Regarding My activities and Bio data

Respected AnwarJi
Warm wishes, and Apke sath ke liye dil se dhero shubhkamnaye
Your support be really a great help to Bihar and Biharies.I am very much dedicated for my vision.
I will make you proud in next couple of years with achievement of people and area.
I am attaching my CV and list of social activities started/completed in Gobindganj,of District Motihari.
Kindly Find the attachments.
I am very new in this area so feel free to say me anything/any comment,instruction and suggestion.
I will be very happy.
JAI Hind , JAI BIHAR

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Bihari Amit Choubey
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M.A.Governance and Development
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Anand Shankar : A Cop in a class of his own

A cop in a class of his own

Giridhar Jha : Mail Today Delhi Edition

BIHAR’S top cops are often accused of not being gentlemenly while discharging their duty. More often than not, they are known for enjoying the privileges of office without being people-friendly. But Anand Shankar, who retired as the director- general of police recently, was an exception.



On the last day of his service on February 28, Shankar went quietly to his office in his official uniform to hand over charge to his successor Neelmani. Once the formalities were over, Shankar went immediately into the ante-room of his chamber. When he returned after a few minutes, all the police officials present on the occasion were surprised to see him in civilian clothes.



“ I am a civilian now,” he said as if relieved of a great burden. His former colleagues in the department wanted him to keep wearing the police uniform until he returned home in keeping with the tradition. But the outgoing DGP politely turned down their request.



Shankar, who was involved in a controversy for sporting a tilak ( vermillion mark) on his forehead during his seven- monthlong tenure, also broke another tradition on the day. He refused to take the official vehicle home on his return.



As per Bihar police’s tradition, all the top officials of the force push the car of the outgoing DGP while giving him a send- off.



But Shankar had his son waiting for him outside his office in his personal vehicle. The former DGP got into his own car and exited quickly out of the Bihar police headquarters. Shankar also returned all the police personnel provided to him by the force.



Bihar police had never seen such a quick metamorphosis of a top cop into an ordinary citizen.



His conduct should set an example before those ex- officials who find it difficult to get over the fact that they are no longer in the prestigious Indian Police Service ( IPS). Many of Shankar’s predecessors had even kept their staff, engaging them in household chores, long after their retirement. Others have lobbied hard with successive governments to get cushy assignments to retain their job benefits.



But Shankar apparently wants none of this. Asked about his future plans, he said that he would devote the rest of his life in worshipping the Almighty.



His last- day conduct, however, was not all that unexpected.



Even while he was in service, he was known for doing things least expected of the most powerful cop in the state. He would often travel incognito in the general bogies of trains to visit different parts of Bihar and get a feedback from the common man on the performance of his department.



He also had the forthrightness to give state policemen a piece of his mind.



Immediately after taking over, he asked cops to desist from hankering after ill- gotten money and run their homes “ on salary alone”. There have been many high- profile predecessors of Shankar but he was the first DGP to exhort policemen to improve their image in the public eye through people- friendly conduct. And he did not do it merely with words. He truly believed that a policeman’s primary responsibility is to serve society selflessly without fear or favour.



Bihar certainly needs more policemen like him.

Dipak Mishra : It's payback period time for NRIs from Bihar

Migration from Bihar is an old story. In the 1980s and 1990s, the state witnessed large-scale migration of students as teaching in universities and

educational institutes had collapsed. Bihar watchers are now saying that the “brain drain” is finally paying dividend.

“Its a new culture that is taking firm roots, thanks to the work done by the present regime. Biharis across the globe now want to do something for their motherland. I always tell my students not to repeat the follies of the previous generation and do something significant for the state. Most of them have promised to return to Bihar after working for four-five years elsewhere,” said V Mukunda Das, director of Patna-based Chandragupt Institute of Management.

The trends are already visible. Irfan Alam of Begusarai district made waves when US President Barack Obama called him to attend the “Entrepreneurship Summit” scheduled for April in Washington DC. Alam, who is the chairman of the SammaaN Foundation, used his knowledge acquired outside the state to enhance the income of rickshaw-pullers in Bihar.

“Its not that Ambanis and Tatas alone can set up industries in Bihar. We Biharis are equally capable of doing that,” he said.

Irfan is not alone in his crusade. Kaushalendra Kumar, an alumnus of IIM, Ahmedabad, launched “Smriddhi ” project and organized the fragmented vegetable sector in the state. Today, over 1,000 vegetable farmers and vendors work for him for better financial prospects. “It’s a project that guarantees a dignified life to those associated with the vegetable sector,” Kumar said.

The list is endless. Ajay Jha of Colorado University, US, came here along with Israeli experts to work out a strategy to improve productivity in agriculture. Ravi Verma, who lives in California, has launched a software development centre here.

He also has plans to open an engineering college in the state. Dr Raje Narain has established Bihar Foundation in the UK and pumps in funds and materials whenever the state passes through any difficulty. He had also lent support when the state was facing the Kosi deluge.

Manoj Sinha of Virginia University and his friend Charles Rauster intend to set up a power plant in the state which would generate electricity by burning rice husk.

BRAIN DRAIN TO BRAIN GAIN

Irfan Alam



SammaaN Foundation: Helping enhance the income of rickshaw-pullers in Bihar.



Kaushalendra Kumar (IIM alumnus)



Smriddhi Project: Organized the fragmented vegetable sector in the state. Today, 1,000 farmers and vendors work for him for better financial gains.



Ajay Jha



Colorado University (US): Came to the state with Israeli experts to work out a strategy to improve productivity in agriculture.



Ravi Verma



Techie working in California: Launched a software development centre in Patna and also plans to open an engineering college.



Raje Narain



Set up Bihar Foundation in the UK: Lends financial support to the state during crisis like the recent Kosi deluge.



Manoj Sinha



Virginia University: With friend Charles Rauster working on setting up a power plant that will run on burning rice husk.

Parull Malhotra : Patna - Past , Present & Future

Courtsey : http://www.ibnlive.com/

Patna--Past, Present and Future



Paarull

Nitish spells hope for Bihar but who'll revive its magnificent cultural legacy?



Last week I found myself in Patna, the seat of the Magadh and Mauryan empires. Home to the great Chanakya and Ashoka the Great. Buddha got his enlightenment close by. The Chinese scholar-traveller Fa Hien stayed here and translated Buddhist texts. Once a thriving political and cultural centre of India, Patna (and Bihar, I dare say) lost much of its sheen subsequently. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar reminded us of Bihar's decay when he quipped that, till recently, the motto in government offices had been "12 bajey tak late nahin, 3 baje ke baad bhaint nahin".





Nitish went on to outline his socio-economic model of development that focussed on enforcing law (no one can get away by breaking the law, he declared on a day his own MLA killed his family and committed suicide!), female literacy (starting with incentivising girls to go to primary school by giving them bicycles), infrastructure building (roads and bridges primarily), revival of public health services, and political empowerment of women (through 50% reservation for women in panchayati raj institutions). He painted a picture of hope, he spoke of the pride that the Bihari now had in his land and he outlined a vision that would go beyond the spectacular 11% growth to achieve empowerment for all - down to the last maha dalit.





