Bihar Project Update.

With Nitish Kumar at the helm, let us hope Bihar will get back on the road to progress.
Please share your thoughts here, whenever you find some thing positive about Bihar.
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Here is one:

http://www.business-standard.com/economy/storypage.php?tab=r&autono=101256&subLeft=1&leftnm=3
Highway authority lines up Rs 6495 cr for Bihar roads

Our Economy Bureau / New Delhi August 11, 2006

The National Highway Development Authority proposes to four-lane 890 km of highway in Bihar at a cost of Rs 6,495 crore on either a build-operate-transfer (BOT) or annuity basis.

This was communicated to a delegation of MPs and central ministers from Bihar who met T R Baalu, Union minister for shipping and road transport, here on Thursday.

The leaders from Bihar were told that of 206 km of the Golden Quadrilateral project falling in Bihar, 190 km was completed on July 31 this year.

The remaining 16 km is expected to be completed by the year-end.

It was also brought out that four contract packages have already been awarded for the stretches of the 160 km of East-West Corridor. The total cost of this project would be Rs 1,251 crore.

Bihar - major Industries:

Agriculture
Bihar state depends 90% on agriculture. The land is most fertile and produces several types of agriculture products such as : rice, wheat, maize, joe, gram, oilseeds, sugarcane, jute etc.

Several rivers such as Ganga, Saryu, Gandak, Bagmati, Kamla, Khosi etc. emerging from Himalayas mountain flow through the Bihar planes and makes them fertile. Some cannels such as Triveni, Khosi, Kamla, cannel from canada Dam, cannel from Gandak Dam, etc. helps in irrigation.
Industries based on agricultural products have enough scope i.e., sugar mills, jute mills, edible oil mills, spices and agro based industries have a good potential.

Bihar is mainly agricultural products producing state. The main large and small scale agro based industries are :

Rice Mills : Rice mills in Bauxer karbisganch in Purnia District, Araria etc.
Sugar Mills : Sugar mills located at Banmankhi in Purnia District, Bauxer, Madora in Saran District, Samastipur and Bihata in Patna District.
Edible Oil Mills : Edible oils from oil seeds are located at Araria, Banmankhi in Purnia District, Bauxer, Lakhisarai at Munger district. Top
Power
Bihar state have enough source of power from hydro electricity and thermal electricity plants as Kateya Hydro electricity power plant on Khoshi river dam, Suvarn Rekha hydro electricity project on Suvarn river etc. Top

Oil Refinery
Barauni refinery is one of the country's biggest oil refinery's at Barauni in Bihar State. The refinery is managed and controlled by Indian Oil Corporation Ltd.(IOC). Barauni Refinery was built in collaboration with Soviet Union at a cost of Rs. 49.40 crore and went on stream in July 1964. By November 1967, the initial capacity was expanded from 2 MMTPA (million metric ton per day) to 3 MMTPA. The present capacity of the refinery is 4.20 MMTPA.
The Barauni refinery of IOC is now poised for growth. With encouragement from Union Government and the IOC management, the refinery authorities worked out a scheme to modernize and expand the refinery by the end of 2000. A scheme of Rs. 2000 crore was planned to expand the capacity of the refinery upto 6 million tones per annum. In this expansion scheme the construction of Barauni-Haldia crude pipeline was completed. All the imported crude will be available to the Barauni refinery through the Haldia-Barauni crude pipeline. Top

Textiles
Bihar is the country's second state after West Bengal in Jute production and Jute textiles. Due to availability of raw jute, cheap labour, sufficient power, water and transportation in Northern part of Bihar, some Jute mills are located in this region. Jute mills are located in Karbisganj in Purnia district, Katibar, Muktapur in Samstipur district. Top

Engineering Industries
Engineering Industries are located at Dumaro in Bhojpur District, Madora in Saran District, Mokama in Patna District, Muktapur in Samastipur District (cycle factory), Mujaffarpur, Phoolwari sarif in Patna District (cycle factory), Fatuha in Patna Districts (scooter factory), Bihar Sarif in Nalanda District (cycle tyre). Railways carriages and goods factories are located at Derionson in Rohtas District, Jamalpur in Munger District, Mokama in Patna District.

Tobacco
Bihar is country's sixth largest tobacco producing state. Availability of kendu leaves and cheap labour, Biri manufacturing industries are located at Bihar Sarif in Nalanda District, Janjha in Munger District etc.

Information Technology
Information Technology is not new to the State. Activities of computerisation already started in early 90's. Till date most of the computerisation activities are being carried out by National Informatics Centre, Ministry of Information Technology, Govt. of India. Initially District Informatics Centre were established to support activities in Districts for monitoring of schemes. In addition various departments at Headquarter level have been computerized to support day-to-day decision making process. Government has taken all steps to promote IT culture through its e-governance project. Most of the departments are likely to be computerised. Initially public Interface departments such as Treasury, Commercial Taxes, G.P.F, Municipal Taxes, Land Registry, Land Records etc. are being computerized.
State government is also keen to promote IT culture through out State in order to benefit the mass through this technology. Some of the major computerization activities carried out by the State government with the technical support from National Informatics Centre, Bihar State Unit,Patna include :
Transport Computerisation
Treasury Computerisation
Finance Computerisation
GPF Computerisation
Commercial Tax Computerization
Besides all these, National Informatics Centre, Bihar State Unit has successfully computerised the elementary education under HRD Department. Created an MIS of 2 lacs of school teachers including Primary and Middle. Completed the 6th All India Census in the record time. There are many other state Govt. projects such as Land Records, Health, Commercial Tax, Science & Technology, Bihar State Electricity Board etc. as well as central Govt. Projects such as Central Excise, ROC, Provident Fund Organisation etc. which as been accepted, maintained and computerisation plan are initiated.

Economic Infrastructure:

Roads
The State is serviced by 2318 Kms. of National Highways, 4192 Kms. of State highways, 12,579 Kms. of district roads and over 69000 Kms. of other roads. South Bihar has extensive network of roads linking major industrial locations in the state. The state would also encourage private sector involvement in maintenance of roads and bridges.

Railways
The State has extensive and well developed railway system providing vital links to mining industry and tourism with important cities and ports in the country. The total rail length is in excess of 5400 Kms. Top

Airports
Patna International Airport is directly connected with Kathmandu (Nepal), New Delhi, Calcutta, Bombay, Lucknow, Varanasi & Ranchi. Air services are provided by Indian Airlines, Sahara Airlines and Royal Nepal Airlines. 39 district Head Quarters have air strips/aerodromes.
Small Air taxi/charter services are available at Patna and Jamshedpur.

Inland Water Transport
Bihar is traversed by several rivers. Some of the major rivers are the Ganges, Ghaghra, Gandak, Kosi, Damodar, Sone and Swarnarekha. Total length of rivers in Bihar is 4,414 Kms. Navigable length of rivers is 1,325 Kms.
Farakka to Buxar in the river Ganges has been declared as National Water Ways No.1. It is presently operative from Haldia to Patna. This provides access to Calcutta Seaport (417Kms) and Haldia (517Kms).

Financial
Bihar State Financial Corporation (BSFC) is the main state level institution providing term lending facilities to industrial entrepreneurs. Banks have also shown increasing interest in term lending to industrial units.

Power
Total installed capacity of the Bihar State Electricity Board (BSEB) Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC), National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC), Tenughat Thermal Power Corporation (TTPC) and Bihar State Hydro Electric Corporation (BSHEC) in Bihar is 4470 M.W. The installed Thermal and are 4120 M.W. and Hydel capacities 350 M.W. respectively.

Patna Highrise:

Biscomaun Tower 18 Floors.

http://i8.tinypic.com/24looax.jpg

http://www.***************/news2006/aug/081306/economic_plan_for_nalanda.html
Nitish Announces Rs. 500 Crore Economic Package for Nalanda
Patna: August 13, 2006 ***************

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, on Saturday, announced an economic package of Rs. 500 crore for his home district of Nalanda involving schemes to build and repair new and old roads, better health care system, improved drinking water facility and a high-tech computer center to promote the importance of information and technology in the district.

Kumar, on August 14, will lay foundation stones of various developmental project including the building of Nalanda Uddhan College, the Rs. 200+ crore rural electrification scheme, and setting up of a training center for farmers, officials said.

Other developmental projects include a Rs. 130 crore milk powder processing plant, Rs. 116 lakh road construction at Ekangarsarai, a bridge at Panchane river, and a power sub-station at Silao.

Meanwhile, a Japanese delegate is scheduled to visit Nalanda district on August 17 to study investment potential in the tourism sector.

(http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1486738.cms) Big biz eyes Bihar in big way
[ 12 Apr, 2006 0210hrs ISTTIMES NEWS NETWORK ]
PATNA: Good times appear to be in store for Bihar, finally. Some of the country's top trading and financial institutions have expressed their eagerness to give Bihar a try.

A select group of the country's top industrialists recently participated in a FICCI-sponsored meet — "Bihar Investment Promotion Campaign Programme" — in New Delhi.

In an interaction with Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, they discussed wide-ranging proposals to invest in different sectors, including the hospitality industry.

The industry bigwigs who met Nitish Kumar included Bharti Telecom (Airtel) Jt MD Rajan Bharti Mittal, hotelier Lalit Suri, Xpro chairman Siddharth Birla, Bata chairman P M Sinha and Apollo Tyres CMD Onkar S Kanwar.

Bihar's resident commissioner in Delhi C K Mishra told TOI on Monday that Indian Leasing Finance Services (ILFS) was preparing a project report for setting up a textile park in Bihar.

"Several top industrial houses, including the Birlas, have shown keen interest in the textile park project which would be a one-stop mega manufacturing centre for export items — from thread to garments," Mishra said.

"Similarly, hotelier Lalit Suri has also evinced keen interest in setting up star hotels in the Buddhist circuit, including Patna."

Some of the investors discussed the idea of town planning such as setting up projects like Greater Patna. Several others, including Fortis, expressed their desire to build and operate state-of-art hospitals in the state, said the resident commissioner.

Over a dozen prospective investors have so far submitted concrete project reports to invest in various sectors like real estate, energy, health, food processing, entertainment, roads and educational institutions. They are interested in getting land in prime locations for their projects.

Noted filmmaker Prakash Jha has already taken lead — as a facilitator — by getting Manmohan Shetty's Adlabs agree to set up a series of shopping malls-cum-multiplexes in Patna and other cities in the state.

CM Nitish Kumar is likely to lay the foundation stone of the first such project adjacent to the industrial estate at Pataliputra Colony in the state capital on April 27.
Thanks Kronik.

http://www.newkerala.com/news4.php?action=fullnews&id=5025
Nitish Kumar to make Bihar a developed state by 2015
Patna, Aug 10: Within a few days of a report being released by the Registrar General and Census Commissioner’s office that Bihar is lagging far behind the rest of the country in terms of urbanisation, State Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has resolved to make Bihar a developed state by 2015.

The official report states Bihar would hardly see any change in urbanisation levels over the next two decades, if current trends are to continue.

It clearly indicates that Bihar will remain at its low 10.5 percent urbanisation level all the way for the next ten years, and then move up only slightly to 11.6 percent by 2026. It may be recalled that the report has come six months after Nitish Kumar said that Bihar would change for the better in the next two years.

Kumar, however, says that Bihar will be able to attain the status of a developed state five years ahead of India, i.e. by 2015. Efforts are being made to make India a developed nation by 2020.

The Registrar General and Census Commissioner’s office report says that large areas of the country will become urban by 2026.

He (Nitish Kumar) claims that there is a marked improvement in the law and order situation in Bihar. --- ANI

Go Bihar :applause:

http://www.business-standard.com/economy/storypage.php?tab=r&autono=101629&subLeft=1&leftnm=3
Railways for unigauge policy to cut losses

The railways suffer an annual loss of around Rs 3,200 crore on its metre gauge and narrow gauge lines. This has now forced the ministry to take up a review of these lines to find a solution to the problem.

Apparently, the ministry is of the view that these lines should be converted to broad gauge instead of investing in renewing the tracks. According to a ministry official, metre and narrow gauge lines lose Rs 700 crore in the freight segment and Rs 2,500 crore in the passenger segment.

“The narrow and metre gauges are bleeding the railways dry,” the official said. According to the official, turnaround time on broad gauge lines was 4.75 days while in the metre and narrow gauge it was 14 days. Power consumption per 1,000 gross tonne kilometre too was way higher for trains using metre and narrow gauge lines.

According to the official, the losses due to metre and broad gauge lines was particularly high among five zones. The railways had converted loss-making lines such as Jaipur-Agra and Chittorgarh-Udaipur into broad gauge and found the experiment successful.

The ministry's assessment is that by converting these lines into broad-gauge they can reduce losses to around Rs 1,600 crore. Meanwhile, the railways has also decided to start a factory each in Chapra in Bihar and Rae Bareili in Uttar Pradesh.
The new units, which will cost the ministry Rs 1,000 crore each, are expected to start operating in three years. The factory that is proposed to be built at Rai Bareili will manufacture coaches for the railways.

According to the official, the railways will need a large number of coaches and locomotives in the coming five years, which the existing units will not be able to provide.

http://www.***************/news2006/aug/081406/nitish_declared_best_cm.html
CNN/IBN Nationwide Poll Declares Nitish at the Best CM
Patna: August 14, 2006

Just days after a very flattering letter from the Central Road Transport and Highway Minister T. R. Balu praising the Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for doing an outstanding job, a sense of jubilation swept through the members of Janata Dal (U) after a special poll conducted by CNN/IBN placed Nitish Kumar as the number one Chief Minister in the entire nation.

