4maithil

Sahitya Nabh Kavya Goshthi 2014

2014-10-15T05:59:00.002-07:00

Sahitya nabh organized a kavya gosthi on the occasion of Hindi divas(14 september 2014) in Delhi(India). A video in which manoj kumar 'mathil' recite his poetry on this occasion. You can also watch all video of the same on sahitya nabh official youtube channel.

प्रेमिका के दरवाजे पर प्रेमी ने खाया जहर

2013-12-31T20:35:00.000-08:00

नये साल की पूर्व संध्या पर प्रेमिका के घर शादी का ख्याब लेकर पहुंचे प्रेमी को निराशा हाथ लगी तो उनसे खुद को खत्म करने की ठान ली. उसने प्रेमिका के घर के सामने ही जान देने की कोशिश की. इसके लिए उसने सबके सामने जहरीला पदार्थ निगल लिया. पहले उसे कटरा पीएचसी में भर्ती कराया गया. हालत बिगड़ने पर उसे पीएमसीएच रेफर कर दिया गया. मामला कटरा के यजुआर गांव का है. प्रेमी के पास से मंगलसूत्र व अन्य गहने मिले हैं. माना जा रहा है, इन्हें वह अपनी होनेवाली पत्नी के लिए लेकर आया था.

जानकारी के मुताबिक, कटरा थाना क्षेत्र के यजुआर गांव निवासी गणेश ठाकुर (27) गांव की ही एक लड़की से प्यार करता है. मंगलवार की देर शाम वह मंगलसूत्र, टीका सहित अन्य आभूषण लेकर उसके दरवाजे पर शादी करने पहुंच गया. वह प्रेमिका के घर पर हंगामा करने लगा. इस पर लड़की के परिजनों ने उसके साथ धक्का-मुक्की भी की. उसके हंगामा करने पर कटरा पुलिस को मामले की जानकारी दी गयी. गणोश ठाकुर बार-बार शादी करने की जिद पर अड़ा था. प्रेमिका के इनकार करने पर उसने झोले से जहरीला पदार्थ निकाल कर मुंह में रख लिया.

थानाध्यक्ष रमण कुमार ने बताया, पुलिस जब मौके पर पहुंची, तो वह बेहोश था. उसके झोला से सिंदूर व आभूषण मिले हैं. उसे इलाज के लिए स्थानीय स्वास्थ्य केंद्र लाया गया. डॉक्टरों ने बताया कि उसने कोई अत्यंत जहरीला पदार्थ खा लिया है. उसके पैर के मोजा से पुलिस ने सल्फास की गोली भी बरामद की है. डॉक्टरों ने उसे बेहतर इलाज के लिए एसकेएमसीएच रेफर कर दिया, जहां उसकी हालत गंभीर बनी हुई थी. इस बात की जानकारी नहीं मिली है, आखिर कब से उक्त युवती से गणोश प्यार करता था. साथ ही युवती भी गणोश से प्यार करती थी या नहीं. पुलिस पूरे मामले की छानबीन कर रही है.

Women auto drivers in Bihar

2013-12-31T03:40:00.004-08:00

In a rare first steering towards change and empowerment, women auto drivers are motoring towards empowerment in Patna. Many of them have now become bread earners for their families.

"We wait outside schools and colleges and students are glad to see women auto drivers," an auto driver Sarita Pandey said.

It all began when the Patna auto-rickshaw association began training 35 women of which 15 were selected in the first phase. With a license and bank loans of 1.5 lakh to 2 lakh, they were soon zooming on the streets of Patna. A monthly income of Rs 12,000 to 15,000 leaves enough room to repay the EMIs of Rs 4000.

Straight out from the confines of their homes, it's a daring entry into a male bastion which many females would not dare to take up. "People stop our autos and tell us that this is not a woman's job," auto driver Sarita Pandey said.

However, their presence has given a sense of security to women travelers and has been regarded as a welcome step for women commuters. Only families with women are allowed to uses these autos. "We feel safe leaving our homes in autos and driving on the streets," a passenger Anita said.