His audience comprising Nepali political leaders, including former Maoist guerrilla leader Baburam Bhattarai, was suitably impressed. But Nitish skirted a question on land reforms posed by Dr Bhattarai who wanted to know how the CM was reaching out to the Naxals in his state. The buzz is that the recommendations of a government-appointed committee on land reforms will upset the upper castes and even Nitish's constituency of backward castes (who have prospered over the years to become land owners). For this reason, Nitish remains wedded to the BJP -- counting on the party to win him the upper caste vote in elections in November.



Away from the flow and ebb of electoral politics, I took in the magnificent Ganga that divides the state into half. It looked peaceful - and clean! A mental comparison with the Yamuna, a dirty drain for the most part, saddened me. Colleagues reported sighting gorgeous dolphins while on a river cruise (I missed out because I was in Delhi covering the Indo-Pak talks that day). But a visit to the Khudha Bakhsh Oriental Public Library lifted the spirits.

Imagine seeing original Persian and Arabic manuscripts with the scribbles of Humayun and Jehangir on the margins. Some of the gems in its collection of 21,000 manuscripts in classical Arabic and Persian, Urdu, Pushto, Uzbek, Turkish, Hindi and Sanskrit are the Timurnama - a set of 132 paintings from the finest painters at Akbar's court; the Diwan-i-Hafiz - a 13th century collection of Persian poetry by the Iranian poet that was gifted to Babur by a Central Asian chieftain; and a 17th century account of the Sufi Auliyas autographed by Dara Shukoh!

The cultured library Director (and historian) Dr Imtiaz Ahmad was a wonderful host - generous with his tea, time and knowledge. His obvious pride in his library was heartwarming. And his obvious sadness at the decline in the interest in classical languages heartbreaking. Dr Ahmad has very few takers for his manuscripts. He tells us a negligible number of Indian scholars are interested in trawling through Persian and Arabic works because most can't read these languages. Those who can, don't know English and are not trained for either research or histiography. Ironically (and thankfully), he's getting interested foreigners, mostly Westerners, at the library. Dr Ahmad's dynamism will soon take him to Tashkent where he hopes to tie up with scholars who'll study the works of Al Beruni, the scholar/historian at Mahmud Ghazni's court. I wish him all the luck.

By the way, if you thought this was a shame, even Aligarh Muslim University has a dearth of medieval India-scholars skilled in classical languages as do other major Indian universities; and over in Pakistan, the situation seems just as bad, if not worse. Dr Ahmad recounted meeting a Pakistani scholar who lamented that all of Karachi had no researcher with working knowledge of classical Persian and Arabic!

Nitish is saving Patna. Who'll save the sub-continent's cultural legacy?

Psst! Khudha Bakhsh was not just a bibliophile but also chief justice of the Nizam's Hyderabad. He lived with his beloved books and died with them. The library is still within his home -- Khuda Bakhsh fittingly remains buried within the complex.

Autonomous status for PMCH likely

PATNA: Bihar CM Nitish Kumar has indicated that the Patna Medical College might get the status of an autonomous institute.

He gave this indication while inaugurating the 85th Foundation Day of the college and 25th Patna Medical College Alumni Association function on the college premises here on Thursday.

Nitish said it is up to the doctors to decide about its form. He asked the PMC alumni to constitute an advisory committee comprising eight to ten members and hand over their proposal to health minister Nand Kishore Yadav and principal secretary (health) C K Mishra for consideration. "Even NRI Alumni can give their suggestions to the advisory commitee. Their physical presence is not important. They can send their suggestions through internet," the CM said.

Nitish also agreed to provide adequate funds for construction of a guest house at PMCH, a long pending demands of the doctors and the alumni association. "The demand is for a six-room guest house on the PMCH premises. I would ask the authorities concerned to get constructed a 10- room guest house on the hospital premises. There would be no dearth of funds for the purpose," Nitish said amidst thunderous applause from the doctors. He, however, asked the PMC authorities to get the guest house constructed close to the Ganga as the visitors could get an opportunity of sight-seeing.

Nitish said from next fiscal the patients would be able to avail of free radiology and pathology tests at the PMCH as at primary health centres (PHCs) and district hospitals.

Nitish, however, had a piece of advise for the doctors particularly the younger ones. He urged them to maintain peace and keep themselves cool. "The image of Bihar is fast changing. If doctors engage themselves in brawls, it will send a wrong signal," he said.

Nitish said the people are now inquiring about state's development. Even US ambassdor and Japan consulate general are inquiring about Bihar's mantra of development. He said he never beleived in accepting awards. The awards given to him either by ET or by NDTV is meant for the people of the state, he said.

"The award is not for me. It is for the people of Bihar, who are now developing through their hard work," he said adding that the state government would observe March 22 as "Bihar Divas".

Others who addressed the gathering included health minister Nand Kishore Yadav, BJP Rajya Sabha member Dr CP Thakur, principal secretary (heath) C K Mishra, organising committee chairman Dr D K Choudhary, PMC principal Dr D D Gupta, organising secretary Dr Jitendra Kumar Singh and alumni association president Dr Manju Geeta Mishra.

Bihar : From Worst to Near First

By Jason Overdorf

NEWSWEEK

Published Feb 12, 2010

From the magazine issue dated Feb 22, 2010

For centuries, it seems, the northern Indian state of Bihar has been plunging downhill. Once the seat of one of the world's most glorious empires, the state was first devastated by colonial policies that enshrined feudal landlords, then shunned by a succession of Indian governments, and finally riven and destroyed when the seeds of caste and class conflict matured into a small-scale civil war in the 1970s. As the militias of upper-caste landlords clashed with revolutionary guerrillas fighting for the oppressed, and caste-based political agitations threw up a series of incompetent and allegedly corrupt governments, state services ground to a halt, highways disintegrated, bridges crumbled, and career criminals ascended from the back rooms of party offices to take seats in the state legislative assembly, and even the Indian Parliament itself. By the 1990s, brazen and deadly highway robberies put an end to traveling after nightfall, and as business activity plummeted, kidnapping for ransom was declared the state's only growth industry. The so-called Republic of Bihar—viewed as a criminal fiefdom beyond the purview of the government of India—was effectively a failed state. "Institutions had collapsed," says Nand Kishore Singh, a member of the upper house of Parliament. "Law and order had come to a grinding halt."

This January, however, Bihar posted some stunning statistics that go a long way toward confirming that, since taking office in 2005, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has done the impossible. Despite the economic crisis and three years of droughts and floods, Bihar posted 11 percent average annual economic growth over Kumar's five years in office, making it the second-fastest-growing state in India, the second-hottest major economy in the world after China. In what were once impassable badlands, the administration laid 6,800 kilometers of roads, built 1,600 bridges and culverts, and cut journey time in half in many areas. Car sales eclipsed kidnappings, as crimes by roving bandits fell steadily from 1,297 to 640 and kidnappings for ransom dropped from 411 to 66 between 2004 and 2008. In a state that many Delhi residents once feared to visit—despite its allure as home to Bodh Gaya, the site where the Buddha attained his enlightenment—the number of foreign tourists shot up from 95,000 to 356,000 over the past two years.