"This is a matter of great pride for our party and for the entire state," party general secretary Upendra Kushwaha said on Sunday. "In nine months, Nitish Kumar has shown the nation that his heart is in the development of Bihar. With his sheer doggedness and single-minded focus on issues concerning the state, he has earned the respect from people from all quarters," he said.

"It would not be an exaggeration to say that soon Bihar will become the number one state in the country," the JD-U leader said.

"Bihar, under the previous regime, was known for all the wrong reasons including high crime rate and backwardness in economic areas. Now people from other states are looking at Bihar with a new-found respect and Biharis are finally being recognized for their talent and hard work," JD-U legislator Lalan Paswan said adding the credit largely goes to the Chief Minister who is determined to extricate Bihar from its previous morass left by the 15-year old Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) regime.

The CNN IBN-The Hindu ‘State of the Nation poll’ was conducted by the Center for Studies of Developing Societies (CSDS) in 19 states with a participation of over 14,000 people including many in rural India.

While Nitish Kumar was voted in as the most preferred Chief Minister (CM) of an Indian state, Orissa CM Naveen Patnaik was ranked second, followed by West Bengal CM Buddhadeb Bhattacharya, Tamil Nadu CM K. Karunanidhi, Assam CM Tarun Gogoi, Gujarat CM Narendra Modi, Andhra CM R. Reddy, and Kerala CM V. S. Achuthanandan.

Patna Girl Wins British Open Deaf Tennis Championship
Patna: August 13, 2006

Shilpi Jaisawal, a teenager from Patna, became the first Indian ever to win the British Open Tennis Tournament for Deaf, by beating her Swedish rival Fatima Tebibel in straight sets (6-2, 6-1) in Nottingham, England, on Saturday.

Besides being a Bihari, 17-year old Shilpi, the daughter of Shishil and Preeti Jaiswal, suffers from permanent hearing loss and is not only the first Indian ever to win this tournament, is also the first Indian ever to participate in this tournament, her coach Kunal Aikat said.

Shishil and Preeti Jaiswal, the proud parents of Shilpi, said their daughter had picked up tennis at the tender age of five and has successively participated in various state and national level tournaments with much success including winning the All India Ranking Super Series at Delhi and Jamshedpur involving teens with normal hearing capabilities.

She has been ranked number one in the East Zone (Juniors) and has represented India in the under-18 tournament at the International Tennis Federation.

Patna Highrise:

Biscomaun Tower 18 Floors.

http://i8.tinypic.com/24looax.jpg

I didnt even know they had those in Bihar. How tall is it?

I didnt even know they had those in Bihar. How tall is it?

looks like 72.0 m 18 floor tallest in Patna.
known as Bihar State Co-operative Marketing Union (BISCOMAUN) Tower.

State govt generates 10% more income
[ 12 Aug, 2006 0226hrs ISTTIMES NEWS NETWORK ]

PATNA: State government has generated an income which is 14.77 per cent of the budget estimates during first quarter of the current fiscal which is 10 per cent more than the income during the first quarter of the last fiscal.

This was announced by deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi while replying to the debate on first supplementary budget and related Appropriation Bill 2006 in Bihar Legislative Council on Friday. The expenditure report was also tabled in the state assembly the same day.

Pointing out that the Plan expenditure for development was 354 per cent more than the last fiscal, Modi said during current year the Plan expenditure during the first quarter was of Rs 1338.10 crore as compared to Rs 294.60 crore during the corresponding period in last fiscal.

This is 16.33 per cent of the budget estimates, he said. Non-plan expenditure during first quarter of the current fiscal was 20 per cent more than the expenditure in the first quarter of the last financial year.

just curious...
are there any forumers from Bihar watching this thread?
your participation/contribution to this thread is most welcome!

Chanakaya National Law University inaugurated in Patna

Patna, Aug 15: The Chanakaya National Law University was on Tuesday inaugurated at a function here attended by Bihar Governor R S Gavai and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

The university, the first major institution created during the tenure of the eight-month-old NDA government, was an answer to those who claimed that nothing positive was possible in Bihar, Kumar said.

The establishment of the law university, the ninth institution of its kind in the country, in a short period of three months was a pointer to "our commitment to make Bihar stand in the front row of the developed states".
Gavai expressed the hope that the institution would produce sharp brains like the legendary Chanakaya.

The Chief Justice of the Patna High Court and Chancellor of the University, J N Bhatt, hoped the institution would gain the status of a centre of excellence in the country.

Former Union Minister and eminent lawyer Ravishankar Prasad, Advocate General P K Shahi and a host of judges of the high court were present on the occasion.
Bureau Report

http://inwww.rediff.com/newshound/bh.html
Investment proposals worth Rs 7,000 crore received: Nitish

BIHARSHARIF: The Bihar Chief Minister, Mr Nitish Kumar claimed that the effort of his Government to prepare a conducive ground for inviting investment was bearing results investment proposals worth Rs 7,000 crore had been received so far in different fie lds.

"The Government will soon grant its approval to these investment proposals", Mr Kumar said while addressing a series of public meetings in his home district Nalanda after laying foundations of 45 different schemes at an estimated cost of Rs 650 crore.

He said there had been no dearth of fund with the Government for carrying developmental works and in the case of shortage the Government would raise loan.

"The days are not far when instead of people from Bihar going outside in search of livelihood, those from outside will come to our land in search of work", Mr Kumar said. - PTI

just curious...
are there any forumers from Bihar watching this thread?
your participation/contribution to this thread is most welcome!
I am from Bihar although I have never lived in Bihar. And yes, am watching this space. Good job!

I'm in on the Bihar thread. Will definitely try to spend more time here.

Heres an article from BusinessWeek.

An Awakening In Bihar (http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/06_34/b3998416.htm?chan=topStories_ssi_5)

Every April, some 230,000 Indian youths sharpen their pencils and sit for the intensely competitive entrance exam to the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs).

After the grueling six-hour test, only 5,000 students are offered a place in the IITs. Most come from middle-class backgrounds and prepare for the exams through private coaching. But in the past few years, a small group of desperately poor, talented students have made it into the IITs, thanks to the Ramanujan School of Mathematics.

The school, named after a famous Indian mathematician, is even more intense than the IITs themselves. Located in Patna, the capital of Bihar, one of India's least developed states, the Ramanujan School trains just 30 students a year to take the IIT exam. Anand Kumar, 33, a local mathematician, and Abhayanand, 52, Patna's deputy director general of police and a lover of physics, founded the school in 2003.

They scoured Bihar's least privileged communities for 30 bright students to coach for the exam, providing free lessons and housing. They call their group the Super 30. "Intelligence is not birth-specific," says Abhayanand. In the first year, 16 of the group made it into the IITs. The next year, 22 made it. "This year," Kumar says confidently, "all 30 will get into the IITs."

Santosh Kumar, 19 (no relation to Anand Kumar), is one of this year's Super 30, and his story is typical of his classmates. He's from Dumari, a village in the Bihata district, about 22 miles from Patna. Nearly all the village's 3,000 residents scratch out meager livings as farmers. Santosh's sister and three brothers studied up to 10th grade but then returned to the fields. "Studying further required money, so that was that," he says.

For seven months, Santosh studied every morning for four hours, then sat down for a three-hour test in math, physics, and chemistry, and after a break studied three more hours. From six to nine in the evening, he attended a class in the same subjects and prepared for the next day's test until 2 a.m. His work paid off last spring, when he won a coveted seat at the IIT in Kharagpur, near Calcutta. (He ranked 3,537 out of the 5,000 students chosen.) Santosh now aims to earn a doctorate in chemistry and become an inventor. His hero is Abdul Kalam, India's current President and father of the nation's missile program. Just as important, Santosh is on track to be the first person from Dumari to graduate from university, making him a hero in the eyes of his village.

x-posting from indiansunite's post from road's thread..

Ranchi ring road to ease snarls (http://projectsmonitor.com/detailnews.asp?newsid=11894&secid=41)

Construction of a ring road in Ranchi, Jharkhand, is set to take off soon after the monsoon. The ring road is expected to ease traffic snarls in the city.
The Jharkhand government will also take up road construction work connecting the outskirts of Ranchi i.e. Kathi Tand (near Ratu on Ranchi-Daltonganj highway) and Karma (on Ranchi-Ramgarh road). This will help reduce heavy traffic on both the streets, as buses and trucks plying on Ranchi-Daltonganj, Ranchi-Gumla and Ranchi-Ramgarh routes will not enter the city.
The 23-km stretch of the ring road will pass through Kanke. The government will spend Rs 135 crore on the project. Tenders for the project have been invited and technical bids will be opened shortly.

http://i7.tinypic.com/24p05j9.jpg

Patna's most recognizable icon, Golghar. Built by the British in 1786 to store foodgrains, though that never materialized, two staircases lead you to the top of the 95-foot structure giving an unique perspective of the city and the Ganges. Photo: ***************

http://i7.tinypic.com/24p07xj.jpg

Patna Museum
The magnificent Patna Museum that boasts housing some of the oldest relics in the country dating back to the Buddha period. Photo:***************

http://i7.tinypic.com/24p9cfc.jpg

Mahatma Gandhi Setu (Patna Ganga Bridge) as viewd from Gai Ghat in Patna. Photo by Shashi Uttam

http://i8.tinypic.com/24p9j6v.jpg

Hathua Building adjacent to Hotel Maurya on South Gandhi Maidan in Patna. Photo: ***************

http://i7.tinypic.com/24p9lxz.jpg

Golghar - freshly painted picture.

http://i7.tinypic.com/24p9poj.jpg

MauryaLok Shopping Center on Dak Bungalow Road. Photo: ***************

http://i7.tinypic.com/24pa2dv.jpg

Hotel Maurya

http://i8.tinypic.com/24pav5x.jpg

New Chiraiyantand Bridge Patna

http://i8.tinypic.com/24pb4gz.jpg

Gandhi Maidan - Patna.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1910055.cms
Rlys to connect Lalu's village with his sasural
[ 20 Aug, 2006 1610hrs ISTPTI ]
RSS Feeds| SMS NEWS to 8888 for latest updates

PATNA: The native villages of Railway Minister Lalu Prasad and his wife, former Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi, would soon be connected by train under a move to expand the rail network to hitherto untouched places.

Prasad's village Phulwaria and that of his wife's- Salar Kalan- both fall under the Gopalganj district. The two "VIP" villages, which boast of a helipad, are now all set to figure on the railway map of the country, Railway sources said. "The track laying work is going on in full swing and it is expected to be completed by December this year," the sources said.

Trains chugging along the Siwan-Hathua-Bhatni route would touch Prasad's native village and his 'sasural' under Banaras division under North Eastern Railway zone soon.

A railway platform is coming up at Phulwaria. Work for laying the new tracks has been going on for sometime. But the project came into the news after some villagers cried foul over the Railways acquiring their land for the purpose.

The Siwan-Hathua-Thawe-Kaptanganj route has been changed to link Phulwaria and Salar Kalan villages.
In the changed route plan, trains would not touch Kaptangan and instead would be diverted from Hathua so that they touch Phulwaria and Salar Kalan.

The sources claimed that the change of route was decided on the basis of track-population density to benefit more people by providing train services to hitherto untouched areas.

Nitish meets PM, demands expansion of oil refinery

New Delhi, Aug 21 (PTI) Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and demanded expansion of the Barauni Oil Refinery and setting up of a petro-chemical plant there.

Kumar later told reporters that he also demanded laying of 750km roads along the state's border with Nepal.
The Chief Minister also apprised Singh of the drought situation in the State.

Condoling the death of Shehnai maestro Bismillah Khan, he announced setting up of a statue in his memory at his birthplace in Dumrao in Bihar and institution of an award to artistes in his name. PTI

this looks like both a bihar and jharkhand thread :)

Babji, I never thought #1 ranked CM in India will inspire you this much.
Keep up the good work. Personally i am learning a lot about Bihar from this thread.

Babji, I never thought #1 ranked CM in India will inspire you this much.
Keep up the good work. Personally i am learning a lot about Bihar from this thread.
Thanks Zailsingh.
Its astonishing how this land of once "the World's Greatest Educational Center" has turned out to be.

ITDC project adds to tourism boom
March deadline for visitors’ complex
OUR CORRESPONDENT The Telegraph
http://i8.tinypic.com/25aixp0.jpg
The site of the new tourist complex near Jama Masjid in Sakchi

Jamshedpur, Aug. 22: India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC), the central tourism agency, has set a deadline of March 2007 for completing the air-conditioned tourist complex at Sakchi. The dismantling of the makeshift shops close to the Jama Masjid, that had cropped up next to the Serai, the travellers’ inn, where the tourist complex would come up has been completed.

Discussions among the former deputy commissioner, Sunil Kumar Burnwal, the mosque authorities and the encroaching shopkeepers had resolved the disputes that arose due to encroachments in the area.

This will be the first such massive project undertaken by the ITDC in the state. A.B. Kumar, assistant general manager of ITDC’s regional headquarters in Ranchi told The Telegraph that the state tourism department — which has already taken several projects in Netarhat and others to woo tourists — would be funding this project.

“The state tourism department has earmarked Rs 4.7 crore for the project. The boundary wall of the tourist complex is under construction. Once that is completed, the work for the tourist complex would begin,” said Kumar.

ITDC officials pointed out that they had hired the service of a prominent architect from Patna for preparing the blueprint of the project. The site for the tourist complex (close to Jama Masjid at Sakchi) was identified in 2004. But, the project could not kick off due to local problems.