The new auto drivers also share the credit of the initiative with their families. "My husband has been very supportive otherwise it wouldn't have been possible," an auto driver Namita said.

Patna auto-drivers association feels elated for having taken the initiative that has given these women a new freedom. "It is challenging for women to drive autos and get on the road. We were certain to implement it." President Patna auto-drivers association Raj Kumar Jha said.

It's a welcome trend and these new fast lane girls on the streets are inspiring many more to join the tribe taking the number of women drivers in the city from 12 to 50 in just a month.

Dozens killed by train

2013-08-19T07:24:00.001-07:00

At least 37 people have died after being hit by an express train while crossing the tracks in the Indian state of Bihar.
An angry crowd is said to have beaten the driver and set two coaches on fire after the train came to a stop.
The people killed were mostly Hindu pilgrims on their way to a local temple.

man held for allegedly trying to poison handpump

2013-08-10T06:46:00.003-07:00

A man was held on Saturday for allegedly trying to poison handpump in a school in a village under Parasbigha police station area in Bihar's Jehanabad district, a police officer said.

The villagers found man, later identified as Munna Ansari, moving in a suspicious manner in the primary school premise in Godiha village and beat him up mercilessly by suspecting that he was there allegedly to poison handpump, the superintendent of solice (SP) Shayali Dhurat said.

Dhurat said that she and the District Magistrate Md. Sohail rushed to the village with police force after being informed about the incident and rescued the man from clutches of angry villagers who were refusing to hand him over to cops.

Apparently determined to teach Ansari a lesson, the villagers pelted stones on the police force in which two police officers, identified as Parasbigha SHO Samrat Singh and Shakurabad SHO Vinod Kumar, sustained injuries, she said.

The police lathicharged on the mob before safely rescuing him from the custody of the villagers, Dhurat said.

She said that Ansari, a native of Ghughri village under Jamalpur police station area of Khagaria district, has been taken to a hospital for medical check up and his belongings were being searched to find out whether he was carrying chemicals or related materials with him.

Dhurat confirmed that some eatables like Sattu (floured gram) and guava have been recovered from the suspect's possession.

It may be mentioned that incidents of suspected poisoning of handpumps in schools have taken place in several districts with hundreds of students taking ill in the past fortnight prompting the state government to order a probe.

55 girl students taken ill in Bihar after drinking water in school

2013-08-02T08:05:00.002-07:00

Fifty-five girl students were today taken ill after drinking water from hand pump in a government girls' school in Tharhar village in Bihar's Sitamarhi district.

The girls studying in Kasturba Gandhi Vidyalaya fainted soon after drinking water from a hand pump, Block Education Officer (BEO) Shahjanand said.

While 48 sick girls have been taken to the Primary Health Centre (PHC) at Runnisaidpur block, the remaining seven were rushed to the Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital (SKMCH) in Muzaffarpur, he said.

The condition of those girls undergoing treatment at the PHC was said to be stable, Shahjanand stated.

It could be a suspected case of poisoning, sources said.

Senior district officials reached the school to probe the matter.

Eleven students of a government school fell ill after drinking contaminated water during their midday meal in Bihar's Saran district yesterday just a day after 150 others reported sick after eating at school in Jamui and Arwal districts.

Twenty three students of Dharmasati Gandaman primary school in Saran district had died after eating poisonous midday meal on July 16.

Bihar midday meal tragedy

2013-07-18T06:30:00.002-07:00

The principal of the government school in Saran district where 23 children died after eating contaminated midday meal is on the run.

It has emerged that the free food served to children in the school did not undergo any quality check.

Meena Devi, the principal of the school, is absconding along with her husband and the police are conducting raids at their possible hideouts, Saran district magistrate Abhijit Sinha said.

The grocery from where the items for the midday meal were brought belonged to Meena's husband, it has been stated.

The principal, against whom an FIR has been lodged, has already been suspended by the state administration.

Meanwhile, the death toll in the tragedy rose to 23 after it came to the knowledge of the district administration on Thursday that one child was buried by family members without keeping the authorities informed.

24 children and a woman cook Manju Devi were under treatment at the Patna Medical College and Hospital.