These figures were so astounding that critics lost no time in belittling them. How could backward Bihar be growing nearly as rapidly as booming Gujarat, a longstanding leader in industries ranging from textiles to pharmaceuticals? The economic growth in Bihar stems from state spending, not investment, many pointed out. All Indian states collect and report their own economic figures to the Central Statistical Organization, and Kumar must have cooked the books in Bihar, others alleged. Those charges are almost certainly wrong. There's a small margin for error. But large-scale reporting fraud is unlikely, and things have indeed changed dramatically in Bihar. "We never had a functioning state—neither before independence nor after independence," says economist Shaibal Gupta, who heads the Asian Development Research Institute in Patna, the state capital. "Under Nitish Kumar, for the first time the state started functioning marginally. And with the improved functioning of the state, things have dramatically improved."

Kumar's nascent success represents more than just the light at the end of the tunnel for one failed state. It could be a guide for other states that are struggling with many of the same issues. Almost 20 years ago, after a visit to a site in Bihar where a guerrilla army of untouchables had slaughtered a village of landlords with harvesting sickles, the travel writer William Dalrymple bemoaned the collapse of Bihar. But he also suggested that the state was not so much backward, as India's newspapers often described it, as it was forward: a trendsetter for the rest of India that presaged ballot-rigging, caste-based social upheaval, and the criminalization of politics as national phenomena. This dismal view appeared to be correct, as India's vaunted democracy descended into simple caste-based gerrymandering, knee-jerk -"anti--incumbency" made mockery of the accountability that free elections are meant to enshrine, and an ever-increasing number of alleged gangsters made their way into the national legislature. "In the '80s and '90s, there was a wave of caste-related politics, where development didn't seem to matter," says Baijayant "Jay" Panda, a member of Parliament from Orissa, a state that has faced similar problems. "But I think that was a phase. We have matured as a democracy. Voters today are going beyond those concerns and looking at issues like good governance and development and electoral promises being kept."

Like his main rivals, Kumar, 58, is a career politician, who served three terms as a minister in the central government since the late 1980s. A teetotaler known for his simple lifestyle, he has a reputation for probity that propelled him to the helm of Bihar's government in 2005. Because he did not appear to have amassed any fortune or to have used his position to bring any family members into the usually lucrative business of politics, voters perceived him as outside the established patronage system. In a state that had been dominated by politicians catering to an alliance of the Muslim and middle-caste Yadav vote, Kumar set out to build a "coalition of extremes" that includes the high-priest and warrior castes and voters from among the erstwhile untouchables. Even as he did so, however, he sent voters a message that he was more committed to developing the state than protecting his caste fellows, and that he would end the 15 years of increasingly hostile class war under Lalu Prasad Yadav, a charismatic demagogue who as chief minister exploited lower-caste hatred for the state's unreformed feudal landlords. With a brio worthy of Falstaff, Yadav had enshrined his relatives and caste fellows in positions of power, and observers blamed him for his cronies' excesses. His brothers-in-law, Sadhu Yadav and Subhash Yadav, for instance, have figured in police investigations of the alleged embezzlement of millions of dollars in flood-relief funds and the alleged abduction and torture of an official of one of India's state-owned banks. Neither has been convicted of any crime. Lalu himself was accused of complicity in the embezzlement of millions of dollars in state funds intended for fodder, livestock, and farm equipment, for which he was in and out of jail several times before he was acquitted of amassing "disproportionate assets" for a man of his position in 2006.

Kumar changed the rules. He reversed Bihar's plunge into chaos by doing something that was highly unusual in the state—and indeed in all of India: he focused on competence over patronage. To improve delivery of government services, Kumar broke the long trend of overcentralizing state powers, and delegated more financial and administrative powers to officials in the field. He updated archaic rules that made civil engineers seek minister-level approval to spend absurdly low amounts of money. These moves eliminated the huge backlogs of simple matters piled up on senior officials' desks. He also reestablished the cabinet meeting as a weekly event, held every Tuesday, where in years past the cabinet sometimes did not meet for months.

Kumar then redefined the basic functions of institutions, essentially requiring offices to do the work they'd been assigned. He ended the widespread "transfer industry," which sold coveted bureaucratic posts to the highest bidders, and handpicked bureaucrats known for their competence. He ensured them that he would honor the set three-year tenure of postings rather than shuffling them around before they could deliver. One such official built 259 bridges and turned around a loss-making state-owned infrastructure firm during his three-year watch; as a reward, he's been charged with building the state's new roads and hospitals. To speedily fill thousands of vacancies in the police force that had left the state at the mercy of criminals, he tapped already trained personnel from among the state's ex-soldiers—who in India retire in their 40s. He publicly supported the police after they made high-profile arrests of criminals who had previously enjoyed political protection. Those jailed included not only a member of Parliament from the state's main rival political faction (who had dared the state police chief to arrest him on live television) but also an assemblyman from Kumar's own party who had made his own TV spectacle, threatening to have a group of reporters killed for filming his drunken altercation with the staff of a local hotel. Kumar managed to redress the state courts' abysmal conviction rate by instituting fast-track courts and working with the judiciary to focus on career criminals' most easily prosecuted offenses to ensure that they swiftly found themselves behind bars. The moves resulted in nearly 39,000 convictions between 2006 and 2009, compared with an average of less than 10,000 in previous decades. Those convicted included a dozen state legislators and members of Parliament like Mohammad Shahabuddin, Pappu Yadav, and Munna Shukla, all three of whom are now serving life sentences for crimes including kidnapping, intended murder, and murder.

Rebuilding the police and courts has reaped clear economic benefits. Now rickshaw drivers say they earn more money because people are traveling after 8 p.m. Shopkeepers say their take has increased because they no longer have to bribe the police or pay off local thugs. By retooling the bureaucracy in charge of implementing state projects, Kumar has been able to boost spending on government programs. Bihar's outlays on projects ranging from building roads to training new primary-school teachers rose from $320 million in 2001 to $3.5 billion last year, significantly outpacing the growth in central government funding for Bihar. "Earlier, the funds were not even reaching to the district level," says Manoj Rai, Delhi director of the Society for Participatory Research in Asia. "If you take the old quote that out of one rupee, only 15 paise reaches to the people, in Bihar, it was not even reaching to the district [administrators] from the state." Among other things, that increase meant more -teachers—more than 100,000 added in the primary schools since Kumar took office—and better oversight of doctors and staff working at rural health centers. Primary-care centers that used to see 30 patients a month now see 3,600—because people have a reasonable expectation that the doctors have shown up for work.

Still, Bihar continues to rank dismally on every major social indicator, and there are few signs that the poorest of the poor have benefited much from the new economic growth. More than half of Bihar's 82 million people live below the poverty line, compared with about 40 percent for the rest of India; both the infant-mortality rate and -maternal-mortality rate are higher than the national average; and some 70 percent of the state's inhabited areas are not linked by motorable roads.

