pledged to kickstart operations at the Patahi airport, while the BJP promised a fully operational airport by Diwali 2023, he said. "However, an AAI ground team from March 2024 found that the land plot has broken boundary walls, and buffaloes roam t

Bihar at the bottom: Tejashwi slams PM's visit, accuses govt of betrayal

Speaking to ANI, he noted that there will be no other elections in Bihar this year, pointing to the already concluded Delhi elections

Bihar to appoint 140 officers for women affected by domestic violence

The Bihar government has decided to appoint 140 full-time 'protection officers' across the state to support women affected by domestic violence more effectively. The Social Welfare Department has decided to create a separate cadre under which sub-division, district and state-level protection officers will be appointed. The decision has been taken in view of the rising number of domestic violence cases in the state. Speaking to PTI, Harjot Kaur Bamhrah, additional chief secretary of the Social Welfare Department and chairman cum MD of Bihar Women and Child Development Corporation, said, "The department has decided to appoint full-time POs to effectively deal with cases of domestic violence." "The process will start soon. A separate cadre will be created for the purpose... More than 140 POs will be appointed across the state. Of them, 101 will be appointed at the sub-division level and 38 at the district level. A state-level PO will also be appointed," she added. The decision has be

PM on 3-day visit to MP, Bihar, Assam, to inaugurate development projects

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be on a three-day visit to Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Assam from Sunday to attend several development initiatives, including the global investors summit in Bhopal and the release of 19th instalment of cash assistance to farmers in Bhagalpur. In Madhya Pradesh on Sunday, Modi will lay the foundation stone of Bageshwar Dham Medical and Science Research Institute in Chhatarpur and inaugurate the investors summit on Monday, a statement said. He will release the 19th instalment of 'PM KISAN' scheme at an event in Bhagalpur on Monday and also inaugurate various development projects in Bihar before travelling to Assam. He will attend the 'Jhumoir Binandini' on Monday evening and inaugurate the investment and infrastructure summit the next day. Modi will inaugurate Advantage Assam 2.0 Investment and Infrastructure Summit in Guwahati on Tuesday. The PMO said the two-day Global Investors Summit (GIS) in Bhopal will serve as an important platform to establish

Hydropower firm SJVN to expand its lone coal project in Bihar: Chairman

The company is looking to add another 800 megawatts at its Buxar project in the state of Bihar, in addition to the 1,320 megawatts being built, Chaudhary said in an interview

Bihar govt's X handle hacked, renamed as German president's account

Hackers hijacked Bihar govt's X handle, renamed it as the German president's account, and posted controversial content