The three-storied tourist complex will have the facility of centralised air-conditioning with other necessary amenities. Elaborating on the facilities, Kumar said the tourist complex would have 21 centrally air-conditioned rooms and eight dormitories. Apart from this, the complex will also house a restaurant and a swimming pool.

The Jharkhand State Tourism Development Corporation would manage the day-to-day affairs. According to ITDC officials, the tourist complex has a fair chance of doing good business as the tariff for letting out the rooms and the dormitories to the tourists would be much cheaper when compared to hotels and other places of accommodation.

Depending on the response of tourists visiting the complex, the tourism development corporation might also think of providing private taxi services so that tourists could visit the picturesque spots in the Singhbhum region.

i just got the glance of this thread. great effort babji. i will try to do my part for this thread.

i just got the glance of this thread. great effort babji. i will try to do my part for this thread.
Sure Pding.
Hope, Nitish would stabilize and show results, so Lalu would learn a lesson or two.

News From Webindia123.com
Patna to get face-lift : Bihar Governor
Nagpur | August 23, 2006 6:48:18 PM IST

''The Rs 160-crore comprehensive beautification plan has been chalked out with a view to transform Patna, the capital of Bihar State, into the glory of Patliputra of the Buddhist era'', Bihar Governor R S Gavai said.

Addressing a meeting of citizens to celebrate 'Dhamma Diksha Swarn Mahotsav (Golden Jubilee of embracing Buddhism)' at Diksha Bhoomi here, where Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar had embraced Buddhism on October 14, 1956, Mr Gavai said Patna was originally known as Patliputra, a beautiful city in Buddhist era with roads, gardens and easily available civic facilities to the general public.

Mr Gavai, who is the chairman of the Golden Jubilee celebrations being arranged by Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Smarak Samiti, of which he is also the president, was in Nagpur to review the arrangements of the celebrations to be held from September 20 to October three.

He said Gautam Buddha got enlightenment under Bodhi tree at Gaya and traveled various places including Rajgir, Vaishali, Sarnath, Nalnda and Patliputra where Buddhist monuments are still in existence. Lord Buddha also preached 'Dhamma' to lakhs of his followers in all these places in Bihar during those days.

''Bihar is the land of Buddha and its development should not be neglected'', he said.

Mr Gavai, who recently assumed as the Governor of Bihar, said a statue of Lord Buddha would be installed at the place in Rajbhavan where he took oath of secrecy. The conference hall, guest rooms and other places in the Rajbhavan premises would be decorated with the paintings and pictures of Lord Buddha and Dr Ambedkar.

He also promised to resolve the vexed issue of Buddha Gaya Mahavihara management committee. ''Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is coordinating me in a very friendly manner to resolve the problems concerning roads, civic and educational institutions in the state and Bihar would get a new face-lift within a span of five years,'' he added.
UNI XR GB RL KN1736

http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_1774633,000900030002.htm

Bihar, which is set to recruit 234,000 teachers for its schools, has sold stamps worth Rs 50 million to aspirants.

Each applicant for the job is required to buy two stamps of Rs 6 denomination. To enable the aspirants buy stamps the postal department opened the stamp counter on Sunday, a holiday.

Twenty-five-year-old Shekhar Singh had to stand in a queue for almost five hours to get a stamp. He is among the thousands of aspirants who have applied for the job.

"I couldn't get a stamp on Sunday, so I came in early on Monday," he said.

On an average, in Bihar, stamps worth Rs 20 million are sold annually. "If the sales continue like this we would have sold stamps worth Rs 20 million by the end of the month or the first week of September, the last date for filling forms," Anil Kumar, a senior postal department official said.

Over 2.5 million applications are expected because aspirants can submit more than one application in different districts.

Meanwhile some applicants claim that there has been a shortage of stamps.

on the investment front, things are looking pretty good for bihar, last week it was the japs and this week its the brits.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1916520.cms

PATNA: Britain's High Commissioner to India Michael Arthur will be visiting Bihar on a two-day official trip beginning Wednesday to explore investment opportunities in the state.

According to official sources, this is Arthur's first visit to Bihar after Nitish Kumar took charge as chief minister.

The high commissioner will also formally launch the operations of a branch of the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) here Wednesday, said informed sources.

Arthur is scheduled to meet Nitish Kumar and Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi apart from other ministers of the state administration.

The government is likely to present a profile of investment opportunities in the state before Arthur.

Patna (a view from Golghar)

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Patna, Patliputra, Patligram, Patan…

Patna is the capital of Bihar, and one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in the world.Megasthenes(350 BC-290 BC),in his book Indica has mentioned 'The city of Palibothra( Patliputra,modern day Patna) was situated on the confluence of the rivers Ganges and Arennovoas (Sonabhadra - Hiranyawah)and was 9 miles long and 1.75 miles wide.

The modern city of Patna lies on the southern bank of the Ganges, as it flows past with the combined waters of the rivers Ghagra, Son and Gandak. At the point where the city is located, the sacred Ganges looks more sea than river: mighty, wide and never-ending.

A bustling city of 1,200,000 people, the city is approximately 15 km long and 5 km to 7 km wide.

The Buddhist and Jain pilgrim centres of Vaishali, Rajgir or Rajgriha, Nalanda, Bodhgaya, and Pawapuri are all nearby. Patna is a sacred city for Sikhs also. Their tenth and last "human" guru, Guru Gobind Singh, was born here. It is the ideal gateway for all the places on this circuit. The monuments in and around the city take one down the history to its glorious past.

Apart from being the administrative centre of the state and its historic importance, the city is also a major educational centre and medical centre.

HSBC opens first branch in Bihar
Wednesday, August 23rd, 2006 India Press Release Distribution

Patna - Multinational bank Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) opened its first branch in this Bihar capital Wednesday.

The branch was jointly inaugurated by Britain’s High Commissioner to India Michael Arthur and Naina Lal Kidwai, the country head of HSBC India.

Kidwai said Bihar, particularly Patna, had enormous business potential. ‘We see interesting opportunities for HSBC in retail banking and financial services for small and mid-level corporate entities here,’ she said.

Patna's Master Plan Sent to the Central Government
Patna: August 27, 2006

Urban Development Minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey, at a departmental meeting in Patna on Saturday, said the state government had sent the master plan for the development of Patna to the Central government for its approval and hoped work on the plan would begin within next 3 to 4 months.

The Patna Regional Development Authority (PRDA) would hold a meeting on Monday to discuss any last minute change in the plan before inviting suggestions from eminent citizens. The plan would be open to the public for ideas and suggestions for next four months before it is given the final seal of approval, Choubey said adding works would begin immediately after that.

The meeting was attended by senior PRDA officials including its vice president Sujata Chaturvedi, Chief Town Planner, and renowned architecture firm Sen and Lal.

Similar plans are being made to develop Gaya under the Jawaharlal Nehru Urbanization Scheme, Choubey said.

Higher studies hope for Bihar
OUR BUREAU (The Telegraph)

Patna, Aug. 28: Bihar’s long-standing demand for central status for one of its universities, an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) and an Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) could soon be fulfilled, notwithstanding the Centre’s unhappiness over poor spending of funds in the education sector.

“We have decided to accord the status of central university to a university in Bihar, for which Patna University is best qualified, and to open an IIT and an IIIT, also among the demands of the state,” Union minister of state for human resource development M.A.A. Fatmi said here today.

Fatmi was addressing a gathering to mark the inauguration of the regional centre (Bihar and Jharkhand) of the National Institute of Open Schooling, formerly known as National Open School, with a facility for on-demand examination at the secondary level.

The centre is the third in India after Delhi and Pune. The minister pointed that of the Rs 2,400 crore given to the state under the Sarva Siksha Abhiyan, only Rs 1,300 crore had been spent on projects related to construction of school buildings and appointment of teachers.

[URL]http://www.indianexpress.com/story/11584.html[URL]

Patna, August 28:After being threatened with dire consequences by a ruling party MLA, the manager of Hyderabad-based Vijay Electrical Ltd — engaged in rural electrification work in Bihar by the PowerGrid Corporation — has fled the state after locking its office in Aurangabad.

On the night of August 23, infamous JD(U) MLA Sunil Pandey raided the office of Vijay Electrical along with his gun-totting supporters and threatened Senior Engineer and site manager G. Venugopal Naidu with dire consequences if the company failed to pay him five per cent as ‘rangdari’ money and sub-let work to his contractor relatives. The Piro MLA has a criminal past and was recently suspended by the party for anti-party activities.

After lodging a named FIR against the Piro MLA and his associate Butas Tiwary, the local manager has gone to an undisclosed destination fearing a threat to his life. When contacted, the Project Manager (Bihar) of the company in Patna K. Kanchan Rao told The Indian Express, “We have dared to lodge a complaint with the police against the MLA and it is for them to act.” Asked about Venugopal, he said he had been temporarily moved out of Bihar for security reasons.

Sources in the company said initially they were scared to lodge a complaint against the MLA. They finally gathered courage after three days of the incident on August 26 and lodged a complaint with the town police station of Aurangabad. They were terrorised since the MLA and his men had spent around two hours in the office of the company with repeated threats of “pay or perish.”

Aurangabad SP Sushil Khopre said a case of extortion had been lodged and now the police would approach the court to obtain an arrest warrant against the MLA and his associate Butas Tiwary.

Asked about the local manager fleeing Aurangabad, the SP said: “We have offered to provide personal security to the manager but he has been called by his office for discussion and thereby the local office is closed.”

The Hyderabad-based Vijay Electrical Ltd has been awarded a huge contract by the PowerGrid Corporation across Bihar to electrify villages. In Aurangabad alone, the contract value is around Rs 80-90 crore.

The JD(U) MLA has demanded five per cent as ‘rangdari’, which comes to a whopping Rs 20 crore. Presently, the company is doing survey work in the district.

While refusing to come on record, company officials alleged that the police had failed to act against the MLA despite a complaint lodged with them some three months back. After the latest case, the company has written to all top officers — Home Secretary, DGP and the IG.

Despite repeated attempts MLA Sunil Pandey could not be contacted for his version.

[URL]http://www.indianexpress.com/story/11584.html[URL]

Patna, August 28:After being threatened with dire consequences by a ruling party MLA, the manager of Hyderabad-based Vijay Electrical Ltd — engaged in rural electrification work in Bihar by the PowerGrid Corporation — has fled the state after locking its office in Aurangabad...

this is a bad thing for the state of Bihar.
lets hope, the people of Bihar will be able to get rid of such anti-social elements.

so far Nitish has done pretty well. i saw an article on fast track courts in Bihar and heard some 30000 cases were settled since the gov't came to power. this will teach the culprits a lesson and def be a warning for those who are still exploiting the downtrodden ppl in some areas of bihar.

what are the gov'ts policies when it comes to education and literacy???? i am eager to know b/c i believe this is the only way to go if Bihar has to become developed and so also India as a whole...

Bihar to get Rs 550cr sugar complex
Press Trust Of India / Kolkata/ Patna August 29, 2006

The Bihar government on August 17 approved a proposal from Glucon Limited for setting up Rs 550-crore sugar complex at Rasoolpur in Saran district.

The state cabinet recently cleared the proposal. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, his deputy Sushil Kumar Modi and several of their cabinet colleagues attended the meeting.

The meeting also cleared a proposal from the agriculture department to provide Rs 10 as subsidy on purchase of a litre of diesel by farmers in light of the drought-like situation over a vast area in the state due to scanty rains, Cabinet Secretary A K Chouhan told reporters after the meeting.

Kumar had made an announcement about the subsidy while addressing a gathering on Independence Day. The cabinet sanctioned a sum of Rs 49.50 crore for providing the subsidy to farmers through gram sabhas, he said.

Chouhan said the cabinet sanctioned Rs 7.41 crore for reconstituting industrial centres at all district headquarters, besides regularising the temporary appointment of 238 employees in the planning department.

http://www.deccan.com/Region/RegionNews.asp
Lalu promises separate rail line for freight

Prashanti Nilayam (Anantapur), Sept. 3: The Indian Railways will lay separate rail lines for exclusively freight transport at a cost of Rs 25,000 crores, railway minister Lalu Prasad Yadav said. Speaking to reporters at Prashanti Nilayam railway station on Sunday, the railway minister said that the transport of goods is getting delayed as both goods and passengers trains run on same tracks.

Mr Lalu Prasad said that the railways is contemplating to lay separate railway lines for transport of goods on the basis of the requests and growing demand for freight transport from the a booming industrial sector in the country. The railway minister said laying of separate rail lines will cost Rs 25,000 crores for the Indian Railways.

The minister said world-class railway stations would be built in major cities. On an experimental basis, these stations would be built in three cities in Bihar, he said.

Patna: In the murky battleground of Bihar politics, it’s not surprising to find politicians leveling obscure allegations against each other.

But the latest allegation simply takes the cake. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s administration suspects that Union Railway Minister Lalu Prasad is spying on them using wireless technology.

What seems to have triggered the thought that Lalu may be eavesdropping into all the official conversation is a high-frequency wireless that set was fixed in Lalu’s house when he was in power. Though Lalu and his wife Rabri were voted out of power, the wireless instrument continues to remain there as a fixture.

The Bihar government, in a letter written to the security officer of former chief minister Rabri Devi, has asked her to return it at the earliest. “The set in his home is one kept in a control room. He can listen to every police station in the entire state with that set. This is not allowed to him,” says Bihar Home Secretary, Afzal Amanullah,
The suspicions started gathering momentum when Lalu reached an accident spot soon after the Chief Minister did. The administration was wondering how he got to know of the incident and the exact location that soon. Then they realised, that through this wireless set, Lalu gets all the information about the happenings in the state. Now the panicky state administration has ordered an inquiry into how Lalu and Rabri have retained the wireless set even after they was voted out.
---------------------
is Bihar still a Lalu Raj?