Bihar's course correction may well mark a watershed moment for India. At a time when coalition politics limits centralized control, the nation needs competent, accountable provincial governments to continue its emergence as a global power. There are similarly encouraging signs from other local and regional leaders. Delhi's Sheila Dikshit has staved off her opponents by successfully tackling pollution and improving city infrastructure; Gujarat's Narendra Modi has retained power by attracting investment and creating jobs, despite his alleged role in deadly Hindu-Muslim riots in 2002; and Orissa's Naveen Patnaik has won an unprecedented third term in one of India's laggard states by improving law and order, stimulating industry, and cracking down on corruption. The common thread is that political leaders are realizing that anti-incumbency and gerry-man-der-ing aren't insurmountable: they can win reelection by delivering economic development and ousting the corrupt or incompetent from their parties' dockets.

Because of his state's longstanding reputation as a basket case, Kumar, perhaps more than any other, has shown that even India's darkest corners can make progress against crime, corruption, and caste- and creed-based demagoguery. In recent days, Kumar faced a rebellion from within his own party that may illustrate one of the costs of dismantling the patronage system. But if he can hold onto power in the state elections this fall, and perhaps even if he can't, the trendsetter state will confirm that India's democracy and its voters have reached a new stage of evolution.

"Whether he wins or loses, the signal has gone out very clearly," says PRIA's Rai. Kumar's predecessor, Lalu Yadav, "used to say development does not help you to win elections. Now the same man has started using development jargon." Whoever takes office next term will have to do it on the promise of electricity, roads, and jobs, and they'll be accountable for their promises now that Kumar has broken the perception that all politicians are the same and change is impossible. "Politically, Kumar has won," says Rai. "Electorally, he may lose. But that's not important." What's vital is that India's most backward state is now finally moving forward.

Find this article at

http://www.newsweek.com/id/233502

मुख्यमंत्री जी, बड़ी जालिम है शराब

पटना : शराब की बोतलों की काली कमाई ने उत्पाद विभाग की कौन कहे, मुख्यमंत्री सचिवालय के आला अधिकारियों को भी अपने इशारों पर नचाना शुरू कर दिया है। दरबार से जुड़े एक जदयू नेता को चार जिलों में देसी शराब का ठेका देकर करोड़ों की कमाई कराई गई। इस मामले में उत्पाद मंत्री ने पहले मुख्य सचिव को पीत पत्र लिखकर और उस पर कोई कार्रवाई नहीं होने पर मुख्यमंत्री को नौ पन्नों का पत्र लिखकर विभाग में पिछले चार सालों से हो रहे करीब पांच सौ करोड़ के घोटाले को उजागर करते हुये इस पूरे मामले की जांच निगरानी विभाग या महालेखाकार से कराने की सिफारिश की है। उत्पाद मंत्री की अनुशंसा पर सिर्फ आयुक्त का तबादला कर सरकार मामले को रफादफा करने की उच्चस्तरीय साजिश में जुट गई है। सूत्रों के अनुसार उत्पाद और मद्य निषेध मंत्री जमशेद अशरफ ने गत 16 सिंतबर को ही मुख्य सचिव को पीत पत्र लिखकर इस घोटाले की निगरानी विभाग से जांच कराने का प्रस्ताव दिया था। चूंकि इस घोटाले में मुख्यमंत्री सचिवालय के कई आला अधिकारियों की संलिप्तता है इसलिये जब कोई कार्रवाई नहीं हुई तो उत्पाद मंत्री ने 14 जनवरी को गंगा की लहरों पर हुई कैबिनेट की बैठक के दौरान नीतीश कुमार को अपने हाथों से नौ पृष्ठों का यह पत्र सौंपा। मुख्यमंत्री सचिवालय से जुड़े कुछ अफसरों पर लगेइन गंभीर आरोपों के बावजूद सरकार ने इस घोटाले की जांच निगरानी विभाग को नहीं सौंपी। हां,उत्पाद आयुक्त का अवश्य तत्काल तबादला कर दिया और मामले की लीपा पोती के लिए जांच विकास आयुक्त नवीन कुमार को दे दी गयी। सूत्र बताते हैं कि मंत्री ने विकास आयुक्त की जांच पर भी संदेह जाहिर करते हुए दूसरा पीत पत्र भेजा ह,ै जिसमें सदस्य राजस्व पर्षद एसपी केशव से मामले की जांच कराने का आग्रह किया गया है। एक्साइज एक्ट में सदस्य राजस्व पर्षद ही ऐसे मामलों में सक्षम जांच पदाधिकारी होता है। मुख्य सचिव को लिखे पीत पत्र में मंत्री ने इस ओर संकेत किया है कि वैसे लोगों को देसी शराब निर्माण एवं आपूर्ति का ठेका दिया गया, जो ब्लैकलिस्टेड थे। कई लोगों ने गलत शपथ पत्र के आधार पर निविदा पा ली, तो कई ने संबंधित वांछित कागजात जमा ही नहीं किये। ठेका दिये जाने से पूर्व जब कागजात जांच की बात कही गयी, तो अफसरों ने समयाभाव का बहाना बनाया। संचिका संख्या 3सी, 5-220/07 के पृष्ठ 78 टी पर मंत्री ने इस बाबत टिप्पणी दर्ज की है। पटना और कैमूर के जिलाधिकारी ने शराब निर्माता कंपनी रावती इंटरनेशनल प्रा. लि. तथा स्पाइसी विभरेज प्रा.लि., पटना सिटी पर सरकारी उत्पाद राजस्व बकाया होने की जानकारी दी थी, लेकिन 2012 तक के लिए इन कंपनियों को देसी शराब आपूर्ति का ठेका दे दिया गया। यह सरकारी नियमों की अवहेलना है। इस पत्र में मंत्री ने स्वीकारा है कि कई बार विभाग के अफसरों ने उनकी औकात भी बतायी। इन संदर्भो से जुड़ी संचिका जुलाई में ही मांगी गयी, लेकिन नहीं दी गयी। यही हाल स्पि्रट आवंटन की उन संचिकाओं का हुआ जो पीत पत्र संख्या 744 के द्वारा मांगी गयी थीं। हद तो तब हो गयी जब राज्य बिवरेज कारपोरेशन द्वारा विदेशी शराब के क्रय मूल्य के निर्धारण में पायी गयी अनियमितताओं की जांच निगरानी एवं महालेखाकार की संयुक्त टीम से कराने के आदेश पर कार्रवाई के लिए संचिका ही मंत्री के समक्ष उपस्थापित नहीं की गयी। इस संदर्भ में मंत्री ने दोबारा पीत पत्र संख्या 401, दिसंबर 2008 के मार्फत फाइल मांगी थी। मंत्री को तब भी निराश होना पड़ा जब छोआ के चौर्य व्यापार को नियंत्रित करने के लिए मंत्री स्तर पर छापेमारी के संदर्भ में फाइल नहीं मिली। यही हाल डिस्टलरीज निर्माताओं द्वारा शराब निर्माताओं से अधिक मूल्य लेकर ब्लैक प्राइस पर बिक्री की शिकायत से संबंधित फाइल मांगी गयी। अकेले बिहार बिवरेज कारपोरेशन में डेढ़ सौ करोड़ से अधिक का घोटाला हुआ है। भ्रष्ट अफसरों ने राज्य में छोआ की खपत का आकलन किये बिना छह लाख क्विंटल छोआ 13 रुपये सस्ते में उत्तर प्रदेश को बेच दिया और जब राज्य में इसकी कमी होने लगी तो वहीं से मंहगी दर में मंगा कर सत्तर लाख की नाजायज कमाई की। इस तरह बिहार के खजाने को करोड़ों रुपये की चपत लगाई।

साभार : दैनिक जागरण , पटना संस्करण - प्रथम पृष्ठ - १२ फरवरी , २०१० .