No arrests have been made two days after the incident, as a mass grave outside the primary school at Dharmasati Gandavan village where the dead were buried bore mute testimony to the tragedy.

"This school will not run ... we will not allow it," said Rakeshwar Mahato who lost his granddaughter in the tragedy. "This is where our children were murdered," he said, defending the decision to bury the children just outside the school premises as a mark of protest by the families.

Amardeep Sinha, principal secretary, Bihar said the case seemed to be one of "poisoning of food" and not "food poisoning."

He said the State Forensic Science Laborotary (SLFL) was conducting investigations and their report would be out by Friday.

State education minister PK Sahi had said on Wednesday a preliminary investigation suggested that the food served to the children contained an organophosphate used as an insecticide on rice and wheat crops. He also alleged there was a political conspiracy to destabilise the Nitish Kuamr government.

Bihar's director of midday meal programme R Lakshamanan said inquiries into the Saran tragedy showed that standing orders like quality check of food and its maintenance by teachers and cooks were not observed at the school.

As the tragedy created a scare, he admitted that in many schools children are refusing to take food packets provided to them under the programme.

The midday meal scheme, a flagship programme of the central government, covers 70,000 schools of Bihar providing food to 1.25 crore children.

Minister attacked

Bihar minister Parween Amanullah was attacked and held up for some time by a mob in Vaishali district which was agitating over the midday meal tragedy in the state.

Amanullah, who is the minister for social welfare, was on her way to Muzaffarpur from Patna when the protesters, who had blockaded National Highway 77 near Rai Birendra College, about 5km from Hajipur town, pelted her car with stones, forcing it to halt.

"I was stopped by the mob for nearly 15 minutes before police came and escorted my car to safety ... Stones hit my car while I was sitting inside," Amanullah said.

The minister said she cancelled her programme and returned to Patna after the incident.

Vaishali SP Suresh Chaudhary confirmed the incident. The Bihar government has been under attack by opposition parties over the midday meal tragedy in Saran district which has claimed the lives of 23 children.

RJD, BJP and CPI had separately observed bandh in Saran on Wednesday.

Opposition parties have blamed the state government for the delay in rushing the victims to hospital after they were taken ill upon eating the meal.

Terror strikes Bodh Gaya's Mahabodhi temple

2013-07-07T10:30:00.001-07:00

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar was left squirming because the low-intensity blasts, triggered by suspected Indian Mujahideen operatives, occurred despite repeated intelligence alerts from central security agencies.

“It does seem like a terror attack... No (terrorist) outfit has claimed responsibility,” Union minister of state for home RPN Singh said about the string of blasts between 5.30 and 5.58am.

Buddhists from all over the world visit the temple, which has the Bodhi tree under which Buddha is said to have attained enlightenment. “The holy Bodhi tree is safe and there is no damage to it,” said Bihar director general of police Abhayanand.

The police said four blasts took place inside the Mahabodhi temple complex and three occurred at the Terega monastery, while one each were triggered near an 80-feet-tall Buddha statue and a vacant tourist bus parked close to the temple complex.

The police said two live bombs were defused in the town and a third in a village nearby. According to intelligence sources, Bodh Gaya has been in the crosshairs of Pakistan-based terrorists who want to avenge the violence against Rohingya Muslims in Buddhist-dominated Myanmar.

The improvised explosive devices were set off with timers within a 2 km radius of the 18 sq km town located about 140 km southwest of capital Patna. While IM operations are unknown in these parts, Gaya is the hotbed of Maoist activity in Bihar.

The police said two live bombs were defused in the town and a third in a village nearby. According to intelligence sources, Bodh Gaya has been in the crosshairs of Pakistan-based terrorists who want to avenge the violence against Rohingya Muslims in Buddhist-dominated Myanmar.

The improvised explosive devices were set off with timers within a 2 km radius of the 18 sq km town located about 140 km southwest of capital Patna. While IM operations are unknown in these parts, Gaya is the hotbed of Maoist activity in Bihar.

