Page 12 - Nitish Kumar

PM Modi lauds Nitish Kumar for pulling Bihar out of 'Jungle Raaj

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday lauded Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for his role in transforming the state, pulling it out of what he called the 'Jungle Raaj'. Modi's remarks came during a function in Darbhanga, where he laid the foundation for an All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and inaugurated several key infrastructure projects worth around Rs 12,100 crore. "Nitish ji has set up a model of good governance (Shushashan), pulling the state out of the era of Jungle Raaj. No praise is too high for this achievement," PM Modi said, speaking at the event where the JD(U) chief was also present. The Prime Minister emphasised Bihar's development under the NDA government, highlighting improvements in various sectors, especially in health infrastructure. "Bihar is witnessing a lot of development. The NDA government is committed to the welfare of the people. The previous government in Bihar never bothered about health infrastructure. They made false promises, but

Made mistake in past, now will stay with NDA permanently: Nitish Kumar

Maintaining that he "made a mistake twice" in the past by joining hands with RJD, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday said that now he would stay permanently with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Addressing a public meeting in favour of NDA nominee, Vishal Prashant of BJP for the Tarari assembly byelection, Kumar said, "I have said it earlier alsoI am once again saying that we (BJP-JDU) were together earlier. I made a mistake twice in the past by joining hands with the RJD., I went 'idhar udhar' twice in the pastBut now, I have again come to the NDA. I will remain permanently with the NDA". He said, "We have been working for the development of Bihar since 2005. Several infrastructural and development works have been done in Bihar after 2005..and it will continue further under the NDA rule". Kumar accused RJD of trying to "polarise" votes on "communal lines" in the upcoming bypolls in the state. "They (RJD) always try to create a divide on communal lines. When RJD w

Bihar govt considering taking over Bettiah Raj land worth Rs 7,960 cr

The Bihar government is contemplating taking over the land worth about Rs 7,960 crore, belonging to the erstwhile estate of Bettiah Raj, one of the largest zamindaris of the state, a large part which was encroached upon, an official said. The move is being made to ensure 'effective protection and management' of the nearly 15,358 acres of land, mostly in Bihar's East and West Champaran districts and in Uttar Pradesh, the senior official said. The estate is currently managed by the Court of Wards, Board of Revenue of the Bihar government. According to data compiled by the Board of Revenue till December 13 last year, which is in the possession of the PTI, of the total land belonging to Bettiah Estate in West Champaran district, 6,505 acres (around 66 per cent) have been encroached upon. On the other hand, 3,219 acres or around 60 per cent of such land in East Champaran, have been encroached upon. Chairman-cum-Member of the Board of Revenue, K K Pathak, in an October order pertaining

Charged Rs 100 cr for advising political parties, reveals Prashant Kishor

Prashant Kishor said that 10 state governments currently employ his strategies, while adding that he has ample resources to fund his campaign needs in Bihar

Nitish Kumar hosts NDA meeting to boost coordination for Bihar polls

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday convened a meeting of the ruling NDA in the state to ensure better coordination among alliance partners in the run-up to assembly polls due next year. Leaders of JD(U), BJP and smaller partners Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), Rashtriya Lok Morcha and Hindustani Awam Morcha thronged the chief minister's 1, Anne Marg residence for the meeting. "Our party leader has been asserting that the NDA will win 200 plus seats of the 243-strong House. For that perfect synergy among constituents is a must. Today's meeting has been called for that purpose," Ashok Choudhary, state minister and JD(U) national general secretary, said. State BJP president Dilip Jaiswal concurred, "A fine coordination saw us through the Lok Sabha polls this year. Carrying it forward will help us secure a two-thirds majority in the assembly elections." Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) state president Raju Tiwari said that "2020 is a thing of the past", when asked about the ..