Irafan Alam

राष्ट्रपति बराक ओबामा से मुलाकात से पहले सम्मान फाउंडेशन के संस्थापक इरफान आलम की अपने ड्रीम प्रोजेक्ट को एनसीआर और दिल्ली के शहरों में उतारने की योजना है। कॉमनवेल्थगेम्स को ध्यान में रखकर फाउंडेशन इन शहरों में तमाम लक्जरी सुविधाओं वाले रिक्शे उतारने का खाका तैयार कर चुका है। फिल्हाल ऐसे रिक्शे देश में सर्वाधिक विदेशी सैलानियों के आने के लिए चर्चित बिहार के बोधगया में दौड़ रहे हैं। ऐसे ही रिक्शे का पटना की सड़कों पर हाल में अमेरिकी राजदूत टीमोथी रोयमर ने लुत्फ उठाया था।

इरफान आलम के रिक्शा क्रांति की धमक देश ही नहीं विदेशों तक पहुंच चुकी है। सम्मान फाउंडेशन के निदेशक के दावे पर यकीन करें तो अभी बिहार, झारखंड, उड़ीसा आदि प्रदेशों की सड़कों पर यात्राियों एवं रिक्शाचालकों की विशेष सुविधाओं वाले तकरीबन साढ़े तीन लाख रिक्शे चल रहे हैं। इस कड़ी में 12 फरवरी को मध्य प्रदेश के मुख्यमंत्री शिवराज चौहान जलबलपुर में ऐसे रिक्शों को हरी झंडी दिखाएंगे।

सम्मान फाउंडेशन ने अपना यह खास प्रोजेक्ट पहली दफा 2006 के अंत में गाजियाबाद में शुरू किया था। इसे लेकर उन्होंने एनसीआर के बाकी शहरों में कुछ गतिविधियां भी शुरू की थीं। इस बीच बिहार के मुख्यमंत्री नीतीश कुमार क्े बुलावे पर 2007 में फाउंडेशन अपना सारा काम समेट कर पटना चला गया। यहीं से देश के दूसरे हिस्से में इरफान अपने रिक्शा क्रांति को फैला रहे हैं। वह रेक्शा चालक का चयन कर उन्हें पंजाब नेशनल बैंक से फाइनांस करवाते हैं।

अब फाउंडेशन का इरादा दिल्ली और एनसीआर के शहरों में अपनी कामयाबी की गाथा लिखना है। सम्मान के निदेशक कहते हैं इसके लिए नोएडा, गाजियाबाद, गुड़गांव, फरीदाबाद, रोहतक और दिल्ली के शहरों में सर्वे और रिक्शा चालकों की पहचान का काम पूरा हो चुका है। उन्हें फाइनांस कराने की संस्था के सहयोगी पीएनबी के रोहतक डीवीजन से वार्ता अंतिम दौर में है। अमेरिकी राष्ट्रपति बराक ओबामा ने इरफान आलम को उनके रिक्शे के खास इजाद और इसके पीछे के आर्थिक गणित से प्रभावित होकर मुलाकात के लिए उन्हें अमेरिका बुलाया है। मार्च के 26-27 तारीख को उनकी ओबामा से भेंट होनी है। इरफान कहते हैं इससे पहले एनसीआर और दिल्ली के शहरों में सम्म्मान के खास रिक्शे दौड़ने लगेंगे।

-गुड़गांव: 500

-फरीदाबाद: 500

-दिल्ली: 1000

-नोएडा: 500

-गाजियाबाद: 1000

-रोहतक: 300

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रेक्शे में सुविधा

बोतलबंद पानी

आईस बॉक्स

हिंदी, अंग्रेजी अखबार

मोबाइल रिचार्ज कूपन की सुविधा

फर्सटएड

रिक्शाचाल के लिए सुविधा

एक लाख का दुर्घटना बीमा

पैसेंजर का बीमा

बचत के लिए बैंक खाता

खाने के लिए मेस

रात के ठहरने को बसेरा

-पीएनबी से रिक्शे के लिए फाइनेंस सुविधा

-18 महीने में लोन चुकाने की व्यवस्था

एक नजर इरफान आलम पर

-बिहार के बेगूसराय में जन्मे

-पांडेचेरी से एमबीए

-आईआईएम-ए

-जीटीवी के बिजनस बाजीगर का खिताफ प्राप्त

-1996 में सम्मान फाउडेशन की स्थापना

-नेशनल इनोवेटिव फाउंडेशन अहमदाबाद व निंबकर अग्रीकल्चर रिसर्च इंस्टटयूट महाराष्ट्र के साथ काम

-महताब सिद्दीकी निदेशक सम्मान फाउडेशन: एनसीआर और दिल्ली में रिक्शा क्र ांति मार्च के अंत का अमली रूप ले लेगा। दुनिया की यह पहली संस्था है जो असंगठित रिक्शा चालकों के आर्थिक एवं सामाजिक उत्थान के लिए काम कर रही है।

Amitabh Srivastav : Uncorking the Bottle in Bihar

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar doesn't have a sales degree, but he has been an extraordinary salesman nonetheless, hard-selling Bihar as a dream business destination with a confidence that may even put a certain Rocket Singh to shame. Somewhat incongruently, Bihar's army of make-believe managers seems reluctant to highlight all success stories that Sushasan Babu, as Nitish is known, has delivered during his reign. For instance, the state's spirited success story, which shows stupendous revenue earnings from liquor sales, registering a staggering 350 per cent growth in the last four years. The revenue generated from the new liquor policy, however, found only a brief mention and that too on the last page of the state Government's report card titled Development with Justice that was released last year. Perhaps because it does not fit under either of the two banners Nitish claims he was game for, development or justice.

While the NDA Government may be shying away from claiming credit for the astounding revenue generation, the figures explain it all. In 2008-09, the amount generated as excise revenue was Rs 749.15 crore, which marked almost 40 per cent increase in realisation over 2007-08 and for the current financial year, the target is Rs 950 crore. In 2004-05 when Rabri Devi-led RJD government was in power, the state earned a mere Rs 272.47 crore as revenue from excise duty.

The turnaround in revenue happened under the Nitish regime which introduced the new excise policy in July 2007. For the first time, the settlement (legal permission to run a liquor shop at a particular location) of all types of retail excise shops was allowed through lottery in the state. The policy, which was purportedly introduced to eliminate the state's liquor mafia, and double revenue collection from sales, has ultimately ended up in providing more opportunities for consuming liquor. The new policy has so far not only almost doubled the number of liquor shops in the state, but it has also allowed opening of composite shops selling foreign and country liquor (even in village panchayats), besides legalising serving of liquor on their premises, if the vend owners pay an extra 10 per cent on the licence fee. The state today has close to 5,000 liquor junctions, meaning that each district has over 100 liquor shops, all of which are doing roaring business.

