Page 54 - Bihar

Opposition parties' meeting in Patna likely to take place on June 12

The much-awaited meeting of parties opposed to the BJP may be held here on June 12, according to hints that have emanated from a meeting of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's JD(U) here on Sunday. While no significant office bearer confirmed or denied the same, many present at the meeting said on condition of anonymity that the disclosure was made by the chief minister himself. Kumar, the JD(U)'s supreme leader, has been pitching for "opposition unity" ever since he snapped ties with the BJP in August last year, following accusations that the ally was trying to create fissures in his party and diminish his standing. Kumar, who is now heading an alliance government in Bihar which includes RJD, Congress and the Left, has reached out to leaders like Arvind Kejriwal, Mamata Banerjee, Akhilesh Yadav, all of whom are opposed to BJP but not very comfortable with the grand old party either. In fact, the idea of hosting a meeting of opposition leaders in Patna was floated by Banerjee, who

17,000 extra SIM cards of subscribers beyond 9 connections deactivated

Altogether 17,000 of the 21,800 SIM cards found to be issued in excess of the permissible limit of nine mobile connections for one subscriber were deactivated in Bihar and Jharkhand in April and May so far, an official said on Sunday. Such a move was taken by the Department of Telecommunication through an analysis using artificial intelligence (AI)-based facial recognition technology, he said. "The artificial intelligence and facial recognition-powered solution for Telecom SIM Subscriber Verification (ASTR) analysis by the DoT in April and May revealed that at least 21,800 mobile connections were issued violating the permissible limit of nine numbers for one subscriber in Bihar and Jharkhand. "Around 17,000 such numbers have been disconnected. Further analysis is going on to identify such numbers," a senior official of the Special Director General Telecom, DoT (Licensed Service Areas-LSA-Bihar) Office told PTI. Jharkhand also comes under the jurisdiction of LSA (Bihar). According

BJP slams RJD for comparing new Parliament building design with coffin

The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) on Sunday likened the architecture of the new Parliament building to a coffin, drawing a sharp response from the BJP which said people will bury the Bihar party in such a coffin in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. As the new building was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the ruling party in Bihar put out a tweet that showed a coffin and the new legislature building side by side and asked, "What is this?" Hitting back, BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia said, "People of the country will bury you in the same coffin in 2024 and will not give you the opportunity to enter the new temple of democracy. It is decided that the parliament building belongs to the country and the coffin to you." Bhatia said the inauguration marked a historic moment and parties such as the RJD will keep crying hoarse.

100 students fall sick after snake found in mid-day meal in Bihar's Araria

Around 100 students at a government school in Bihar's Araria district fell sick after consuming a mid-day meal in which a dead snake was found on Saturday

What is the need for new Parliament building, asks Bihar CM Nitish

Amid Opposition's call for boycotting the inauguration of the new Parliament building, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar Saturday asserted that there is "no need" for a new Parliament building. The new Parliament building is an attempt to write a new history by those who had no contribution in the freedom struggle, he told reporters here. Kumar also expressed dismay over President Droupadi and Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankar, who is also the chairman of Rajya Sabha, not being invited to the function. JD(U), of which he is a senior leader, has announced that it will boycott the inauguration of the new Parliament building on Sunday. The party will observe a day-long fast here on the day to protest the inauguration of the new Parliament building by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "There is no need for a new Parliament building... Those who had no contribution to the country's fight for independence are trying to distort history. It is quite surprising that the President of India and the

Nitish Kumar should stop 'daydreaming' about becoming PM, says BJP

The BJP on Sunday took a swipe at Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar following his meeting with his Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal, saying he should pay attention to his state which is being pushed into "anarchy" instead of daydreaming about becoming the prime minister. Kumar has been meeting opposition leaders in a bid to forge an alliance of non-BJP parties and threw his weight behind Kejriwal over the Delhi chief minister's protest against the ordinance brought in by the Centre on the issue of authority over transfers and postings of government officers in the national capital. Prem Shukla, the BJP's national spokesperson, said meeting other leaders is Kumar's right but he has not been paying attention to his own state. "He is daydreaming to become prime minister. Instead, he should discharge his duties as Bihar chief minister, his constitutional responsibility," he said. Sanjay Mayukh, a BJP MLC in Bihar, said Kumar should come out of his "dream world" as there is no vacancy

Nitish Kumar declines to reveal next steps on Bihar's caste survey

The Bihar government has completed 80 per cent of the caste based cum economic survey and it has an option to pass a law and complete the survey