Bihar bans sale, bursting of all firecrackers in Patna, 3 other cities

The Bihar government has banned the sale and bursting of all kinds of firecrackers, including green crackers, in Patna and three other cities of Gaya, Muzaffarpur and Hajipur to curb air pollution during Diwali. According to a circular issued by the Patna district administration on Thursday, "A decision banned the sale or use of all kinds of firecrackers, including green crackers, in Patna and three other cities -- Gaya, Muzaffarpur and Hajipur -- to curb air pollution during Diwali, has been taken following a directive of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) to maintain ambient air quality in all cities." "The bursting of firecrackers led to a lot of air and noise pollution as they released toxic air pollutants and particulates (dust). These produce light to dense clouds of smoke, affecting eyes, throat, lungs, heart and skin of the people," the order said. In other towns, only green or eco-friendly crackers will be allowed on Diwali. "Hence, the licence for sale of crackers will not

Nitish Kumar announces Rs 2 lakh ex-gratia for Gagangir attack victims

The unidentified attackers struck as the labourers and other staff returned to their camp in Gund, Ganderbal, late in the evening

Bihar CM conducts high-level review after spurious liquor deaths in state

BJP leader Nitin Nabin said that action would be taken by the state government against all those involved in the incident

Counting the cost of Bihar's liquor prohibition on state's revenue, others

The alcohol ban in the state, in force for nine years now, has not impacted education spending much, but literacy outcomes leave a lot to be desired

Bihar inks MoU with Nasscom with aim to promote state's IT policy

The Bihar government on Monday signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM) with an aim to promote the state's IT policy and investment opportunities. The MoU was signed in the presence of Bihar IT Minister Santosh Kumar Suman and Srikanth Srinivasan and Nirupam Choudhary, both NASSCOM vice presidents. According to a statement issued by the IT Department: With the support of NASSCOM, Bihar government will plan and organise roadshows in Bengaluru, Chennai, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Pune. These roadshows will facilitate in linking Bihar government officials with potential investors and technology companies, increasing the potential for investment in the state. This partnership will also enable Bihar to participate in NASSCOM's national programmes, allowing the Department of Information Technology to showcase the emerging IT activities in the state, it said. Through these programs, Bihar's progress in IT infrastructure, ski

Posters seeking Bharat Ratna for Nitish seen outside JD(U) office in Patna

Posters demanding the highest civilian award Bharat Ratna for Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar were on Saturday put up by his Janata Dal (United) at several places in the state capital. One such poster was seen right next to the entrance gate of the JD(U) office at Birchand Patel Marg where, incidentally, the party supremo was attending its state executive meeting. A senior party leader, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, "We cannot say that demand for Bharat Ratna is the JD(U)'s official stand. Maybe, out of a sense of modesty, our leader would even frown upon such vehemence. But deep within every JD(U) worker believes that Nitish Kumar deserves the highest honour". Kumar is the longest-serving chief minister of the state, who has been in the highest seat of power since 2005, except for a few months when Jitan Ram Manjhi, now a Union minister, had occupied the post. Kumar, who is set to lead the NDA in the assembly polls due next year, had formerly enjoyed a successful sti

Bihar Floods: CM Nitish Kumar inspects flood-affected areas, relief works

In terms of material aid, Sen confirmed that over 20,000 polythene sheets have been dispatched to calamity-affected blocks, with plans for further distribution

What is rationale behind holding meeting when DGP, CS not present: Tejashwi

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Sunday questioned the rationale behind holding the Home department review meeting by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, in which the Director General of Police and Chief Secretary "were not present". Yadav, former deputy chief minister, who is currently the Leader of Opposition in Bihar Assembly, also said the "absence of aforesaid officials showed how serious" the CM was with regard to law and order. He also alleged that the NDA government was patronising criminals in the state. Yadav in a post on X on Sunday wrote, "What is the rationale behind holding such a review meeting in which DGP, CS and ADG were not present? The absence of top officials shows how serious the CM is about the law and order situation in the state. The NDA government is playing with the lives of Biharis by patronising criminals." "Holding of a high-level review meeting by the CM was mere a formality. It's a fact that after every review meeting of Nitish ji, crime increases further

Bihar CM makes aerial survey to assess rising water level in Ganga

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Friday conducted an aerial survey to assess the rising Ganga river water level in Patna and surrounding areas. The CM was accompanied by senior officials of the state administration. The water level in the Ganga river crossed the danger mark at several places in the state capital on Friday. "At Gandhi Ghat in Patna, the Ganga river is flowing above the danger mark of 48.60 metre (till 6 am on Friday). Similarly at Hathidah and Digha Ghat, the Ganga is flowing above the danger mark of 41.76 metre and 50.45 metre respectively", according to a statement issued by the district administration here on Friday. Several low-lying areas in Patna rural and Nalanda districts have also been flooded as portions of certain small dams were damaged at four places due to sudden increase in water levels in Falgu and Sakri rivers following heavy rainfall in Jharkhand over the past few days, officials said. The low-lying areas which witnessed flood-like situation .