'Temple, Bodhi Tree safe'

The temple and the Bodhi Tree, under which Lord Buddha is believed to have attained enlightenment, did not suffer any damage in the blasts which shook the holy town frequented by Buddhist pilgrims from Sri Lanka, China, Japan and the whole of southeast Asia.

Security has been beefed at the temple and adjoining areas, Director General of Police Abhayanand told reporters, adding CCTV footage was being examined for leads to the terrorists.

The Intelligence Bureau (IB) had alerted the state that two terrorists, brothers originally from Bihar but based abroad in recent years, had entered the state to carry out terror attacks, according to an official aware about the intelligence input.

'IM mey be behind blast'

Last year, the Delhi Police claimed to have foiled a 'fidayeen' attack in the town with the arrest of suspected Indian Mujahideen (IM) elements to avenge "atrocities" against Muslims in Myanmar. Security agencies suspect that IM may be behind today's multiple blasts.

"While four blasts took place inside the Mahabodhi Temple complex, three occurred in Karmapa monastery, one each near near the famous 80-ft Buddha statue and at the bus stand near bypass," DIG Magadh range Nayyer Hussnain Khan said.

Union home minister Sushilkumar Shinde said two live bombs were defused in the town. A third bomb, hidden in a cyclinder, was recovered from a village near Body Gaya hours after the blasts and defused.

The Bihar chief minister demanded deployment of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) for security of the shrine.

"The serial blasts deserve strongest condemnation in strongest possible words as the perpetrators targeted the place of religious faith of crores of people with an aim to create fear among them," Nitish Kumar said.

Union home secretary Anil Goswami said in New Delhi that serial explosions inside and outside Mahabodhi Temple in Bihar were a terror attack and NIA and NSG teams have been sent for post-blasts investigations.

Medical admissions in Bihar face MCI axe over resource crunch, faculty shortage

2013-07-04T08:12:00.001-07:00

For the students of Bihar, dreams of studying medicine in the state may remain just that, a pipe-dream. The prestigious IGIMS’ admissions for the current year have been disallowed by MCI, the proposal for a medical college in Bettiah has been turned down and the Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College in Bhagalpur is under the scanner owing to resource crunch. Only the medical college in Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s home district, Nalanda has got the green signal.

IGIMS Patna which had started its MBBS programme in 2011 and would have admitted its third batch, has been told not to go ahead with the process. The MCI had to stop the admission to its MBBS programme after it found that the institute was short of resident doctors by 53 percent and faculty by 35 percent.

In the case of Bettiah Medical College, the MCI had directed the proposed medical college to come up to the standards set by it. Subsequently, MCI rejected the compliance report presented by the college management in a meeting held on June 18.

The kind of inertia that has gripped medical education in Bihar can be gauged from the fact that the government-run Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College in Bhagalpur which has been running since 1970 has an intake of only 50 students per year. To add to its woes, MCI is reviewing the college owing to the resource crunch being faced by this college.

The only silver lining in Bihar seems to be the medical college which is coming up at Pavapuri in Nitish Kumar’s Nalanda district. The college has an authorization of 100 medical seats.

Corrupt Bihar top cop's house converted into a school

2013-07-04T07:41:00.000-07:00

The Bihar government Wednesday opened a school for mentally challenged children in a house confiscated from former director general of police Narayan Mishra, convicted for amassing wealth through graft, an official said.

The school, named "Chaman" (garden) is the first such in Bihar.

"It is a unique school to impart education to mentally challenged children and it opened in the confiscated house of a top police officer," a district official said.

"More than 50 children will be enrolled in the school," the official said. According to officials, the education imparted in the school will equip the children to lead as normal a life as possible, given their mental state.

Last year, the state government had taken a decision to open the school in the house confiscated from Mishra. The 5,937 sq ft house in Rukunpura locality of the state capital was transferred to the social welfare department.

A vigilance court in 2012 had ordered the confiscation of the property, finding Mishra guilty of amassing wealth far in excess of known sources of income.

It was the first time that a police officer who had been at the helm of the state's police force was tried under the Bihar Special Court Act, 2009.

Mishra had challenged the vigilance court's order in the Patna High Court, but his petition was rejected.