CBI or ED may include my name in supplementary charge sheet: Tejashwi Yadav

The ED questioned Rabri Devi for six hours on Thursday

SC refuses to stay Patna High Court order halting caste survey in Bihar

The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to stay the Patna High Court order which halted the caste survey being conducting by the Bihar government. A bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Rajesh Bindal said it would have to examine if the exercise being carried out is a census in garb of survey. "We are making it clear, this is not a case where we can grant you interim relief," the bench said. The apex court noted that the high court had posted the hearing of the main petition on July 3. "We direct that this petition be listed on July 14. If for any reason, the hearing of the writ petition does not commence before the next date, we will hear further submission canvassed by the senior counsel for the petitioner (Bihar)," the bench said. In an appeal filed before the top court against the May 4 order of the high court, the Bihar government had said the stay will adversely affect the entire exercise. The state government said the collection of caste-based data is a constitutional mandate u

Land-for-jobs PMLA case: Rabri Devi appears before ED for questioning

Former Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi on Thursday appeared before the Enforcement Directorate here for questioning in a money laundering case linked to the alleged land-for-jobs scam, official sources said. The 68-year-old Devi, wife of RJD chief Lalu Prasad, is recording her statement in this case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Rabri Devi's children, including Bihar Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav and MP daughter Misa Bharti, have been questioned by the federal agency in this case in the recent past. The money laundering case stems from a CBI FIR. The ED had carried out searches in this case sometime back and seized "unaccounted cash" of Rs 1 crore and detected proceeds of crime worth Rs 600 crore. The alleged scam pertains to the period when Lalu Prasad was the railway minister in the UPA-1 government. It is alleged by the agencies that during the period 2004-09, various persons were appointed to Group D positions in various zones of the Indian Railways, and in

JD(U) threatens legal action against Bihar BJP president for liquor remark

The JD(U) on Tuesday threatened legal action against the Bihar BJP chief for alleging that liquor was served at a feast organised by the ruling party's national president Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan, notwithstanding the state's stringent prohibition law. At a meeting chaired by state JD(U) chief Umesh Singh Kushwaha, a "ninda prastav" (censure resolution) was passed against Samrat Choudhary, the Bihar BJP president, who had on Monday made the allegation. Lalan had organised a feast on Sunday at Munger, his Lok Sabha constituency, where the guests were treated to a sumptuous lunch of rice and mutton curry. However, the number of visitors had reportedly far exceeded expectations, and security personnel had to step in and shove many people away to maintain order at the venue. Choudhary had sneered at the episode and alleged that even liquor was on offer, in an obvious bid to put on the spot Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, the JD(U)'s supreme leader, who, though not present at the feas

Bihar govt orders officials to release PMAY-G fund to beneficiaries

The Bihar government has warned officials of strict action for delay in releasing the third instalment of funds to PMAY-G beneficiaries who have already completed construction work of their houses, a minister said on Sunday. At least 37,974 of over 35.5 lakh beneficiaries, who have completed their houses till April 13, are waiting for the third tranche of funds under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin in the state, Rural Development Minister Sharvan Kumar told PTI. The department will initiate action against officials concerned if they fail to release the third instalment of funds within a week to PMAY-G beneficiaries who finished the construction work of their houses under the scheme. I have instructed officials concerned in all 38 districts of the state that strict departmental action will be taken against them if they fail to release the second or third instalment of funds within a week to the beneficiaries, who have already constructed their housing units, under the ...

Telecom Dept deactivates 225,000 mobile numbers in Bihar and Jharkhand

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has deactivated more than 2.25 lakh mobile phone numbers in Bihar and Jharkhand in the month of April as majority of the SIM cards were allegedly procured through forged documents. The Telecom Service Providers have also blacklisted 517 Point of Sales (PoS) who have been prima facie found to be involved in unethical and illegal practices while issuing SIM cards. According to a statement issued by the Special Director General Telecom, DoT (Licensed Service Areas-LSA-Bihar) here, "In the month of April 2023 itself, more than 2.25 lakh mobile numbers have been deactivated in both states. The majority of the SIM cards were procured through illegal/unethical means. "Besides, 517 PoS have been blacklisted as they were found to be involved in unethical and illegal practices while issuing SIM cards. The Telecom Service Providers are further initiating legal proceedings against the fraudulent PoS as well as subscribers". Jharkhand also comes under

Power Minister lays foundation for Powergrid's substation to add capacity

Union Power Minister RK Singh on Tuesday laid the foundation stone for Powergrid's substation in Bihar to expand capacity, an official statement said. "The augmentation of the 220/132 kV Ara sub-station will increase the total transformation capacity of the sub-station to 560 MVA. The scheme would facilitate meeting the demand for electricity for the next 10 years in Ara (Bihar). Uninterrupted power supply will lead to the industrial and commercial development of the area and also improve power availability in Bhojpur, Buxar and Rohtas districts," Powergrid said in a statement. Powergrid Chairman and Managing Director K Sreekant and Director Personnel VK Singh were also present during the event. Power Grid Corporation of India Limited is India's largest electric power transmission utility.