Bihar today has gradually started resembling a bar with liquor vends operating from almost all neighbourhoods and men sitting on the roads, drinking at shops and even at workplaces, eateries, almost anywhere; they are keeping their date with Bacchus and guzzling away with gusto at the expense of others. In an apparent zeal for maximising profit, the Government has even allowed these shops close to religious and educational institutions, and also in residential localities. The liberal liquor policy has not only made alcohol easily available and encouraged sales, but has also created social problems in plenty. High on alcohol, drunkards disturb the law and order situation in the neighbourhood. Last year, a group of alcoholics even attacked a deputy superintendent of police, Dilip Jha, in Patna when the officer asked them not to consume liquor in the open. There are other instances as well when the police had to arrest shop owners and tipplers for disturbing the peace close to an educational institution.

Though various citizens' groups have vehemently opposed this new policy, the state Excise Department that was earlier indifferent, has now been forced to reconsider some steps, following the Patna High Court's recent order whereby it directed relocation of an 'ON' liquor shop in Patna's Srikrishna Puri area after residents objected to its continuance. Such shops are a nuisance as they serve as roadside bar of sorts where people can drink in the open.

The high court passed the order following a report of a lawyers' committee that noted that the residents were against the continuance of liquor shops in their locality. "The high court has also agreed to look further into the matter. It has directed the state Government to obtain reports from district magistrates whether the excise rules were being followed in letter and spirit. The Government has to file a counter affidavit in this regard," says senior advocate SBK Mangalam.

The high court acted on a Public Interest Litigation that was initially a complaint filed by seven housewives from Patna-Asha Lal, Madhuri Devi, Rajni Kesari, Manjula Srivastava, Kiran Narayan, Sudha Sinha and Sunita Devi--objecting to the location of an 'ON' liquor shop in their neighbourhood and approached the court in July 2009. Mangalam, who represented the petitioner's, quotes various Excise Act rules to claim that state authorities too have openly violated many statutory provisions of the excise rules while granting licences to liquor shops in the state. "The high court's order giving decisive pre-eminence to citizens' consent in the location of a liquor shop is a defining moment. Now, government authorities across the state will have to mention in black and white if a particular shop has been approved by residents or not," he claims.

What the lawyer leaves unsaid is that this can make Nitish Government's overzealous excise policy fall flat on its face; as practically no shop has been settled in Bihar--now or before--by following all provisions of the Excise Act. For instance, Rule 48 of the Act stipulates that a prior notice must be circulated among residents to seek their concurrence before allowing settlement of a liquor shop in that area. The rule also has an elaborate list of places (bathing ghats, educational and religious institutions, hospitals, petrol pump, railway station, labour colony and places of public resort) close to which a liquor shop cannot be settled. "Over a dozen liquor shops which were earlier located near schools and temples have already been relocated," says Mangalam. Observers believe that the excise authorities have flagrantly violated many rules.

Social scientists, on the other hand, determine more pertinent economic and social factors with Bihar's growing obsession with the spirit. Though unemployment levels are high, thanks to the new policy, liquor is now affordable and easily available at one's doorstep. The social impact has already begun to be felt, especially in rural areas where the consumption of liquor by teenagers has risen. According to the Bihar Economic Survey, the share of revenue from country-made liquor in both 2006-07 and 2007-08 was more than what Indian Made Foreign Liquor generated during this period.

Traditionally, drinking was never really an integral part of Bihar's rural landscape despite its feudal hang-ups, but the recent spurt in availability of spicy country liquor is enticing the poor to splurge on it as an escape from depressing realities and in turn fall prey to it. Though the per capita consumption of liquor in the state is on the rise, the Excise and Prohibition Department still seems to be indifferent. The argument is that the new policy would help eliminate illicit liquor trade and there would be no spurious wine left in the market. This hasn't happened so far, as spurious liquor claimed six lives in November last year alone, and now with liquor being served freely, more innocent lives are at stake.

The Government, however, seems viewing the issue with soft bifocals. The state Excise Minister Jamshed Asraf appears hooked to Bihar's potential to "double the existing revenue." A section of activists, however, say that though the Government claims to spend the revenue generated from liquor sales on the welfare programmes, it seems to be ignoring the fact that the social fabric is under strain and citizens' health can be a casualty, thanks to free-flowing liquor. The state, however, counters the problem of alcoholism with dismissive sarcasm and black humour. Though the Excise Department commands a prominent position in terms of maximising revenues wherewithal, Nitish appears far from emulating his mentor, the late Karpoori Thakur, who had introduced prohibition during his tenure as the chief minister in 1977.

Bihar for ban on export of casein, milk powder

Patna, Jan 23 (PTI) Bihar government today asked the Centre to immediately ban the export of casein and milk powder, besides effecting an increase in their export duties as pre-emptive measures to prevent milk scarcity in the country.

Although the availability of milk was adequate and there was no threat of an immediate price hike, the Centre should be proactive in discouraging the export of casein and the raw material for cattle feed to cool down prices of milk and milk products, Deputy Chief Minister S K Modi, who heads a cabinet sub-committee in Bihar to keep a watch on escalating prices of essential commodities, told PTI today.

The export of the casein and milk powder should be banned with immediate effect, he said.

"Their export duty should also be raised to discourage large-scale export as a pre-emptive measure to prevent scarcity of milk in the country, he said.

Bihar SEB signs purchase pact with NTPC

Bihar SEB signs purchase pact with NTPC

PATNA: The Bihar State Electricity Board (BSEB) will purchase about 1,900 MW power daily from three subsidiary units of National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) from 2012, official sources said on Saturday.

A purchase agreement to this effect was signed by the BSEB on Friday with Kanti Bijli Utpadan Nigam Ltd, Nabinagar Power Generating Company Private Ltd and Bharti Railway Bijli Company Ltd — joint venture companies of NTPC, the sources said.

The agreement would be implemented in a phased manner from 2012, they said.

Under the agreement the State would purchase 1,900 MW additional power from these units on an average everyday, they said. — PTI

MoU between IIT-Patna and UNICEF

Patna: IIT-Patna and UNICEF today signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to address issues related to improvement of the lot of the children in Bihar.

The MoU agreed to support each other on issues like conducting research on social issues, developing management information system for social programmes aimed at improving the socio-economic status of children and women in the state.

Director of IIT-Patna, Prof Anil K Bhowmick said the partnership with UNICEF would go a long way in improving the socio-economic status of women and children in Bihar.

Speaking on the occasion, officer-in-charge of UNICEF said the software and information techonolgy expertise available with IIT-Patna would be useful in enhancing the efficency of various social sector flagship programmes being implemented in Bihar.

Nalin Verma : Nitish smart steps to tackle attacks

Patna, Jan. 20: In election year, Nitish Kumar has adopted a different, yet pragmatic, approach to counter attacks by the Opposition and dissidents within the party.

Whenever he is the target of political attacks, Nitish spends time with his people away from Patna.

Yesterday, when JD(U) dissidents, led by Prabhunath Singh, were protesting against Nitish’s alleged apathy towards upper caste Rajputs, the chief minister was away amid the very same people in north Bihar’s Vaishali.