A vigilance case was lodged against Mishra in 2007 for amassing assets including property valued at Rs.1.40 crore in 1984.

Mishra was suspended by the government four years ago.

Till date, the Bihar government has confiscated the houses of an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, Shiv Shankar Verma, and a treasury clerk, Girish Kumar.

Proceedings to confiscate properties of some more officials have been initiated.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar last year gave his nod for the prosecution of nearly two dozen officials.

People of Bihar is not safe in the hands of the police: HRC

2013-07-04T07:38:00.000-07:00

In a scathing comment on the police brass, the State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) has observed with 'concern' and 'dismay', that the people of the state were 'not very safe with the police'.

The BHRC made the observation in response to the director-general of police, Abhayanand's response to the commission, sought in a case of misconduct involving a sub-inspector (S-I), then posted as station house officer of Chauri police station in Bhojpur district.

As many as nine departmental proceedings had been initiated against the S-I concerned, Subodh Kumar Singh, of which, he was awarded punishment in seven. The commission had sought the response of the DGP whether it would be in public interest to retain such an officer in police service in view of his service record.

In his response to the commission, the DGP raised doubts over the jurisdiction of the state human rights commission.

He said, "The issue of retaining a government servant in public interest on account of orders of punishment passed in different departmental proceedings may not fall within the purview and jurisdiction of the SHRC in terms of the provisions of the Protection of Human Rights Act."

After a few 'general remarks' on the point of passing orders of compulsory retirement, the DGP further said, "Police officials work under several constraints and in difficult situations, which many times are life threatening. In course of performing their duties, they are at times faced with vindictive and malafide action at the hands of those who are aggrieved by their action. At times, even false cases and complaints are lodged against them."

Clarifying his stand, SHRC chairperson, Justice (retd) SN Jha said, "The objection to the jurisdiction of the SHRC overlooks the provisions of section 18(a)(ii) of the Protection of Human Rights Act, which empowers the human rights commission to recommend to the government 'to initiate proceedings for prosecution or such other suitable action as the commission may deem fit' against the person concerned."

He further said, "The query was made into the facts of the case and considering, that the officer (SI) was punished in all seven (out of nine) departmental proceedings, it cannot be said that the complaints were false. After all, punishments were awarded by the police officers themselves."

"The commission expected, that the DGP would get the matter examined at his level and make suitable intervention, but what is conveyed to the commission is a general denial as if all is well with the police organisation and no action is required to be taken against erring police officials because they work in difficult situations… If this is what the state head of the police organisation believes, the commission would observe with concern and dismay, the people of the state are not very safe with the police," concluded Justice Jha.

Jharkhand HC dismisses Lalu’s fodder scam petitions

2013-07-01T03:33:00.000-07:00

The Jharkhand High Court on Monday dismissed the petitions of RJD Chief Lalu Prasad Yadav to transfer one of his fodder scam cases to another special CBI court from the present court of Pravas Kumar Singh and examining one more witness.

The court of RR Prasad, who had on June 28 reserved the order on the pleas after Ram Jethmalani argued for Yadav, dismissed the petitions.

Prasad, who faces a judgement in a fodder scam case on July 15, filed the petition requesting transfer of RC20A case to another special CBI court as he did not “expect justice” from the present special CBI judge Pravas Kumar Singh following his alleged relationship with two Bihar-based JDU leaders, who are political opponents.

Appearing for Lalu Prasad, Jethmalani had argued before the court that the Animal Husbandry case be transferred from the court of Pravas Kumar Singh on that ground.

He also argued that that there were about 76 witnesses in the Animal Husbandry Scam but only 17 witnesses had been examined in the case and sought to examine one more witness in the case.

On June 24, Supreme Court advocate Surendra Kumar Singh had informed the special court of Pravas Kumar Singh that arguments on behalf of his client be stopped till an order by the High Court.

The CBI court has been hearing arguments for the last one month and had on June 20 directed 45 fodder scam accused, including Prasad, to complete arguments by July 1.

He has fixed July 15 to deliver the verdict on the RC 20A-96 case pertaining to alleged fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 37.7 crore from Chaibasa Treasury in the 1990s.