Caste-based survey: HC rejects Bihar government plea for early hearing

The Patna High Court on Tuesday rejected the Bihar government's plea, seeking early hearing of its interim stay on caste-based survey in the state. The court said the hearing will take place on July 3, the date fixed earlier, and the stay will remain in effect till then. It had on May 4 put a stay on the caste-based survey in its interim order, while hearing a batch of petitions. The division bench of Chief Justice K Vinod Chandran and Justice Madhuresh Prasad had fixed July 3 as the next date of hearing. Later, an interlocutory application was filed in the high court on behalf of the Bihar government, urging for an early hearing in the matter. In its May 4 order, the court had termed the caste-based survey as virtually a census by another name, and "prima facie unconstitutional" as it "impinges on the legislative powers of Parliament". "The state government has no right to conduct such a caste census in Bihar, the court said. The bench had held that the Bihar government's "inten

Bihar arranges special flight to bring back students stranded in Manipur

The Nitish Kumar government in Bihar will bring back all students of the state stranded in violence-hit Manipur, an official said here on Monday. All the students, holed up in their hostels and other places in the restive north-eastern state, will be brought back on Tuesday and the expenses of their travel will be borne by the government, he said. "As per the directions from the chief minister, the Resident Commissioner in Delhi got in touch with students from Bihar in Manipur. They will be ferried to the airport in Imphal in buses, and flown back to Patna by a special flight," the official added.

Bihar CM Nitish Kumar to travel to Odisha, meet Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik will meet his Bihar counterpart Nitish Kumar on May 9, amid talks of regional parties coming together ahead of the 2024 general elections, officials said. Kumar will meet Patnaik at Naveen Niwas' here around 12 pm, they said. The Bihar CM and JD(U) leader had recently announced that he would travel across the country to unite opposition parties ahead of the Lok Sabha polls next year. He has already met Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC chief Mamata Banerjee, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav, and Left leaders Sitaram Yechury and D Raja. Patnaik, the BJD supremo, had also met Banerjee in March. In December last year, Patnaik had invited both Banerjee and Kumar to witness the hockey world cup in Odisha.

Bihar BJP leader moves court over 'derogatory' language against godman

A BJP leader in Bihar on Saturday lodged a complaint in a court against state president of the ruling RJD, Jagadanand Singh, and another political figure, for allegedly using derogatory language against godman Dhirendra Shastri. Shastri, popularly known as Bageshwar baba', is scheduled to visit Patna next week for holding a five-day congregation. The petition was filed before the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate, Muzaffarpur, by Anil Kumar Singh, a lawyer who is also associated with the BJP's legal cell. The petitioner has cited videos uploaded on YouTube a couple of days ago, wherein Jagadanand Singh and Pappu Yadav, a former RJD MP now heading his own outfit Jan Adhikar Party, allegedly made disparaging remarks about Shastri. The petitioner has contended that this was tantamount to hurting religious sentiments of Hindus, and sought trial of Jagadanand Singh and Yadav under relevant sections of the IPC. The petition, which will be taken up for hearing on May 16, has been filed

Stories of Bihar women entrepreneurs to be showcased during G20 events

The Bihar government will highlight the rise of rural women entrepreneurs breaking all barriers and the success of the World Bank-backed village livelihood programme Jeevika' among several other socio-economic programmes during G-20 events to be held here in June, an official said on Saturday. The G20 meetings in Patna are expected to be held on themes such as women and future of work and upskilling of the women workforce in tech-intensive work environment. During two-day G-20 programmes on June 22 and 23, the Bihar government will showcase women's upliftment and development in the rural sector, besides the state's rich cultural heritage. How rural women are defying odds to become entrepreneurs in Bihar through different initiatives taken by the state government, how Jeevika' has become a revolution and changed the lives of rural women and their families will be presented before G20 delegates, Art and Culture department secretary Bandana Preyashi said. She also said how women in Bi

Patna High Court orders stay on Bihar govt's caste-based survey

The Patna High Court on Thursday ordered a stay on the caste survey being conducted by the state government. Hearing a bunch of petitions, a division bench of Chief Justice K Vinod Chandran and Justice Madhuresh Prasad directed the government to immediately stop the caste-based survey, and ensure that the data already collected are secured and not shared with anybody till final orders are passed. The court fixed July 7 as the next date for the hearing. "We are of the considered opinion that the petitioners have made out a prima facie case against the continuation of the process of caste-based survey, as attempted by the State of Bihar. There is also the question raised of data integrity and security which has to be more elaborately addressed by the State," the court said. "Prima facie, we are of the opinion that the State has no power to carry out a caste-based survey, in the manner in which it is fashioned now, which would amount to a census, thus impinging upon the legislative po