If sources close to Nitish are to be believed, he will be away in some other part of the state when Lalu Prasad’s RJD observes a Bihar bandh against price rise and corruption on January 28.

In fact, the chief minister has planned visits in different districts in the run-up to the Assembly polls due later this year. “It is Nitish’s way of countering his opponents,” state JD(U) chief Lallan Singh said.

Nitish returned here last night after spending four days in different parts of Vaishali district. “In a way, he has launched the election campaign silently and smartly, well in advance. He will offer people whatever he wishes to, as the model code of conduct is still far away,” said a JD(U) leader.

Nitish, too, made it clear that he would not take much notice of his opponents’ activities in Patna and would rather concentrate on the issues besetting the people at the grassroots level.

Typical to his style, he did not utter a single word either about the dissident activities or RJD-LJP’s agitation. Rather, he concentrated more on the Rs 431-crore development programme that he started in Vaishali. “The Centre should carry out fresh excavation in Vaishali,” he said, adding: “It will bring to the fore many historical realities.”

Emboldened at the three-fold rise in the number of foreign tourists in the state in the past four years, Nitish said: “Bihar sites have more potential than other states to draw tourists and pilgrims from across the world for it has been the land of Gautam Buddha and Mahaveer.”

On the RJD-LJP’s scheduled agitation and rebellion by Prabunath, he said: “My government is doing the work it is supposed to do for the people. Let the opponents do their work. The people will eventually judge our actions.”

Buddha relic to be shifted to Vaishaligarh

Patna, Jan 18 (PTI) In a bid to put an end to a controversy over shifting of a Buddha relic in Bihar, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has said the relic will be shifted to Vaishaligarh museum after making elaborate arrangements for its safety there.

"I have never been averse to shifting the Buddha relic from Patna to Vaishaligarh... I want elaborate arrangements to be made for its safety before taking the step," Kumar said.

At present, the relic is at the Patna museum under high security cover.

"The Buddha relic will not be kept here... Vaishali has the legitimate right over the relic. After all, the relic is the heritage of Vaishali. It has been kept in Patna for its safety only," he said while laying the foundation of development projects to the tune of Rs 431.26 crore in Vaishali district yesterday.

Bihar can be the next top IT location: Deputy CM Modi

BANGALORE: Bihar, till recently the perpetual back-bencher of India when it came to development, has recently spun a success story by clocking a

growth rate of 11.03% in 2008-09. Biharis, who had left their state are walking back home as job prospects turn promising and the IT sector there offers them just what they are at present enjoying elsewhere in the country, deputy chief minister of Bihar, Sushil Kumar Modi told ET in an interview. Excerpts:

How will Bihar sustain its growth momentum?

We have received proposals worth Rs 1,33,000 crore from a number of industries, which we hope will take shape in the next one year. For the current fiscal, we have targeted a plan expenditure of over Rs 16,000 crore. We will focus on the IT sector as soon as our IT policy which offers a number of incentives to entrepreneurs, is implemented. There are a large number of IT professionals from Bihar working all over the world.

Bangalore alone has some 1.25 lakh engineers from Bihar. As the cost of living is rising in cities like Bangalore , IT companies are now looking to tier-1 and tier-2 cities such as Patna and Jaipur. Because Bihar has a large IT manpower, we are making efforts to make it the second IT destination after Bangalore. We are already in discussions with many IT companies to start their offices in the state.

What about the availability of skilled labour in Bihar?

There was a severe shortage of engineers , doctors and other professionals , as many of them had drifted to other states or abroad in search of jobs. The scenario is changing now as hundreds of these professionals are coming back and new jobs are opening up. Migration of labourers has also come down drastically, due to which states like Punjab, Haryana and Mumbai are feeling the heat because reverse migration is impacting their agriculture sector.

These labourers are getting jobs in Bihar as sectors like construction, tourism, hospitality and retail are expanding. Earlier, jobs had disappeared, infrastructure was chaotic and lawlessness was widespread. Some 10,000 businessmen left Bihar in the last 15 years. Now, businessmen are not leaving the state and many are returning.

What are the steps being taken to make Bihar tech-savvy ?

We are at present computerising all the government departments which will make processes like e-filing and e-returns more easy. Various e-governance initiatives starting from the panchayat level to state government headquarters are taking shape and it will take another six months to be completed. Now, an inter-tax payment system is being introduced by the sales tax and excise departments. And thousands of centres will be available through this.

What are the investments being planned for education sector?

There are proposals to build 19 superspeciality medical colleges, 23 engineering colleges and a couple of management institutes in five years. The government has recruited around 2 lakh teachers and plans to invest around Rs 10,000 crore in education.

In '70, a bullet missed him by a whisker

PATNA: Had it not been for a CPM sympathiser who took an assassin’s bullet, veteran Marxist leader Jyoti Basu, who passed away in Kolkata on Sunday,

The life-threatening attack on the CPM patriarch took place on March 31, 1970, at the Patna railway station as he got down from the Delhi Express train. A shot was fired no sooner CPM workers gathered around the compartment to welcome Basu. A CPM worker called Ali Iman, who had just then stepped forward to shake hands with the then deputy CM of Bengal, got hit by the bullet and died on the spot.

‘‘The incident shocked Basu and the bouquets he was holding fell from his hands,’’ recalled CPM activist P K Shukla. Shukla wasn’t present at Patna Junction that day but he attended a meeting addressed by Basu later the same day.

 

Courtsey : The Times of India , Patna

मेडिकल कालेजों में सुधार को आगे आए डाक्टर

पूर्व केन्द्रीय स्वास्थ्य मंत्री एवं प्रसिद्ध चिकित्सक डा.सीपी ठाकुर की पहल पर पटना के कुछ नामी डाक्टरों ने मेडिकल कालेजों में सुधार लाने का बीड़ा उठाया है। ये डाक्टर विभिन्न मेडिकल कालेजों का दौरा करेंगे और उनमें व्याप्त कमियों से मुख्यमंत्री नीतीश कुमार को अवगत कराएंगे। पद्मश्री डा.ठाकुर ने इस संबंध में रविवार को आयोजित बैठक की अध्यक्षता की। बैठक में पद्मश्री डा.गोपाल प्रसाद सिंहा, पद्मश्री विजय प्रकाश, आईएमए के उपाध्यक्ष डा.सहजानंद सिंह, इंदिरा गांधी आयुर्विज्ञान संस्थान के निदेशक डा.अरूण कुमार, डा.बीके चौधरी, डा.शीला शर्मा और बिहार राज्य स्वास्थ्य सेवा संघ के संयोजक डा.अजय कुमार ने भाग लिया। बैठक में मेडिकल कालेजों की वर्तमान स्थिति की पर चर्चा के अलावा इन्हें बेहतर बनाने के उपाय पर विमर्श हुआ। तय हुआ कि मुख्यमंत्री नीतीश कुमार से समय लेकर उन्हें मेडिकल कालेजों में व्याप्त कमियों से अवगत कराया जाएगा। इस बीच ये डाक्टर विभिन्न मेडिकल कालेजों का दौरा भी करेंगे और उनमें व्याप्त कमियों को सूचीबद्ध करेंगे, ताकि सरकार को इससे अवगत कराया जा सके। चिकित्सकों का मानना है कि डाक्टर मेडिकल कालेजों की जरूरतों को बेहतर ढंग से समझ सकते हैं। इस कारण बैठक में मेडिकल कालेजों की स्थिति सुधारने के लिए सरकार से डाक्टरों की एक विशेषज्ञ कमेटी गठित करने के लिए अनुरोध का निर्णय लिया गया। सरकार से यह भी कहा जाएगा कि इस विशेषज्ञ कमेटी की अनुशंसाओं को हर हाल में लागू करने के मान्य समझा जाए।