There are 45 accused out of 56 in the RCA/96. The rest have since either turned approver or died.

Bihar CID to probe into chopping off girl's hands

2013-07-01T03:30:00.001-07:00

The Bihar government on Monday ordered a criminal investigation department (CID) probe into the alleged chopping of the right hand of an eight-year-old girl near a railway station in Patna last Thursday.

Director general of police (DGP) Abhayanand ordered the probe into the alleged attack in a bylane near the state capital’s Rajendra Nagar railway terminal, after her mother met chief minister Nitish Kumar at his janata durbar.

Dismissing the police version that the child’s arm had to be severed by doctors at the Patna medical college hospital owing to injuries she sustained when she fell under a train, the mother sought "justice" from Kumar.

After he had heard her, the chief minister asked her to meet the DGP, who was present at the janata durbar, held as a weekly feature at Kumar’s official residence in a VVIP enclave of western Patna.

Asked how she wanted the matter to be dealt with, the victim’s mother left it to the DGP to do whatever he thought was the best way to bring justice to her family.

Thereafter, the DGP ordered the CID to investigate the matter after getting the full account of events from the complainant.

Additional director general of police (CID) AK Upadhyaya, who was present there, told reporters the agency would probe afresh the woman’s complaint in its entirety.

"Besides the allegation that the victim’s right arm was chopped off with a sharp-edged weapon soon after she alighted from a train at the Rajendra Nagar station late Thursday night, the CID would also go in the kidnapping of her brother Zulfikar Alam, 4, in May, allegedly by Bobby Khan and his men, in which the victim was a witness", Upadhyay said.

The ordering of the CID probe came even as Patna senior superintendent of police (SSP) Manu Maharaj had cited preliminary probe findings to show the severing of the victim’s right arm came about after she fell from a train.

The victim’s father, Ainul Ansari, had Thursday night’s attack near the railway station was the handiwork of Khan and his men who had earlier abducted his son Zulfikar, allegedly over a "land dispute."

Ansari had also claim the family had come to Patna to seek the DGP’s help in securing the release of his son, when the attack took place.

He had also claimed the assailants wanted to kill his eight-year-old daughter as she was the sole witness to her brother's kidnapping in May at Laheriasarai in north Bihar’s Darbhanga district, where Ansari works as a tailor.

Train hits auto, two dead in Nalanda district

2013-06-26T03:09:00.001-07:00

A special train today hit an autorickshaw killing its two occupants at an unmanned level crossing in Bihar's Nalanda district, police said.

The incident took place at Dhibra halt when a speeding train hit the three-wheeler after it got stuck at the crossing, Deputy Superintendent of Police Mohammed Qasim said.

local people staged demonstration to protest the incident and sat on the track disrupting movement of trains.

2 passengers, 1 RPF jawan killed in Naxal attack on train

2013-06-13T04:59:00.000-07:00

Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde has confirmed the death of an RPF jawan and one passenger aboard the Bihar train that came under Naxal attack.

The latest reports coming in from Bihar now indicate that three people have been killed in the attack on the passenger train. CNN-IBN reported that the dead included 1 RPF Jawan and two passengers.

No further details were immediately available. The condition of the train driver is still serious.

Bihar nod to preparing DPR for Patna metro rail

2013-06-11T19:22:00.002-07:00

Bihar moved a step closer to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's dream of a Metro train service in Patna with the state cabinet Tuesday approving the proposal to prepare a detailed project report (DPR).

Cabinet Secretary Brajesh Mehrotra told media persons here that state cabinet has selected Rail India Technical and Economic Service (RITES) for the purpose.

"RITES will prepare DPR for the Metro rail in Patna," he said.

Earlier, the state government had said that Metro rail would be a reality in Patna by 2016. The project is set to cover a distance of 40 km and is estimated to cost Rs.8,000 crore.

Rail projects in Bihar worth Rs 10,000cr delayed

2013-06-11T07:43:00.000-07:00

A slew of railway projects in Bihar worth about Rs 10,000 crore are being delayed due to paucity of funds or for other reasons.