Dear Babji,
Good work on Bihar. I often wonder about the prersent state of this region, which was famous in the World for Nalanda and Vikramshila. Where have the scholars gone (or their descendents)? What are the factors for it's present condition today?

Dear Babji,
Good work on Bihar. I often wonder about the prersent state of this region, which was famous in the World for Nalanda and Vikramshila. Where have the scholars gone (or their descendents)? What are the factors for it's present condition today?
thats the main concern that made me open this thread too.
Nalanda and Vikramshila and all the great scholars have been wiped out by the Muslim invaders inorder to spread their religion in the country. then, during and after the British Raj, the cast wars (Bhumihars vs. farmers vs. have-nots) have stalled the development and scared the intellectuals out of Bihar.

what remains now is (1) the goondaraj who make fortunes by kidnappings, ransom and looting, (2) Lalu and his close knit who made a deal with the goondaraj (mutual coop) and (3) the poor and helpless people of the state.
the biggest problem at present seems to be utter lack of law and order.
according to a local, people are scared even to walk up to the corner store, for fear of kidnap or murder...
(may be a little exaggeration, but broadly thats the state of affairs...)
lets hope, the new CM would make a difference for the state of Bihar!

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1953103.cms

Patna 2021: Master Plan for mega expansion

PATNA: The Master Plan unveiled by the Patna Regional Development Authority (PRDA) for a "big and beautiful Patna" like Mumbai and Delhi by 2021 has some startling facts and figures.

While the present Patna urban area consisting of Patna municipal area, Danapur Nizamat, Danapur cantonment and their outgrowth is 135 sq km, it is projected to expand to 333.2 sq km.

The urban area has to grow to cater to the needs of a poulation of 46.97 lakh by the year 2021. The number of house holdings, which was estimated to be 3.75 lakh in 2001, will rise to 7.82 lakh.

Here are some projections:

The existing planned residential area in Patna is 8938 hectares. It is proposed that it should rise to 14,609.57 hectares.

The planned residential area in Patna is 641 hectares while for apartments it is 242 hectares. Unplanned residential-cum-commercial areas come to 8013 hectares apart from 42 hectares of slums.

By 2021, according to the Master Plan, the face of the city will change dramatically. There will be 8014.70 hectares of residential area, 514.9 hectares of commercial area, 1073.91 hectares of community area, over 3000 hectares of green land, 1709.44 hectares of internal roads and 88.74 hectares of infrastructure area.

However, the existing land occupied by administrative offices of the government, educational and medical institutions, religious, archeological and historical sites and graveyards and cremation ghats which is currently over 691 hectares, is proposed to be reduced to 68.24 hectares.

The area for clubs, cinema halls, theatres, parks and playgrounds is to be increased from 224 to over 990 hectares. There is a proposal for 60 metre-wide roads in Patna occupying a space of over 681.98 hectares, apart from 800 hectares of 30 and 20-metre wide roads.

The Master Plan speaks of building a North-South Activity Corridor for public-semi public use, which is an expansion of the present node comprising the secretariat, assembly, high court, various central and state government offices and semi-government instiutions within the present PMC area.

This corridor will have a 60-m wide road which will be connected to Gaya Road near Punpun river.

This corridor will have offices, hospitals, hotels, security establishments, heritage park among other things. The area will have limited residential area -- 25 per cent at the maximum. It also speaks about building an East-West Activity Corridor to house commercial and related activities.

The Plan also speaks about the need to develop Maner and Fatuha as satellite towns and also develop Hajipur and Sonepur in order to shift the population pressure coming to Patna urban area.

It also lays stress on development of five industrial growth zones and 10 small economic zones across the state for uniformity in development.

Lalu-Rabri 'returning' security gadgets

PATNA: Reacting angrily to an order of the Bihar Police on replacing the powerful wireless set with a low-frequency one at their residence, state leader of Opposition Rabri Devi on Saturday said that she and her husband Railways Minister Lalu Prasad would "return" all securitymen, bullet-proof vehicles, personal staff and other facilities provided by the state government if it failed to take back its decision.

''Enough is enough. We cannot allow the state government to mete out step-motherly treatment to us. We will be returning all the facilities we have been enjoying from the state government,'' an angry Rabri Devi said.

In a statement issued to the press earlier in the day, Rabri Devi asked the state government to immediately restore the powerful wireless set or otherwise "withdraw" all the facilities enjoyed by them from the government under the Bihar Special Security Act, 2000 and Bihar Special Security Group Rule, 2000, saying "the people of the state would take care of their security".

Rabri's angry outburst is believed to have been caused by Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi and state Home Secretary Afzal Amanullah's statement defending the decision to withdraw the powerful wireless set saying the state government would not allow any one "spying" using such gadgets.

Alleging the order was "discriminatory" as the State Special Security Act, 2000 provided for foolproof security to former chief ministers on par with the Chief Minister, Rabri Devi said the office of the Director General of Police had written a letter to the security in-charge at her residence 10, Circular Road, informing that the "old and powerful" wireless set was being replaced with a low-frequency one.

''The new one is just powerful enough to ensure that conversation is possible between two moving cars and one can use it for talking to the police control room in the state capital from a distance of at the most 10 km. This way we, who are facing threats from Naxalites and anti-national forces, will not be able to speak to police stations across the state while on the move in case of emergency,'' she said.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1953103.cms
This is a great news for Patna and Bihar.
Hopefully, this would give big boost to team Nitish Kumar.

News From Webindia123.com
Gaya turning into a favourite tourist destination
Gaya | September 04, 2006 3:10:09 PM IST

Gaya, the famed city in Bihar is emerging as the new destination for both domestic and international tourists, a majority of them being pilgrims.

With the airport being developed and upgraded to handle international flights, Gaya is expected to boost its revenue from tourism sector very soon. Presently, the city is turning into one of the favourite spots for international tourists. While majority of the tourists arriving here belong to Thailand and Sri Lanka, there is a gradual rise in the number of visitors, with tourists from as far as Australia, America and Japan visiting the place in the recent times.

"A lot of tourists have come here. All the facilities are here already. This is the place of Lord Buddha. Presently we have tourists from Thailand, Sri Lanka, America, Japan, Taiwan, and Australia. But we have more tourists from Sri Lanka and Thailand," said Shiraj Ahmed, a tour operator.

Many new hotels have also come up in and around Gaya to accommodate maximum number of tourists suiting almost everyone's budget. "In Bodhgaya, there is accommodation is available for everyone. Tourists can get an accommodation in any kind of budget," said Virendra Singh, Manager, Hotel Royal Residency.

Gaya's proximity to Bodhgaya, a place where Prince Gautama got enlightened under a banyan tree (Bodhi tree), is also drawing many international visitors. Bodhgaya is believed as one of the most important and sacred Buddhist pilgrimage centres. While the magnificent Mahabodhi temple and the tree from the original sapling is still standing in the temple premises, the temple represents an architectural amalgamation of many centuries, cultures and legacies of heritage.

"Gaya is known as the land of Lord Buddha. So, people do visit Bodhgaya. But people also make it to Gaya for its natural beauty," said Swami Raghavacharya. A relatively calm place, it has gained attention of a lot of tourists. "It is a nice city. Very calm and peaceful," added Yohana, a tourist.
The Mahabodhi Temple complex is one of the four holy sites related to the life of the Lord Buddha, and particularly to the attainment of his enlightenment.

Emperor Asoka built the first temple in the 3rd century B.C., and the present temple dates from the 5th or 6th centuries. It is one of the earliest Buddhist temples built entirely in brick, still standing since the Gupta period.

Located 100 kms from Patna, Gaya city also holds a great significance to Hindus. Gaya is also visited by a lot of Hindus to complete the last rites with "Pind Daan" for their deceased family members after one year of his or her death.

As per Hindu tradition, a person belonging to Hindu religion visits Gaya after one year of death or bereavement in his family Pind Daan (or, last offering to the dead). The rituals are performed at Lord Bishnu Pad Padma and other sacred places in Gaya. (ANI)

Ratan Tata to explore investment in Bihar
Tuesday September 5 2006 00:00 IST
IANS

PATNA: Tata Group chairman Ratan Tata is to meet Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar later this month to discuss investment possibilities in the state, officials said on Monday.

The Tata chairman is expected to visit Bihar on Sep 21. According to officials, Ratan Tata is visiting the state on an invitation from Nitish Kumar.

Tata will be the first chief of any major private sector corporate house to visit Bihar after Nitish Kumar came to power in November last year. The state investment board has directed officials to identify the specific sectors suitable for Tata's possible investment.

Kids out, Police in - Bihar Schools ...

Patna: Children usually fear teachers when they go to school but in many schools in Bihar, it’s the police that the children are afraid of.

They have been forced to attend their lessons outside the classrooms because their classrooms have been taken over by the Bihar Police, who are now using it to catch up on their beauty sleep. And this is not a one off case. Children from across the state face inconveniences because the policemen have occupied the school premises.

"The police don't allow us to play," a student, Sanoj Kumar says.
"We can't use the toilet because of the police," another student Indu Kumari says.

After voicing their complaints several times, even the teachers are now at a loss. "The police have captured two rooms. So much money was spent in building the classroom but now the policemen are sleeping there peacefully," a teacher, Kamleshwar Singh says.

Meanwhile, the government has promised to look into this problem. "We've planned many meetings to resolve this problem," Bihar Education Minister, Brishan Patel says. Even though the government has held several meetings, no action has been taken so far.

Where's the party tonight? In city clubs
Dipak Mishra [ 2 Sep, 2006 0259hrs ISTTIMES NEWS NETWORK ]

PATNA: With the law and order in the state arguably improving under the new NDA regime and more and more people joining late-night parties, clubs of Patna are tuning themselves to the changed times.

An underground bar, a half-Olympic (25X13 metre) swimming pool, a new restaurant, a modern health club and guest rooms with five-star facilities are all included in the new projects coming up in the city clubs.

"We are also working on the modalities of corporate membership," said Ashok Gupta, a member of the Board of Directors of Bankipore Club. The 141-year-old club, one of the oldest in eastern India, has a Rs 60-lakh plan to improve and increase its infrastructure.

Golf Club, another premier club of the city with a 102-acre sprawling campus, has also a Rs 1.5-crore plan to spruce up its premises and to add a swimming pool and guest rooms, among other facilities, to its infrastructure.

Night life in Patna had hit the rock bottom after a Patnaite was shot dead while returning from a club and another was kidnapped while coming out of another club a few years ago. But the scenario is changing now, for better.

"The members and their families are willing to spend more time in the club and it is jam-packed on Sundays when we screen movies," said Ravishankar Prasad of Bankipore Club. Senior advocate K N Singh, a member of the Bankipore Club, Golf Club and Patna Club, added For the last 12 years, there was no club life in Patna. "I had stopped going to clubs. But now things have started looking up," he said... Prasad said there has been a distinct change in the mood of club members during the last one year or so. In recent past, as many as 13 persons paid Rs 1 lakh each to take life membership of Bankipore Club; and there's a waiting list of over 500 persons.

Bankipore Club is affiliated to 70 premier clubs across the country. "The membership fee of these clubs would be anything between Rs 5 lakh and Rs 10 lakh each. It is Rs 3.5 lakh even in Ranchi's Gymkhana Club. Bankipore Club's membership comes cheap and enables you to enjoy the hospitality of the best clubs in the country," said one member.

During the Lalu-Rabri regime, the Golf Club faced the threat of closure with the government contemplating giving away the land, on which the club is located, to the Patna zoo. "But with the NDA coming to power, development of Golf Club is a part of the state tourism department's action plan to promote tourism in Bihar," said Roshan Sharan, a former captain of the Golf Club.

Mahabodhi Temple - Bodh Gaya, Bihar

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Bodh Gaya, Bihar

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Thanks to the photograper - Peter Wolledge.

Mahabodhi Temple - Bodhgaya, Bihar.

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Carvings on the Mahabodhi Temple, Bodhgaya, Bihar.

Bodhgaya is one of the most important and sacred Buddhist pilgrimage center in the world. It was here under a banyan tree, the Bodhi Tree, Gautama attained supreme knowledge to become Buddha,the Enlightened One.

Born; in the foothills of the Himalayas as a Sakya prince of Kapilvastu (now in Nepal), most of the major events of his life, like enlightenment and last sermon, happened in Bihar. Buddhism as a religion was really born in Bihar and evolved here through his preaching and the example of his lifestyle of great simplicity, renunciation and empathy for everything living. Significantly, the state's name of 'Bihar' originated from 'Vihara' meaning monasteries which abounded in Bihar. Several centuries after Buddha's passing away, the Maurya Emperor Ashoka (234-198 BC) contributed tremendously towards the revival, consolidation and spread of the original religion.

It is the monasteries, Ashoka built for the Buddhist monks and the pillars known as Ashokan Pillars erected to commemorate innumerable historical sites associated with the Buddha's life, mostly intact to this day, that helped scholars and pilgrims alike to trace the life events and preaching of a truly extraordinary man. There is a magnificent Mahabodhi temple and the Tree from the original sapling still stands in the temple premises. The temple is an architectural amalgamation of many centuries, cultures and heritages. While its architecture has a distinct stamp of the Gupta era, it has later ages inscriptions describing visits of pilgrims from Sri Lanka, Myanmar and China between 7th and 10th century AD. It is perhaps still the same temple Hieuen Tsang visited in 7th century.