In presence of Nadda, Nitish Kumar dubs alliances with RJD 'mistake'

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Friday termed his past alliances with arch rival Lalu Prasad's RJD as a "mistake" that he committed twice but was determined not to repeat again. The JD(U) chief's remark came at a function where he shared the stage with Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda, who is also the BJP's national president. "Our relationship goes back to the 1990s... all the good work in Bihar has been done under our stewardship", said the JD(U) supremo, whose outfit was earlier called the Samata Party. Referring to the RJD, without mentioning it by name, the CM said, "Those who were in power before me did nothing. It was a mistake on my part to have gone with them on two occasions. But I do not wish to repeat that mistake. I shall stay here (with the NDA)". The Bihar Chief Minister, who had returned to the NDA in January, kept asserting during Lok Sabha polls, especially at rallies where he shared the stage with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, that he would now be w

Bihar CM lays foundation stone for Rs 1,347 cr drinking water project

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday laid the foundation stone for a project valued at Rs 1,347 crore for supplying water from the Sone river for drinking purposes in Aurangabad, Dehri and Sasaram cities. The project will be completed in two years. Besides, the CM inaugurated and laid the foundation stones of a state industrial training institute, tech labs, installation of street lights projects and construction of Anganwadi centres at Dehri in Rohtas district. Accompanied by Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary, Water Resources Minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary and others, Kuamr also gave a cheque of Rs 74.17 crore for the distribution among 1,864 self-help groups associated with the Bihar Rural Livelihoods Project (BRLP), popularly known as JEEVIKA, in Bihar. The CM inaugurated the scheme for the supply of drinking water to the cities of Aurangabad, Dehri and Sasaram. In this scheme, the water of the Son river will be supplied to people. This will the dependence of these .

Bihar issues advisory on Monkeypox, health desk to be set up at airport

Bihar's Health Department has issued an advisory to the district administrations and hospitals on the prevention of Monkeypox, asking officials concerned to sensitise people about the viral disease. The Patna district administration has asked the civil surgeon to set up a health desk at Jay Prakash Narayan International Airport on a priority basis following the advisory of the department. Talking to PTI, Patna District Magistrate (DM) Chandrashekhar Singh, said, "While no case has been reported so far, airport officials and district civil surgeon have been asked to ensure close surveillance of incoming travellers." "Officials have been asked to note the history of the last 21 days of all international travellers visiting Patna at the airport. The health desk at Patna airport will be set up within 24 hours of the issuance of the advisory," he added. "Officials of the Inland Navigation Authority, Gaighat (Patna) have also been asked to ensure close surveillance of incoming internatio

Decoded: Will Bihar's first Sports Academy be a gamechanger for athletes?

With its sights set on producing Olympic-level athletes by 2032, the complex represents a bold new chapter for sports development in Bihar

Rajiv Ranjan appointed as new JD(U) spokesperson after KC Tyagi resigns

Janata Dal (United) spokesperson K C Tyagi, whose stand on different issues often highlighted his party's differences with ally BJP, has resigned, the regional party said on Sunday. The JD(U) said in a statement that its president and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has appointed Rajiv Ranjan Prasad as its national spokesperson. It attributed Tyagi's resignation to "personal reasons". However, it is believed that frequent comments of Tyagi, who is based in Delhi and enjoys an unlikely high profile in the national media for a regional party leader due to his experience and articulation, on central government's policies were seen as unhelpful to the BJP-JD(U) ties. Be it on the Uniform Civil Code, the Waqf (Amendment) Bill or even the government's position on the Palestine issue among other issues, the socialist leader's outspoken stand did not go down well many within the party and embarrassed the BJP, sources said. With two senior JD(U) leaders, including Union minister Lalan Si

Bihar's Rajgir to host 2024 Women's Asian Champions Trophy: Hockey India

The 10-day tournament will kick off on November 10, while the finals will take place on November 20