Most of these projects were allocated to Bihar during the tenure of former railway ministers Nitish Kumar and Lalu Prasad. They include Digha-Sonepur rail cum road bridge, among the three mega bridges.

Munger rail bridge and Nirmali bridge over Kosi river in north Bihar, which have already overrun the cost due to delay in their completion and escalation of prices of steel, iron, cement and other construction materials. The Digha-Sonepur bridge, which was to be completed at a cost of Rs 1,400 crore, would now be completed at a cost of Rs 2,400 crore, if everything went on expected schedule, sources said.

The railway projects across the country, which were to be completed at a cost of Rs 36,930 crore, would now need Rs 91,902 crore due to cost overrun, incurring about 148% additional expenditure of Rs 55,000 crore, said a Railway Board official.

According to sources, the fate of two major projects - the locomotive factories at Marhaura in Saran district and Madhepura in Bihar - has been hanging in balance and already delayed by about five to six years. Although railways is keen to complete them on public-private partnership (PPP) basis, no such step has been taken so far in that direction. Recently, railways invited global tenders for kicking off these two projects but to no avail, sources said.

Though railways has already visualized Bihar as the most developed state as well as an ancillary zone of Indian Railways by the end of 2015-2016, slow progress of major projects is likely to come in the way of attaining the target, sources said, adding that Bihar is to be developed as the main hub of all major component factories, including wheel factory, electric and diesel locomotives and modern maintenance workshops.

The factories duly approved by the Planning Commission and Railway Board for Bihar include the wheel factory at Chhapra (Rs 1,417 crore), diesel engine factory at Marhaura (Rs 2,025 crore), electric engine factory at Madhepura (Rs 1,400 crore), coach maintenance workshop at Harnaut (Rs 325 crore), DEMU maintenance depot at Sonepur (Rs 15 crore), goods wagon repair workshop at Sonepur (Rs 92 crore) and wagon repair workshop at Samastipur (Rs 33 crore).

Though the Chhapra factory and coach maintenance workshop at Harnaut have been completed, they are yet to be officially inaugurated.

Encephalitis kills eight more children in Bihar

2013-06-11T07:40:00.002-07:00

Eight more children have succumbed to encephalitis in Bihar's Muzaffarpur district, taking the total deaths in the state since early May to 31, officials said Monday.

Two of the children died Tuesday.

A district health official said: "It is an alarming situation as the disease continue to kill children."

Muzaffarpur civil surgeon Gayan Bhushan said doctors and health experts were eagerly awaiting the onset of monsoon as the rains are likely to slowdown the spread of the disease.

Monsoon is likely to enter Bihar June 11 or 12.

Over a dozen children were warded in government hospitals and private nursing homes in Muzaffarpur, about 70 km from here.

The symptoms of this mosquito-borne disease include high fever, irritation and swelling in the brain.

Bihar to recruit 27,000 Urdu teachers by October

2013-06-11T07:34:00.000-07:00

With an aim to improve education for Muslims, the Bihar government on Monday announced to recruit 27,000 Urdu teachers by October this year.

The announcement was made by Education minister P K Shahi.

Notification for appointment of Urdu teachers would be issued by June 20 and examination would be conducted in September, the minister said.

Along with Urdu teachers, those for teaching Bangla language would also be recruited by the state government, Shahi said.

Principal Secretary of Education department Amarjit Sinha said the department has received Rs 500 crore additional money for opening 1000 high schools at panchayat level this year.

Work on constructing these schools would begin soon, he said.

Speeding car kills five women in Patna

2013-06-09T22:46:00.002-07:00

A speeding car crushed five women to death and seriously injured one other person in Bihar's capital early Monday, police said.

"Five women were crushed to death as a speeding car hit them," Patna Senior Superintendent of Police Manu Maharaj told.

The incident occurred near Azimchak under Gaurichak police station here.

"All the victims were identified as residents of Jehanabad district," police said.

Hundreds of people, angered by the incident, gathered on the Gaya-Masaurih Highway in protest, blocking the road and demanding action against the owner of the car.

Witnesses said the two people in the car parked the car at the side of the road and fled. Police have seized the car and begun investigations.