What to see:

Mahabodhi Temple: The temple stands in the east to the Bodhi Tree. Its architectural effect is superb. Its basement is 48 square feet and it rises in the form of a slender Pyramid till it reaches its neck, which is cylindrical in shape. The total height of the temple is 170 ft. and on the top of the temple are Chatras which symbolize sovereignty of religion. Four towers on its corners rise gracefully giving the holy structure a poise balance. This sacred edifice is like a grand banner unfurled by time to proclaim to the world the pious efforts of the Buddha to solve the knots of human miseries, to ascend above worldly problems and to attain transcendental peace through wisdom, good conduct and disciplined life.

Inside the temple, in the main sanctum, there is a colossal image of the Buddha in sitting posture touching the earth by his right hand. In this posture the Buddha accomplished the supreme enlightenment. The statue is of black stone but it has been guilder by the devotees. The entire courtyard of the temple is studded with large number of votive stupas. These stupas are of all sizes built during the past 2500 years ago. Most of them are extremely elegant in structural beauty. The ancient railings, which surround the temple, are of the first century BC and are among the very interesting monuments of the century.

Animesh Lochan Chaitya: It is believed that the Buddha spent one week here looking towards the great Bodhi tree out of gratitude, without twinkling his eyes.

Bodhi Tree: The present Bodhi Tree is probably the fifth succession of the original tree under which the Buddha had attained enlightenment. Vajrasana, the seat of stability, is a stone platform on which the Buddha is supposed to have sat in meditation gazing east, under the Bodhi tree.

Chankramana: This marks the sacred spot of the Buddha's meditative perambulations during the third week after pious enlightenment. It is believed that wherever the Buddha put his feet lotus sprang up.

Ratnagarh: The Buddha spent one week here, where it is believed that five colors came out of his body.

Other Treasures of Bodhgaya: 80 ft Statue of the Buddha, Lotus Tank, Buddha Kund, Rajayatana, Brahm Yoni, Chinese Temple & Monastery, Burmese Temple, Buddhist Monastery of Bhutan, International Buddhist House & Japanese Temple, Thai Temple & Monastery, Tibetan Monastery, Archaeological Museum. Sujata village (2 kms), Dungeshwari Hill (Prag bodhi) (22 kms by road), Maitraya Project (3 kms)

BIT-Mesra, Bihar Branch, to Start Functioning this Month
Patna: September 5, 2006

Classes at the BIT-Mesra's branch in Patna would commence from September 22. This was announced following a meeting of top officials of the state Science and Technology department and BIT vice chancellor S. K. Mukherjee and Deputy Registrar A. K. Jha on Monday, Science and Technology Minister Anil Kumar said.

"Formalities related with the program have been completed and all arrangements have been made to ensure the classes begin from September 22," Kumar said. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar will formally announce the opening of the institute in a function scheduled for September 21, the minister said.

Admission into the institute would be completed between September 12 and 15. Initially classes will be held in batches each consisting of 40 male and female students who would be required to stay in the college dorm, Kumar further said.

Fifty percent of the seats would be reserved for Bihari students, it was learnt.

News From Webindia123.com
Enlargement of rail bridge over Ganga near Patna approved by CCEA
New Delhi | September 07, 2006 4:43:58 PM IST

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) today gave a go-ahead for enlarging the rail bridge over the Ganga near Patna to rail-cum-road bridge, which would ease the burden on Mahatma Gandhi Setu and connect Patna on the southern bank with Sonepur (Hajipur) on the northern bank.

The total cost of the project is Rs 1389 crore and it is expected to be completed in five years, an official spokesperson said here briefing reporters about the CCEA meeting.

The share of the Railway will be Rs 835 crore and that of Roads Rs 554 Crore.
UNI NAZ PK MIR BST1403

India eNews.com
Brand Bihar to woo NRI investors early 2007

Patna - Bihar will hold a major meet early next year to woo investors. Non-resident Indians (NRIs) from the state are expected to participate in the meet which intends to repackage Bihar as a favourable investment destination.

The meet, being jointly organised by Bihartimes.com, a Patna-based news portal, New Delhi-based Institute of Human Development and the government, is likely to be held in January 2007 in the state capital. 'About 500 NRIs will be invited,' Ajay Kumar, the brain behind the meet told IANS Thursday.

Kumar, chief editor-cum-CEO of Bihartimes.com said, 'The idea is to provide a platform to discuss, debate and understand relevant issues. And the motive is to market and establish Bihar as a global brand.' Bihar is keen to attract foreign investment in agriculture, health, IT and tourism. 'Over a dozen of projects will be shortlisted to attract investors,' a source told IANS.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi are keen on hosting the meet. Modi organised a high-level meet Wednesday to work out the details.

Modi, who visited Britain, Italy and Canada to market Bihar as a favourable investment destination two months ago, has proposed to form an NRI cell to facilitate investments. The government also plans to set up a corpus fund with contributions from NRIs for development. In August, dozens of NRIs from Bihar assembled at New Delhi to organise resources for the big event.

Babji,
I don't know about others. I am reading all your posts in this thread.
Keep it up and kudos for your effort.
Also i feel more guilty now, so i will try to pitch in more info as i can.

News From Webindia123.com
Bihar fishermen to be trained in Andhra Pradesh
Hyderabad | September 09, 2006 5:42:55 PM IST

Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi today said fishermen from his state would be sent to Andhra Pradesh for advanced training in fishing.

Mr Modi, who came to participate in the National Fisheries Development Board meeting here, said Andhra Pradesh was very much advanced in the fisheries sector and his state wants to gain experience from it.

He said Bihar was targeting to improve its export potential through marine products and wished to get the necessary expertise from Andhra pradesh. The first batch of 1,000 fishermen were already sent to Andhra Pradesh for advanced training and one more batch, would soon visit the state, he added.
UNI JRK KVV SY DS1635

Bihar government teaches old dogs new tricks

Manoj Chaurasia - The Statesman
PATNA, Sept. 9. — Ranjan Sharma filled out more than 100 job applications from employment centres around the district, standing for hours in long queues of jostling job-seekers in the scorching sun in the hope of getting one of the 2.36 lakh contract teaching posts up for grabs...

There are millions like Ranjan vying for these jobs, despite the fact they are on contract and pay between Rs 4,000 and Rs 7,000 a month. But the state realises it can offer older workers shorter contracts on less pay.
In fact it seems to be boom time for the 60 plus brigade under the Nitish Kumar government and the huge contingent of unemployed youths can only look on in envy and not a little resentment.

For starters the government recently hired 65 retired Central Bureau of Investigation officials to help form the new initiative CLEAN (Corruption Linked Efforts for Affirmative Action), which seeks to check corruption in high offices. The two-year contracts come with pay packets of between Rs 20,000 and Rs 35,000. Later on the recruited retired CBI personnel are expected to be posted to the State Vigilance Investigation Bureau, currently flooded with pending cases of corruption against high up officials.

The government has also recruited 5,000 retired military personnel to the recently formed State Auxiliary Police (SAP), responsible for tackling crime. Since tackling crime is high on the agenda of the new NDA government, a government spokesman said earlier this year it was decided ex-army men should be picked as they are “not only skilled but are also known for their professionalism”. Government officials are said to be on the lookout for retired engineers to supervise the roads to be built under the Mukhya Mantri Gramin Sampark Path Yojana and other road schemes in the next financial year. A staggering Rs 1,562 crore has been set aside from the 2006-2007 budget for such infrastructure projects, which aim to link villages with 500 to 1,000 residents to pucca roads.

In line with the trend favouring an older workforce, the government has raised the retirement age of university and college teachers from 60 to 62 years by amending the Bihar University Act and the Patna University Act. The decision, which comes into effect following the passage of the Bihar State University (Amendment) Bill, 2006, and the Patna University (Amendment) Bill, 2006, from both houses of the state legislature, is set to benefit 7,000 teachers and non-teaching staff working in nine universities and several colleges across the state.

Bihar to have 8 new sugar mill complexes
Press Trust of India / Patna September 09, 2006

In bid to give a boost to production of sugar and allied products in Bihar, the Nitish Kumar government has cleared proposals for setting up eight new multi-purpose sugar mill complexes involving an estimated investment of Rs 2,157 cr.

The sugar complexes proposed to be set in Madhubani, East Champaran, Saran, Muzaffarpur, Madhepura, Begusarai and Nalanda districts would have the capacity of crushing 65,000 tonne sugarcane per day, informed an official spokesman.

In addition to this, the complexes will have power generation units,once the multi-purpose sugar complexes are made operational. The complexes will also consist of distillery plants, which will have a capacity to produce 720 kilo litre of distillery.

The state government has also decided to expand the capacity of five existing operational sugar mills, he added.

Good. Such industries will give a boost to the local agricultural sector as well as provide emploment to semi skilled and unskilled work force.

Bihar law panel for amendments to IPC, Cr PC, Evidence Act (http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/002200609100311.htm)

Patna, Sept. 10(PTI): In a bid to rein in criminal activities, the Bihar State Law Commission has suggested several amendments to the Indian Penal Code, Code of Criminal Procedure, and Indian Evidence Act to make punishment for offences that have a negative social impact, more stringent.

Government Agrees to Provide Land to Expand Patna Airport
Patna: September 10, 2006

The state government, following a meeting with the Airport Authority chairperson K. Ramalingham on Saturday, has agreed to expand the runway of the Jai Prakash Narayan International Airport by making available 70 acres of adjacent lands and by trimming trees in the area in an attempt to facilitate more international flights from the airport, officials said.

Instead of cutting down more than 3.000 trees in the airport region, the government has agreed to get trees trimmed in the area to make room for expanded runway, reports said.

While 50 acres of land will be used to expand the existing airport building, 20 acres of land will go towards the expansion of the parking lot, officials said.

Sources, however, said Ramalingham is believed to have asked the government to provide 500 acres of land in Bihta since Patna Airport has reached a saturation point where further expansion is nearly impossible and also adequate land in Gaya to expand the current runway of the Gaya International Airport from 7,500 feet to 9,000 feet.

The meeting was attended by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Ramalingham, development commissioner A. K. Chowdhary, CM's personal assistant R. C. P. Sinhg, Civil Aviation Ministry joint secretary Sanjay Narain, Patna Airport director Atul Dixit and Gaya Airport director P. C. Sen.

In his post-meeting press conference, Ramalingham said starting October 1, the Gaya Airport will have two Indian Airlines Gaya-Bangkok flights, one Thai Air Gaya-Varanasi-Bangkok flight and one Air Deccan Gaya-Kolkata-Delhi flight.
If the runway in Gaya could be expanded to 9,000 feet, more flights could be introduced from Gaya, Ramalingham said.

URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/09/11/stories/2006091114080400.htm

`Law and order in Bihar has improved'
Investment climate is `upbeat', says Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi
125 proposals worth over Rs. 11,000 cr. approved: Deputy Chief Minister
Confidence level among people `high' in contrast to the `fear psychosis'
HYDERABAD: Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi on Sunday said the law and order and investment climate in Bihar improved vastly under the new dispensation and 125 proposals worth more than Rs. 11,000 crores were approved.

He told a press conference here that kidnappings, rapes and murders had declined drastically and there was not a single abduction case either of a doctor or a businessman in the last eight months in Patna. The confidence level among people was `very high' in contrast to the `fear psychosis', which prevailed earlier.

Reasons cited : He attributed the improvement to increased rate of convictions, lack of political patronage to criminals, non-interference in the functioning of police department and the recruitment of 5,000 retired army personnel. In fact, Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee had written to the States to follow Bihar's example.

Claiming that the investment climate was `upbeat', he said eight sugar factories were approved and proposals for cement units, power plants, shopping malls and multiplexes were received. Priority was being accorded to agro-based industries.

He said that five commissions for BCs, common school system and ushering in land, agricultural and administrative reforms were constituted. An NRI cell was proposed and a global meet on Bihar would be held.

Joint strategy favoured: Replying to questions, he favoured a joint strategy by the Centre and the States to contain extremist activities. He said Bihar had sought Central funds for modernisation of weapons, adding, "No State Government alone can contain the menace of naxalism."

Mr. Modi said the Centre was not discriminating against Bihar in extending help. The UPA Government had agreed to extend by five years the special Rs. 1,000-crore annual package initiated by the previous regime.

Takht Sri Harmandir Sahib - Patna , Bihar

http://img291.imageshack.us/img291/5559/patnasahibkb8.th.png (http://img291.imageshack.us/my.php?image=patnasahibkb8.png)

[img=http://img291.imageshack.us/img291/5559/patnasahibkb8.th.png] (http://img291.imageshack.us/my.php?image=patnasahibkb8.png)

Patna city has has the unique distinction of being honoured by the holy presence of the Buddha, Guru Nanak and Guru Tegh Bahadur. Besides, it is also the birthplace of Sri Guru Gobind Singh.

He was born here on December 22, 1666. There stands, at the sacred place a magnificent holy shrine, called Takht Sri Harmandir Sahib. It is situated in one of the old quarters of Patna city, once known as Kucha Farrukh Khan, now known as Harmandir Gali. It is regarded as one of the holiest of five Takhts, the seat of the Sikh authority. Two of the five Takhts are located outside Punjab. These are Takht Sri Harmandir Sahib, Patna in Bihar, and Takht Sri Hazoor Sahib at Nanded in Maharashtra. Three Takhts are in Punjab. These are Akal Takht Amritsar, Keshgarh Sahib Anandpur and Sri Damdama Sahib at Talwandi Sabo in Bhatinda district. Besides, there are over one hundred important holy Sikh shrines spread over the length and breadth of the country which are humming with the sacred message of the Sikh Gurus and reminding the people of their teachings. These are visited by thousands of pilgrims throughout the year.