माटी से जुड़ेंगे कर्नाटक के बिहारी

कर्नाटक में बसे बिहारी अब अपनी माटी (बिहार) से जुड़ेंगे। बिहार सरकार ने उन्हें बिहार फाउंडेशन का बेंगलुरु चैप्टर मुहैया करा दिया है। उपमुख्यमंत्री सुशील कुमार मोदी ने रविवार को इस चैप्टर का उद्घाटन किया। उनका दावा रहा कि साहचर्य की भावना विकास को उछाल देगी। उपमुख्यमंत्री कोषांग द्वारा पटना में जारी विज्ञप्ति के अनुसार श्री मोदी ने उद्घाटन के दौरान बिहार व कर्नाटक के बीच ऐतिहासिक संबंधों का व्यापक चर्चा की। उन्होंने इसे और प्रगाढ़ बनाने की बात कही। बोले-बिहार के पास समृद्ध ऐतिहासिक विरासत है और कर्नाटक आधुनिक तकनीकी विकास से परिपूर्ण है। ऐसे में दोनों के पारस्परिक सहयोग से संतुलित विकास के नये युग की शुरूआत हो सकेगी। उन्होंने अपनी सरकार के चार वर्षो के कार्यकलापों की खासी चर्चा की। कहा-पूरी दुनिया ने इसे संज्ञान में लिया है। हमारा विकास दर हमारी मशक्कत का परिणाम है। प्रदेश में कानून का राज स्थापित है। बेंगलुरु चैप्टर के अध्यक्ष अमर कुमार पांडेय ने कहा कि चैप्टर दोनों प्रदेशों के बीच सांस्कृतिक, आर्थिक व तकनीकी सहयोग के नये अध्याय की शुरूआत करेगा। तमाम प्रवासी बिहारी इस संस्था के माध्यम से बिहार के विकास को तत्पर होंगे। इस अवसर पर मुख्यमंत्री के परामर्शी (निवेश) एस.विजय राघवन, विकास आयुक्त नवीन कुमार, फाउंडेशन के मुख्य कार्यपालक पदाधिकारी विवेक कुमार सिंह आदि ने भी अपने विचार व्यक्त किये। उन्होंने कृषि आधारित उद्योग, शिक्षा, विद्युत, पर्यटन, समाज कल्याण, आईटी आदि क्षेत्रों में सहयोग की अपील की।

बिहार सरकार की उदासीनता का परिणाम थी कोसी की तबाही

बिहार सरकार की उदासीनता का परिणाम थी कोसी की तबाही

 बिहार के प्रधान महालेखाकार (पीएजी) ने 2008 में कोसी नदी के तटबंध टूटने के लिए राज्य सरकार को दोषी ठहराया है। तटबंधों के टूटने से आई बाढ़ ने लाखों लोगों को बेघर कर दिया था और कई लोग मारे गए थे।



आधिकारिक सूत्रों ने शुक्रवार को बताया कि पीएजी ने अपनी रिपोर्ट में कहा है, बिहार के जल संसाधन विभाग ने संरक्षण कार्य में तत्परता में कमी दिखायी जिसके कारण 2008 में नेपाल में कुसाहा में कोसी के बांध में दरार आयी।



नियंत्रक और महालेखापरीक्षक के अंदर आने वाले पीएजी कार्यालय ने अपनी रिपोर्ट में कहा है कि जल संसाधन विभाग ने बांध प्रभाग और बीरपुर के पूर्वी कोसी तटबंध प्रभाग के उन प्रस्तावों को स्वीकार नही किया जिसमें कमजोर बांधों के संरक्षण की बात थी। इसमें 2008 के बाढ़ में बह गए बांध भी शामिल थे।



बांधों को दुरूस्त करने के बजाए विभाग ने निर्माण कार्य को 11 जगहों से समेट कर 12.8 किलोमीटर से 13.6 किलोमीटर के बीच केवल पांच जगह कर दिया और ग्रामीण इलाकों में बांधों को मरम्मत करने का तो विचार ही नही किया।

साभार : हिंदुस्तान दैनिक , पटना

डीजीपी ने पहुंचायी गरीबों तक कंबल की गरमाहट

डायरेक्टर जनरल आफ पुलिस आनंद शंकर, वरीय आरक्षी अधीक्षक विनीत विनायक और सिटी एसपी मनु महाराज के साथ शहर में गरीबों के बीच कंबल बांटने के अभियान पर निकले। इस दौरान उन्होंने कहा कि जनता के सहयोग के बिना अपराध पर नियंत्रण संभव नहीं है। उन्होंने ऐसे अभियानों से पुलिस की छवि में सुधार की उम्मीद जताई। पुलिस मुख्यालय से रात साढ़े दस बजे के आसपास निकला पुलिस अधिकारियों का काफिला सीधे पटना जंक्शन स्थित हनुमान मंदिर पहुंचा। यहां फुटपाथ पर खुले आसमान के नीचे सो रहे लोगों को डीजीपी ने उठाया। कैमरों के फ्लैश की चौंध और आसपास पुलिस अधिकारियों का हुजूम देख कड़ाके की ठंड में मुंह तक चादर लपेटे लोग एक बारगी घबरा से गये। फिर सवाल आया। क्या नाम है। यहां ठंड में क्यों पड़े हो? डीजीपी को कोई जवाब नहीं मिला। उन्होंने फुटपाथ पर उकड़ू बैठे वृद्ध के शरीर को कंबल में लपेटा और आगे बढ़ गये। फिर फ्रेजर रोड में युवा आवास के ठीक सामने आकाशवाणी की चारदीवारी से सट कर सो रहे लोगों में कंबल बंटा। यहां से कारवां गायघाट की तरफ बढ़ गया। चौराहे से पहले जेटी और फिर उत्तर की तरफ झुग्गी झोपडि़यों तक कंबल बांटे गये। यहां पुलिस महानिदेशक आनंद शंकर ने पुलिस कर्मियों को अपने वेतन से लोगों की मदद करने को कहा गया है। बोले, यदि विकसित देशों की तरफ पेट्रोलिंग के लिए पचास हेलीकाप्टर भी उपलब्ध करा दिये जाएं तो भी पुलिस और आम लोगों के बीच अच्छे संबंधों के बगैर अपराध पर लगाम संभव नहीं होगी। इस व्यवस्था को कानून के दायरे में स्थायी बनाने का प्रयास किया जाएगा। उन्होंने शहीदी पुलिसकर्मियों के परिजनों के लिए एक निजी संस्था द्वारा की गयी पहल की प्रशंसा भी की।

साभार : दैनिक जागरण , पटना