Father-in-law's hands chopped off in Rohtas District

2013-06-09T22:10:00.000-07:00

"The hands of Radheyshyam Singh, a resident of Bhanas village under Dinara block in Rohtas district, were chopped off by his daughters-in-law after he attempted to molest them," Deputy Superintendent of Police Krishna Kumar Singh said.

The daughters-in-law told the police that they were fed up with repeated attempts by Radheyshyam Singh to sexually molest them.

Two days ago, Radheyshyam Singh tried to molest one of his daughters-in-law as she was busy cutting vegetables.

The woman raised an alarm, and the other daughter-in-law rushed to intervene, and also told the man to keep off.

Radheyshyam then tried to molest the other daughter-in-law, police said.

"They overpowered him and chopped off both his hands with a sharp weapon (cleaver)," police said.

Radheyshyam Singh was admitted to hospital in Varanasi after initial treatment in Rohtas, police said. Police have lodged a case in this connection on the basis of the statement of the daughters-in-law.

Bihar MLA charged with murder

2013-06-09T21:57:00.000-07:00

A case has been registered against Nityanand Rai, MLA, in connection with the murder of Atul Kanan, son of former State Minister Motilal Kanan, in Hajipur, Vaishali district.

Unidentified persons gunned down Kanan late on Saturday night, sparking tension in the area on Sunday. The police are investigating the motive behind the murder.

They have registered a case under Section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code against Mr. Rai and an unidentified person, Vaishali Superintendent of Police S.P. Choudhary told.

Motilal Kanan was from the Samyukta Socialist Party and served as a minister.

Bihar Board Matric (Class 10) results 2013 declared

2013-06-05T07:00:00.001-07:00

The Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB) has announced class 10th results 2013 on Wednesday. The students can log on at the BSEB's official website- http://www.biharboard.net to check their results.

The BSEB conducts the metric exam every year in the state in which large number of students appear. The board is recognized as the largest examining body in the World and around 3 million students appear for the examination every year.

The board is established for holding and conducting an examination at the end of the Secondary School stage, for prescribing course of studies for such examination. The board also carries out such other objects and duties as may be considered necessary for the purpose as stated in the Act, Rules and Regulations of the Board.

Normally every year the Bihar School Examination Board conducts Annual Secondary School Examination in the month of February/March and Supplementary School Examination in the month of August/September on the basis of course/syllabus as prescribed by the state government.

The board also conducts departmental examinations (not on yearly basis) such as Diploma in Physical Education, Certificate in Physical Education and Teachers Training Examination on such terms and condition as laid down by the state government.

Bihar growing faster than Gujarat

2013-06-03T23:26:00.001-07:00

A new study by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham) has found the Nitish Kumar-ruled Bihar growing faster than Gujarat, though Bihar lags behind the Narendra Modi-ruled state in investment and per capita income.

According to the report, Bihar is catching up with developed states in terms of fresh investment in crucial sectors like power, although it has a huge disadvantage of laggard development in the past.

“Bihar logged in a compounded average growth rate (CAGR) of 20 per cent in public investment between March 2003 and March 2013 while this was 14.1 per cent in the case of Gujarat. Likewise, the CAGR of private investment in the same period was 104.5 per cent in Bihar and 31.9 per cent in Gujarat,” the study noted.

As per the report, the share of public investment in Bihar as on March 2013 was 50.3 per cent, while it was 27 per cent in Gujarat. On the other hand, the share of private sector in Gujarat was way ahead at 72.3 per cent while it was 49.7 per cent in the case of Bihar.

10 Sentenced to 4-6 Years Imprisonment in Fodder Scam

2013-06-03T23:20:00.000-07:00

In the infamous fodder scam the special Court of CBI sentenced ten people on Monday including former MP Dr R K Rana and former MLA Dhruv Bhagat, both close to the former Chief Minister of Bihar Lalu Prasad Yadav. Rana and Bhagat would go to jail for a term of five years and pay a fine of two and a half lac Rupees. The others were also given various periods of imprisonment ranging from four to six years and case fine were also imposed.