In fact the new order Khalsa Panth was set up by the tenth Guru, Guru Gobind Singh with emphasis on unity and integration. He baptised PanjPyaras on Baisakhi day at Anandpur Sahib in 1699 and founded the Khalsa Panth. The Panj Piaras represented the different segments of society. Thus the tenth Guru created Khalsa Panth for the protection of the downtrodden and deprived sections of people.
== (contd)==

^^
(http://img291.imageshack.us/my.php?image=patnasahibkb8.png)

[IMG]http://img83.imageshack.us/img83/8816/patnatakhatsaheban8.th.png (http://img83.imageshack.us/my.php?image=patnatakhatsaheban8.png)

[img=http://img83.imageshack.us/img83/8816/patnatakhatsaheban8.th.png] (http://img83.imageshack.us/my.php?image=patnatakhatsaheban8.png)
==
The site where the present Harmandir stands was originally called the haveli of Salis Rai John, who was a great devotee of Guru Nanak. He was so much influenced by the teachings of the Guru that he converted his palatial house into a dharamsala. When Guru Tegh Bahadur visited Patna, he stayed in the same place. A magnificent house was built above the dharamsala of Salis Rai.Mullah Ahmed Bukhari,the author of Mirat-ul-Ahwal Jahan Nama, who stayed at Patna for some time at the close of 18th century, has made a reference to Harmandir. He writes, "Over the birthplace of Guru Gobind Singh, the Sikhs have raised a public edifice, made it a place of power and strength, and call it 'Harmandir'. It is also called 'Sangat' and is held in great esteem and veneration. They have made it a place of pilgrimage. Maharaja Ranjit Singh started the work of reconstructing the Harmandir in 1839 following destruction by fire, but did not survive to see the new structure. Again in 1934, when the entire Bihar was rocked by an earthquake some portion of Harmandir fell down. Construction of the present building was taken up on November 19, 1954 and was completed in about three years.

Some relics of the tenth Guru are also preserved in this shrine. Among them is a pangura (cradle) with four stands covered with Golden plates. Guruji during his childhood used to sleep in this cradle. Moreover, four iron arrows, sacred sword of the Master and a pair of his sandals are also preserved. Hukamnamas of Guru Gobind Singh and Guru Tegh Bahadur contained in a book are also kept in this holy Gurdwara.

Takht Sri Harimandir Sahib - the principal shrine at Patna Sahib and one of the five Takhts or the highest seats of religious authority for the Sikhs, marks the site of the Chhoti Sangat. Guru Tegh Bahadur had first alighted at Bari Sangat at Gae Ghat from where he was brought in a procession to this place which had once been the commodious mansion of Salas Rai, the jeweler, and where Raja Fateh Chand Maini now built a new house to accommodate the holy family. Guru Tegh Bahadur himself leaving his family here in the care of his brother-in-law Kirpal Chand and the local sangat proceeded on further to the east. Guru Gobind Singh was born here. He spent his early childhood here until his departure for Punjab in 1670. The house continued to be maintained as a holy place of worship. Its building was replaced by Maharaja Ranjit Singh during 1837-39 with a square flat-roofed hall surrounded by a covered passage for circumambulation. Rulers of Patiala, Jind and Faridkot jointly added several rooms and a gateway to the compound in 1887. An earthquake in 1934 seriously damaged the older building of the Takht Sahib. The present five-storey building was constructed during 1954-57 through kar-seva under the supervision of Sant Nischal Singh and Sant Kartar Singh. The sanctorum representing the room where Guru Gobind Singh was born has a circumambulatory passage around it. Adjacent to it is the spacious high-ceilinged congregation hall. The arch of the door of the inner sanctum opening on the congregation hall is covered with gilded copper plates embossed with floral design matching the marble sculpture on the interior walls. Of the three canopied seats facing the hall, the central one has Guru Granth Sahib seated on it. Guru Granth Sahib is placed on the seat on its right and the Dasam Granth on the one on the left, both attended by granthis holding whisks over them. The compound of the Takht Sahib also has several blocks of rooms for staff and visitors as well as for Guru ka Langar. The relics preserved here include a pair of wooden sandals, an old gown, several weapons and hukamnamas.

Let us recall Guru's message: Manas ki jaat Sabh EiEke pehchan bu.
(The entire mankind. should be recognised as one)
========================================================

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1967709.cms

Rs 3500-cr plan to develop city

PATNA: If the city development plan prepared by various government agencies is implemented fully, Patna will join the league of well-planned cities.

A development plan worth Rs 3,500 crore has been drawn up to revamp the drainage, sewerage, drinking water, power and roads sector in the state capital.

Of this, the Patna Municipal Corporation and Bihar Rajya Jal Parshad have already prepared a detailed project report worth Rs 1,600 crore.

PMC commissioner Atul Prasad said the project duration is for seven years. A year has already passed. By the time the required clearances are obtained, this year will end. "So effectively we will be left with five years to implement the project," he said.

Prasad said about 50 per cent of the funds will be provided by the Union government under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Modernisation Mission. The remaining 50 per cent will be given by the state government.

He said it is high time the old and crumbling sewerage system was upgraded. "Our capacity to treat sewage is not enough. Against a generation of 170 million litres a day (MLD) of sewage, the city's sewage treatment plants have a combined capacity to treat 107 MLD only."

All drinking water pumping stations do not work as the water pipes do not have the strength to withstand the pressure generated by these pumps. "We have 96 pumping stations. But at a given time only 82 are operated. If we switch on all of them, the water pipes may burst," he said.

So first on the priority list is the revamping of drainage and water systems. A new network of storm water drains is to be laid keeping in mind the increase in population over the next 15 years. Drinking water pipes will also be re-laid.

Besides, the city development plan envisages uninterrupted power supply to the water pumping stations so that these are not dependent on the local power networks.

Prasad said there is a plan to provide a dedicated and uninterrupted power supply to the pumping stations. Underground cables will be laid so that there is no pilferage from these lines.

There is also a provision for constructing roads and relaying them so that they are able to face the vagaries of nature.

Prasad said, "All departments need to work in complete co-ordination so that there isn't a situation in which a freshly-laid road is cut open for laying water pipes or even power lines."

It is good to see more and more forumers taking interest in the dev of Bihar.
It shows the True Indian Spirit of Love, Tolerance and Unity in Diversity.
Thank you all and Hope to see more Good News from Bihar!

Nalanda - World's most ancient University

(testing slideshow 3 pics - first time using Image shack- will delete if not good)

http://img180.imageshack.us/slideshow/player.php?id=img180/2531/1157927719axd.smil

Did you know...

How did a person get admission to the university of Nalanda?
There were no forms to fill out, no school-leaving marks to be considered, as happens today. Students who wanted to join the university were interviewed by senior monks. They had to prove that they were serious and knowledgeable, that they were capable and keen to learn more. By the way, this was a university only for men.

Hsuan Tsang was not the only monk from another land to visit Nalanda. After him, eleven other Chinese and Korean travelers visited the university. One of these later travelers was a Chinese monk named I Tsing. Like Hsuan Tsang, he also wrote about his travels and experiences, and he also visited and stayed at Nalanda. I-Tsing tells us that more than 3,000 monks lived at Nalanda. He tells us that the monks who lived here had a very strict schedule, and that their daily activities were regulated by a water-clock.

Nalanda is mentioned in ancient Buddhist and Jain literature as a place where the Buddha and Mahavira came and stayed very often. These texts suggest that Nalanda was already a prosperous and famous place in the sixth century B.C.. But the excavations at Nalanda did not reveal any remains earlier than the fifth century A.D.. How do we explain this? Probably there was a settlement of some kind at Nalanda from the sixth century B.C. onwards, but the famous monastery-cum-university was set up much later in about the fifth century A.D.

An important clue is the fact Fa Hsien, the Chinese pilgrim who visited India in the early fifth century A.D. mention the place but does not mention the monastery. Later kings such as Harsha of Kanauj and the Palas kings of Bengal and Bihar built buildings here and granted villages to the Nalanda monastery.

Bihar Moves Towards e-Governance
by By M Shamsur Rabb Khan Sept. 9, 2006

My joy knew bounds when I read “Expression of Interest for Establishment of 8464 Common Service Centres (VASUDHA) in Rural Bihar” in today’s edition of the Times of India. So, e-Governance is about to reach the villages of Bihar. Truly, it is step towards right direction, a step to reaching out to the un-reached. To be precise, e-Governance is an emerging trend to re-invent and re-define the way the government works. The positive thing about it is that Bihar Government, in order to improve the quality of governance, has taken up the modern approach to provide service delivery to the rural masses. In the process, Bihar is set to create 8464 CSCs in rural areas.

The Government of India has launched the National e-Governance Plan (NeGP) for delivering e-Government services at the doorsteps of the rural citizens of India. The NeGP aims to empower the rural India through the power of Information Communication Technology (ICT). In principle, the front-end interface of the NeGP with the rural citizens is the Common Service Centres (CSCs) through which the government services as well as other value-added services would be delivered to the rural citizens. The notable services include: building education and health care for rural citizens, especially for children and elderly people; creating and maintenance of transport and communication infrastructure; ensuring safety of the rural people; preparing a productive rural work force; and providing economic viability etc.

Not only the step will make the government more simple, transparent and efficient, but also become accountable to the people, as the electronic services are not prone to human corruption compared to the existing system. Readymade information on 24/7 environment on vital services will be made available to the villagers, who often find themselves at disadvantageous position. Indeed digital divide has put the poor and marginalised at great risk of being denied the opportunities and accesses to the services that they must avail, like any other citizen in the city.

Through it, implementation of e-Commerce for marketing their produce in what is called Rural Bazar developed by NIC, would surely come as a long-awaited opportunity for rural people. Often, the lack of knowledge about the various types of services put the villagers in deep predicament leading to third-rate services at a higher price. Health risk is bound to be the ultimate resultant in such cases. Now with services through e-Governance at the rural threshold, people will have the choice, which means the rural areas will become knowledge-oriented societies. In addition, it will help the villagers to be more proactive and feel engaged and elevated in receiving the value-added services at their doorsteps, which have been the legacy of the affluent class. More importantly, the strong networking through e-Governance will make the outreach easier for the rural people as well. Last bit not the least, it would provide job opportunities to a large number of unemployed young lots.

Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are playing increasingly important roles in the day-to-day lives of people, revolutionizing their work and leisure, and changing rules of doing businesses. Development of ICT leads up to E-governance, which has now become the most talked word around the world.

However, key challenges, as Dr N Vijyaditya, Director General, National Informatics Centre, Ministry of Information and Technology, Government of India, puts it, with e-Governance for rural areas lie in extending the reach of services to 70% of Indian population that lives in villages include: assessment of local needs and customising e-Governance solutions to meet those needs; connectivity; content (local content based on language); building human capacities, e-Commerce; and sustainability.

I can pray for the ambitious e-Governance programme to be successful believing that the leadership would provide all the possible assistance to make it a reality, though the mismanagement factors cannot be ruled out. Let’s hope for the better.
==(from PatnaTimes)==

Nalanda - world's most ancient university
http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/2200/nalandamonasterydx9.png (http://imageshack.us)

== (above: Monastery. Below link: slide show 3 pics) ==
http://img180.imageshack.us/slideshow/player.php?id=img180/2531/1157927719axd.smil

Nalanda, founded in the 5th century AD, is famous as the ancient seat of learning. The ruins of the world's most ancient university lies here which is 62 km from Bodhgaya and 90 km south of Patna. Though the Buddha visited Nalanda several times during his lifetime, this famous center of Buddhist learning shot to fame much later, during 5th-12th centuries. Hieun Tsang stayed here in the 7th century AD and left detailed description of the excellence of education system and purity of monastic life practiced here.

He also gave a vivid account of both the ambiance and architecture of this unique university of ancient times. In this first residential international university of the world, 2,000 teachers and 10,000 monks students from all over the Buddhist world lived and studied here. The Gupta kings patronized these monasteries, built in old Kushan architectural style, in a row of cells around a courtyard. Emperor Ashoka and Harshavardhana were some of its most celebrated patrons who built temples, monasteries and viharas here. Recent excavations have unearthed elaborate structures here. An International Center for Buddhist Studies was established here in 1951. Nearby is Biharsharif, where an annual urs is celebrated at the Dargah or tomb of Malik Ibrahim Baya. Baragaon, 2 km away has a sun temple, famous for Chhath puja. To be visited are Nalanda museum & Nava Nalanda Mahavihar in addition to the great ruins.

What to see:

Nalanda University Ruins Archaeological Complex: The total area of the excavation is about 14 hectares. All the edifices are of the red brick and the gardens are beautiful. The buildings are divided by a central walk way that goes south to north. The monasteries or "Viharas" are east of this central alley and the temple or "Chaiyas" to the west. The Vihara-1 is perhaps the most interesting with its cells on two floors built around a central courtyard where steps lead up to what must have been a dais for the professors to address their students. A small chapel still retains a half broken statue of the Lord Buddha.
The enormous pyramidal mass of the Temple no .3 is impressive and from its top commands a splendid view of the entire area. It is surrounded by smaller stupas, many of which studded with small and big statues of the Lord Buddha in Various poses or "Mudras"

Nalanda Archaeological Museum: Opposite the entrance to the ruins of the university and houses, there is a small but beautiful collection of Buddhist and Hindu bronzes and a number of undamaged statues of the Lord Buddha that were found in the area. Two enormous terra-cotta jars of the first century stand intact behind the museum in a shaded enclosure. The collection includes copper plates and stone inscriptions, coins, pottery and samples of burnt rice (12th century AD) found among the ruins here.

Nava Nalanda Mahavihara: Nava Nalanda Mahavihara is devoted to study and research of Pali Literature and Buddhism. This is a new institute, where students from foreign countries also study.

Hieun Tsang Memorial Hall: A new construction in memory of the great Chinese traveler, Hieun Tsang.

Silao: In between Nalanda and Rajgir, there is a village namely Silao where very a popular local sweet "KHAJA" is prepared.

Surajpur Baragaon: The lake with its temple of Surya, the Sun God , is a pilgrim destination twice a year in "Vaishakha" (April-May) and in "Kartika" (October-November) during the Chhath Puja or Sun worship.

URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/09/12/stories/2006091212000300.htm

Modi distributes credit cards to 380 weavers
Banks asked to provide loans

BHAGALPUR: Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar Sushil Kumar Modi on Monday distributed credit cards to 380 weavers and urged the banks to provide loans for promoting their businesses. Addressing a function, Mr Modi said here the Government has set a target to distribute 25000 credit cards among the beneficiaries under different categories in the current financial year.

``Instructions have been issued to the banks to provide loans on favourable terms and those not adhering to the missive would be under scanner of the State Government,'' he added. He also assured the weavers that Bihar Electricity Board would be asked to offer one time settlement schemes for the weavers, who owed huge amount as electricity dues.- UNI
this would help save the self employed poor from the clutches of the greedy money lenders.
they should find a way to empower rural women to avail loans and form self help groups and start coop businesses. educating and empowering women would do a great deal for a state like Bihar.

Nitish’s tight rope walk
Monday September 11 2006 08:43 IST
Shaibal Gupta NewIndpress.com

On August 24 Nitish Kumar completed nine months as chief minister of Bihar. A day earlier, the HSBC (Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation) inaugurated its 44th branch in Patna; two days later, the tenders for building the roads of Patna were opened.

Contrary to initial apprehensions, of the eleven nationally reputed builders who had bought the tender forms, two companies, Tantia Group Construction Ltd and Consortium of DS Constructions and P&M Infrastructure, actually submitted the tender, each with a deposit of Rs 1.40 crore for a Rs 140 crore road building project. These two apparently unconnected events indicate the initial outcome of a sustained re-branding of Bihar.

Nitish Kumar is possibly the only public figure in recent times who is engaged in two onerous tasks – one, the re-branding of the state through administrative, industrial planning and tax reform and, two, providing a slew of subaltern-friendly steps like reservations for the lower backwards in Panchayat elections, setting up a land reform commission, a commission on the common school system, a farmer’s commission, and giving a massive thrust to the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan.

Apart from charting out the contours of the developmental policy, he is trying to create the necessary conditions for the emergence of public institutions that can sustain quality governance.

Institutions are being planned to provide higher education opportunities within the state, plug student migration. The Chanakya National Law University at Patna will not only provide the much needed integration with international legal epistemology but also produce graduates who will contribute to every level of governance.

Gone are the days when industry or agriculture in India could flourish in a protected market, without the need for international legal literacy. The agenda for development in a peripheral economy like Bihar with scant literacy and a very limited market is a formidable one.

Nitish Kumar is essentially working out the nuts and bolts of a policy initiative that was electorally fine-tuned in the last assembly election. The victorious coalition was possibly the broadest social coalition, incorporating extreme social groups from the elite to the very subaltern.

He is functioning with several handicaps. He has no advantage of history, unlike in many southern and western states in the realm of growth, nor any developmental icons. He does not have a well-oiled party organisation, like the CPM in West Bengal, which can act as a social shock absorber or foot soldiers for implementing governmental programmes. The absence of a corporate sector and a development oriented civil society is another major constraint for re-branding the state.

Thus the success of the developmental strategy here rests entirely on the bureaucracy which falls short on both capacity and commitment. However, these handicaps get partly compensated by a so-far non-hostile central government. P. Chidambaram’s visit to Bihar, his first to a Hindi heartland state, was a political coup for Nitish Kumar. Even within the state, the NDA is functioning quite cohesively. Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi has played a decisive role in this cohesion. He is also co-architect of several tax reforms.

The task of rebuilding Bihar, however, needs not just cohesion within the NDA, but a broader consensus. Bihar has never pursued a cohesive and inclusive agenda of development. This was primarily due to the absence of a viable, forward-looking and inclusive state structure. Further, feudal patterns of appropriation came in the way of the formation of an authentic elite. The foundation laid in the fifties by the then ruling elite determined the subsequent trajectory of underdevelopment. In recent times, while society got increasingly democratised, the elite of the state gave up ‘ownership’. The functioning of the state nosedived further.

Will Nitish Kumar restore the sense of ownership of the elite, without undermining democratisation? To what extent will the subaltern be part of the ruling coalition without allowing encroachment in their hard won space? For Nitish Kumar these nine months have been a tight rope walk. Ultimately, his political and administrative capacity will be measured in terms of the implementation of his policy of ‘growth’ with ‘justice’ without abandoning the ‘coalition of extremes’.

The writer is Member Secretary, Asian Development Research Institute (ADRI), Patna

The Rediff Interview/Nitish Kumar, Chief Minister, Bihar
Aditi Phadnis | January 18, 2006.

'I will give any concession for money'

http://img212.imageshack.us/img212/4672/nitishbihargb3.png (http://imageshack.us)

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's New Year started on a dismal note. On December 31, one of the star winners of the Janata Dal (U)-Bharatiya Janata Party alliance in the Assembly elections, Navin Chandra Sinha, died of a heart attack. In his 50s, Sinha had won from Patna and had the highest margin among all the MLAs in the Assembly.

As a sitting MLA, he was entitled to a state funeral. Kumar ordered that all the arrangements be made, including a five-gun salute.

Picture the scene. Sinha's relatives were sobbing. His supporters stood grimly as the body lay in state, awaiting the salute. Five guns were required to fire in the air. The first round went off perfectly. But in the second round, three rifles jammed and merely responded with an empty 'click' when fired.

Policemen scurried to get rifles that would work. In the third and fourth round, only two rifles fired. In the fifth round, all the rifles jammed so bystanders saw, rather than heard, the rifles firing.

"I felt so terrible. Many in the crowd of mourners were laughing at the spectacle," said Kumar recounting the event. This was only one of the stories we heard about Bihar over dinner, writes Business Standard.

Dinner was at a common friend's home. Our host's wife, who belongs to eastern Uttar Pradesh, had insisted the cuisine would be Banarasi. So accordingly, there was methi-aalu (fenugreek greens cooked with young potato) bathue ki puri (tiny puris kneaded with a kind of green only available a few months in the year), peas and potato curry, arhar daal and a fiery coriander chatni redolent with garlic.

Also on offer was fragrant aged rice (new rice, as Kumar explained to us, is merely starch. The older the rice, the more nutritive and fragrant it is).

Kumar was animated and keen to share his dreams for Bihar. His first priority, he said was to smash the kidnapping industry. Just the previous week, an industrialist had been hustled into an Ambassador car and had vanished and despite extensive combing, the police had not really got any clues.

"They will find him," said Kumar, sounding more reassuring, than I suspect, he felt. Police reforms top his to-do list. Recruitment for police, frozen for years, is to begin.

But it is on economic reform that Kumar is most bullish. Very quietly, work has already begun to straighten finances of the state government. "The biggest problem in Bihar is: I find no one takes any decision," he said. For instance, to spend anything above Rs 25 lakh (Rs 2.5 million), a department has to get the decision passed by Cabinet.

Kumar has raised this to Rs 10 crore (Rs 100 million). He said his government would present a full budget that would be passed before March 31. The government will introduce a Fiscal Responsibility Act.

"I want money," he declared as the first batch of sizzling puris was brought. "I am ready to give anyone any concession so long as they fill my treasury."

Transporters, for instance, had been getting their vehicles registered in neighbouring Jharkhand because the levels of taxation were much higher in Bihar. Kumar has announced a clutch of incentives for them. Had some feasibility study or revenue assessments been made to justify the incentives?

"True, initially there will be a revenue loss, but at least those who've gone out of Bihar will return to do business here," he said, attacking his food with a gusto. Kumar intends to raise the excise revenue from Rs 300 crore (Rs 3 billion) to Rs 1,000 crore (Rs 10 billion), mostly by addressing pilferage.

We talked about the power sector. Just the previous day, state electricity board employees had gone on strike protesting unbundling of the power sector. "I haven't said anything to them but they should understand. Transmission and distribution losses in Bihar are 60 per cent. The state electricity board has 16,000 employees. If they want to, they can return to work. Otherwise, frankly, Bihar can manage without them," he said, with complete detachment.

Plans are afoot to augment power availability in the state by setting up a hydel power project in Kaimur that will produce over 2,500 MW power. If that happens, Bihar, currently a net buyer of power, will be in a position to sell power to the eastern grid.

Bihar's economy works on subcontracting: a village teacher 'sells' the job to a substitute and they share the salary. The result is, no one is obligated to actually teach. Kumar has a solution. Through an act, he is going to create Vidyalaya Shiksha Samitis in every Panchayat. These will have panchayat representatives and the children's guardians, preferably their mother.

"This hasn't been tried anywhere, but I will do it in the Budget session. There is no better social reformer than a mother. Let these committees be set up. Then let me see how a teacher doesn't come to school."

This reminded Kumar of his own mother. "She is such a guppie [talkative person]," he said fondly. "My father was an Ayurvedic doctor. He went to jail in the 1942 movement. Our home was the centre of Congress activism. That's where I learnt about life's values. But I was influenced by Lohiaji so I became a socialist."

Land redistribution is central to the contradictions in Bihar. "We are setting up a land reforms commission. There is no consolidation and entire families have been ruined trying to pay bribes equivalent to the value of the land to prevent losing it. Bhudan land has been encroached upon. I am going to set it all right," he said with quiet determination.

In the midst of all these projects is the absence of any worthwhile chief minister's secretariat. "When I walked into my office, all I found was some old Remington typewriters and moth-eaten paper. There was no carbon paper so I wrote my first order by hand and copied it out by hand. I have asked my office to be computerised. Then you will see the results," he said.

By now it was midnight. Kumar showed no sign of getting up. Some cups of steaming tea were brought to help us stay awake. Reluctantly, we had to call the dinner to a close, Kumar's words ringing in my ear: "I will make policy. And everyone should remember: I will never do anything under pressure."

oh this is jan 18 interview.
neverthless nice to read his thoughts on land reforms.
any updates onthat?

URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/06/20/stories/2006062013890300.htm


Nitish sets up Land Reform Commission

PATNA: Taking a cue from successful land reforms in neighbouring West Bengal, Bihar Government on Monday announced setting up of a Land Reform Commission to take up similar exercise in the State.

The commission will be headed by D Bandyopadhyay, the man behind successful run of `Operation Burga', the land reform measures in West Bengal started by Left Front Government nearly three decades back.

The three-member commission would start functioning soon for effecting widespread land reforms in Bihar, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar told reporters after emerging from his `Janata ke darbar me CM' programme.

``I have already talked to Mr. Bandyopadhyay, a retired IAS officer of the West Bengal cadre, and he has agreed to work in Bihar,'' Mr. Kumar said.

Mr. Kumar said the commission will have a one-year tenure. - PTI

PRDA to Make First Multiplex in Patna
Patna: September 13, 2006

The Patna Regional Development Authority, on Tuesday, announced its decision to open a multiplex at its Rajendra Nagar warehouse location saying the people of Patna will be able to enjoy the three-theater multiplex by the beginning of next year.

"We have already completed all the formalities in the project and a global tender would be issued shortly to select the construction company," PRDA vice chairperson Sujata Chaturvedi said on Tuesday.

The new facility on the line of similar complexes in Delhi, Gurgaon, Pune, and Bangalore, will be built on the abandoned warehouse on a 1.7 acre piece of land and will sport, beside three movie theaters, a massive food court and shopping facilities, she said.

IIM-A invites Nitish

PATNA: The Indian Institute of Management-Ahmedabad has invited Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to deliver a lecture on reforms in the State. He has been invited to address the three-day ``Participants of Confluence 2006''. — PTI

© Copyright 2000 - 2006 The Hindu

CM Inaugurates Extension of BIT, Mesra in Patna
Patna: September 22, 2006

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, while inaugurating the extension of BIT, Mesra, in Patna on Thursday said it was a historical day for the state and with more name-brand schools and colleges coming to Bihar, the students would not feel the need to leave the state to acquire quality education for themselves and the coming generations.

"We are making sure Bihar is not devoid of better educational facilities and the opening of BIT Mesra and Chanakya Law University in the nine months of the NDA government in the state is an indication of our commitment to quality education for our youths," Kumar said...

"By opening the Law University and now this BIT Mesra in a short period of nine months, the Nitish government has proved that anything is possible if one has the desire to do something," Modi said.

Science and Technology Minister Anil Kumar said by next year six new engineering colleges would start operating in the state and colleges in Gaya, Darbhanga, and Motihari that have been lying dormant for last several years would also be revived by the end of next year.

The function was attended by a number of teachers and officials of Jharkhand-based BIT Mesra, other state officials and hundreds of young students.

Bihar to Become Choice Destination of Industrialists: Modi
Patna: September 23, 2006

Addressing a meeting organized to celebrate the 62nd anniversary of the Bihar Industrialists Association (BIA) in Patna on Friday, Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi said the government had received a record number of investment proposals from a number of investors and he was expecting about 40% of them to be approved by the government.

"Today Bihar may be nonexistent on the map of industries of India, the future holds an entirely different picture with the state virtually becoming the choice destination of nation's leading industrialists," Modi said amidst loud applause.

"The Nitish government has opened its door to investment in the state and now it is up to the businessmen to take full advantage of it," he said.

BIA president K. P. S. Kesari said the state government had taken a number of measures to eliminate the fear psychosis among the businessmen. "This is clearly visible by the sheer number of applications for setting up new business houses and industries in the state, Kesari said.

The Deputy Chief Minister also gave away a number of awards to several industrialists. The B. P. Gupta award was given to the owner of Hari Nagar Sugar Mill of East Champaran district; Shanti Prasad Jain award to ITC general manager B. Kulkarni, and Sita Ram Rungta award was given posthumously to R. K. P. N. Singh.

Ratan Tata Optimistic About Bihar Future
Patna: September 22, 2006

Ratan Tata, nation's leading industrialist and the chairperson of the National Investment Commission, on his first visit to Bihar after a gap of over 30 years on Thursday, said Bihar had immense investment potential and he would soon dispatch a team of experts to identify areas of interest.

The 67-year old business tycoon said the Commission was committed to extend all help to Bihar which was showing remarkable sign of progress under the NDA government.

"Bihar certainly deserves a second chance and I will personally see that more and more industrialists are coming to Bihar with concrete plans to invest in the state," Tata said after holding a four-hour meeting with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, other businessmen and state officials.

"Upon my return to New Delhi, I will meet with Finance Minister P. Chidambaram and submit my report on Bihar to him. Stopping short of making any commitment, Tata said it would take some time for Bihar to recover and start attracting investment. "Even India as a nation had to struggle for almost a decade before any sign of foreign investment was noticed. Bihar is going through a similar phase but with strong commitment on the part of the government and help from investor, there is no reason why Bihar cannot become one of the most developed state in the country," the industrialist said.

Tata also held meetings with the members of Bihar Industries Association and the Bihar Chamber of Commerce and sought their opinion on taking the state forward.

Tourism secretary Ramashankar Tiwari said Tata showed interest in setting up golf courses in Bihar and five-star hotels in Nalanda to attract Buddhists from far-eastern countries.

Mahindra to enter Bihar with a bang (http://www.business-standard.com/economy/storypage.php?tab=r&autono=259679&subLeft=1&leftnm=3)

The Mahindra group today announced a slew of investments in Bihar.

The proposals include a satellite assembling plant in Patna similar to its units in Rudrapur and Jaipur, an investment business to tap rural savings, an agro-processing unit for lichis and mangoes of Bihar, investments in IT, a Mahindra resort in Bodh Gaya and Rajgir and investment in a non-polluting transport system.

Managing Director Anand Mahindra, who visited the state with five members of his core team today, said he would nominate executives from all the group companies, who would band themselves under Mahindra Group for Bihar Opportunities and look for ways in which they could invest in the state.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1975891.cms

$10m aid for fight against poverty

The International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFARD) has adopted three blocks of Bihar for complete eradication of poverty.

The IFARD has sanctioned financial assistance worth US $10 million (approximately Rs 46 crore) for a period of eight years.

The three selected blocks are — Rajnagar and Pandaul in Madhubani district and Pupri in Sitamarhi district. In these three blocks, 3,200 self-help groups (SHGs) would be formed and a sum of Rs 56 crore generated by way of bank loans.

A total sum of Rs 102 crore would be spent during the period of eight years in these three blocks for their overall development.

This will be done in collaboration with the Bihar Women's Development Corporation and the state's welfare department.
In view of the potential of these three flood-prone blocks, it has been decided to encourage production of "makhana" and fish besides laying emphasis on enhancing Madhubani painting skills to make people self-suffieient.

The people living below and above poverty lines in these blocks would be given modern training in "makhana" and fish production through approved agencies.

Similarly, women would be given training in Madhubani paintings and marketing strategy.Details of the programme would be chalked out by experts at a workshop to be held here later this month.

The main idea is to eradicate poverty in each village located in the three blocks which would be developed as model blocks.

State welfare secretary Vijoy Prakash told TOI: "We will monitor these programmes on regular basis. We will take the services of non-government organisations (NGOs) for skill upgrade. It would be a challenging job for us."

The state government has decided to make all 80,000 Anganwadi centres as pre-primary education centres.

Each Anganwadi centres would have a teacher. There is also a move to attach sugarcane industrial units with self-help
groups.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/2015680.cms

Have Patience, Tata Tells Bihar

Once shunned for its state of commercial torpor and suffocating bureaucracy, Bihar now not only beckons industrial giants like Ratan Tata but also wows them.

Tata, who arrived here in his capacity as the chairman of National Investment Commission on Thursday, promised Bihar will see new level of activities in months to come.

"The commission stands committed to helping the state and bringing in investment here. Bihar will emerge as destination investment," he said.

Asked about any concrete plan for Bihar, Tata said it is too early to say anything after a single meeting. "Give us some time, have patience.

Even the country had to struggle and wait for ten years to attract foreign investment," he said. He was talking to mediamen after his four-hour hectic parleys with state bureaucrats, state industrialists and CM Nitish Kumar.

Singapore Keen on Reviving Nalanda University
Patna: September 27, 2006

Singapore senior state Minister for External Affairs, Balaji Sadashivan, on Tuesday, met with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in Patna and expressed his nation's interest in reviving the lost glories of Nalanda University and overall development of the Buddhist circuit in Bihar.

Describing his meeting with the CM and other top state officials as 'very fruitful', Sadashivan said the Singapore government was very keen on playing an active role in the development of Buddhist sites in Bihar including Bodh Gaya, Rajgir, and Nalanda.

"The Singapore government will hold a seminar on Nalanda University this November that would be attended by 18 countries," the dignitary said describing Nalanda as a symbol of peace and a place of higher learning in the whole of South East Asia.

Sadashivan said he was in Bihar with his team of experts to explore tourism, trade, and education and he will submit his report to the Singapore government upon his return to his country.

Nalanda 2.0 should admit both sexes, and the entrance exam should be a blend of the old and new (with monks and stuff, but also a dash of standardized testing). they should also build it next to the ruins of the old Nalanda. The course selection should have all the ancient predecessor's favorites as well as a few new goodies like IT.

The new republic of Bihar

Aditi Phadnis in New Delhi | September 30, 2006 rediff.com

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's Janata Durbar, held at his residence twice a week. People spread their gamchhas under the trees outside the chief minister's residence and sleep there to ensure they can meet Kumar the following morning.

Usually, their problems relate to unemployment, ex gratia medical relief, poverty, transfers and postings, police brutality and oppression. . . all the existential problems of any villager, all resolvable at the district level but imported to Patna because of a dormant administration.

A young woman tugs at a security official's sleeve. "I don't have a petition," she says, on the verge of hysterical tears. "I paid Re 1 to someone to write out my petition but he took my money and walked off."

An officer is summoned and an application is written on her behalf. This will be entered in a data base designed by Tata Consultancy Services to enable the chief minister's secretariat to track the complaint and redress it if the district administration doesn't act on it.

Nitish Kumar arrives at the meeting with a cavalcade of bureaucrats. Every application is entered in the data base, and when the chief minister gets it, he hands out redressal on the spot.

"Get me the Muzaffarpur SP," he demands. A woman weeps in front of him. "This woman is a Dalit. Her children have been killed. Why isn't the thana registering an FIR?" he yells on the mobile.

"There is no such thing as a 'little' height," he tells a young man pleading with him to use his influence and get him admitted to the police overlooking a "small problem" -- his height.

The scenes are not peculiar to Bihar. Every chief minister encounters them though Lalu Prasad and Rabri Devi never felt the need for such an exercise in their 15 years in office. Kumar is trying to bring governance back to Bihar after a long absence. Advocate general P K Shahi recalls the way the change in the state was relayed to him...

For the first time in its history, the police in the state were asked to prioritise their job. Two problems were identified: one, gunslingers involved in extortion, intimidation and sometimes abduction by "bahubalis" (mafia lords). Second, abductions as an industry. Cases were divided into two categories based on their primacy and how recent they were. And then the Bihar police got down to the painful task of solving them.

Once the police understood that criminals were going to get no political protection, they decided to go after them. The Arms Act is beautiful in its simplicity.

Nothing more than a sub inspector's testimony is required to prosecute a criminal, so reports of arrests from districts began pouring in. The criminals were chargesheeted in three days, brought before a fast track trial court and convicted even before they could ask for bail.

In other states these incidents would be commonplace; in Bihar they are unbelievable. Now the second phase of operations has started: the arrest of those against whom FIRs have been lodged.

When arrest orders against minor "bahubalis" Sunil Pandey and Anant were issued, Bihar was in a state of shock. Both were sitting MLAs from the Janata Dal U, Nitish Kumar's party.

Uncertain of their fate, the police went to Pande's home, and though they knew he was inside, did not arrest him, merely pasted the proclamation on his door and returned. Inside, Pande granted interviews to television channels. When this was brought to Kumar's notice, he publicly reprimanded the police brass.

The result of these moves has been nothing short of dramatic. Where earlier Patna cinema halls never screened evening and night shows, now they are sending cash registers ringing hysterically. Retail sales are up -- people who used to visit shops only during the festive and marriage season are crowding shopping centres like Mauryalok.

Young people can be spotted waiting for a table in the swisher restaurants of the capital. Shops are open till 9 pm. Young women think nothing of going for a morning jog at Gandhi Maidan, the sprawling park in the centre of Patna.

Says principal secretary to the chief minister, R C P Singh: "Last month we logged 27 convictions a day. Of these, eight per day were for life imprisonment. In September we expect this to go up. In the last eight months we have convicted around 3,000 people in cases of heinous crime -- murder, kidnapping and murder -- and 2,000 people have been convicted in other crimes."

The gain? "Once convicted, the person cannot get any government contract. Nor can he contest elections," says a police officer.

Can the government sustain the momentum? Apart from an inefficient, corrupt and demoralised force, there are objective problems: lack of training and manpower shortages.

But the Bihar government has hit on a unique scheme that the President of India commended when he visited the state. It has already recruited 5,000 retired soldiers who have been banded as the Special Auxiliary Police for constabulary and cordon and search operations.

Therefore, when you have an incident like the Jehanabad jailbreak case, or where the local police is suspected to be either involved or frightened of acting (and this happens a lot in Bihar), this force will be used.

The Bihar government is also, for the first time in many years, actually spending the money given to it for modernisation -- buildings, secure communication, and brand new computer systems to replace the aged 486 and Pentium II systems they had earlier.

Under another novel initiative, 50 officers have been headhunted in the CBI for vigilance functions. Beginning November, these officials will be tasked with handling cases relating to disproportionate assets, and entrapment.

It is not just on the law and order front that the state government has moved. A Single Window Act, 2006 seeks to cut red tape for industry wanting to invest in the state.

There are new rules for infrastructure development, the Rent Control Act has been abolished, stamp duty has been cut for better compliance, the Agricultural Produce Marketing Control Act used to force farmers to sell only at designated mandis has been abolished, the power sector has been unbundled into eight new entities, Bihar has a new sugarcane policy...

"Bihar is going to spend Rs 17,000 crore (Rs 170 billion) over three years just on roads. Apart from unbundling the power sector, we are going to franchise distribution," says N K Singh, newly appointed vice chairman of the state's Investment Board.

A 180-acre tourism complex has been envisaged in Bodh Gaya-Rajgir-Nalanda that will combine spa and health tourism. A golf course-multiplex-shopping mall-luxury hotel complex is to be set up here.

The project cost will be anywhere between Rs 850-1,000 crore (Rs 8.50-10 billion). At the invitation of the Bihar government, a representative of the World Tourism Organisation and UN expert on regional planning, James Esserman is currently touring this area.

"The Nalanda University was world famous. We want to develop it into a modern world-class educational centre," Nitish Kumar says. Singapore senior state minister for external affairs Balaji Sadashivan was in Patna earlier this week and he has promised Singapore's support for the project.

Seductive as all this sounds, Kumar and his colleagues are acutely conscious that they need to have their feet firmly planted on the ground. Health is a formidable challenge with immunisation figures at a mere 11 per cent -- against a national average of 54 per cent.

In January 2006, average patients per primary health centre (PHC) was 39 with 85 per cent or more patients going to doctors in the private sector.

In the last eight months, Rs 222 crore (Rs 2.22 billion) has already been spent on the health sector and the outlay in next year's budget could be Rs 400 crore (Rs 4 billion) (it used to be Rs 100 crore (Rs 1 billion) before 2005).

"We want the doctors to be free from the management of support services so that they can concentrate on providing the specialised services they are meant for," said Deepak Kumar, state health secretary.

Pathology services, radiology services, hospital maintenance, ambulance services and mobile medical unit services have all been outsourced.

Deepak Kumar concedes that absenteeism was a serious problem but there was not a lot the state government could do about it.

"Most doctors never viewed suspension as a punishment -- it left them free for private practice. But we have tried to see the problem from their eyes: to see patients but neither be able to prescribe them medicines nor send them for an x-ray. Now that we've redressed this, the doctors are enjoying their job."

A similar initiative in education has been planned. Nearly 240,000 teachers will be recruited over the next two years but the charge of managing them will be given to the panchayats.

As 58 per cent of the panchayats in Bihar are manned by women, Nitish Kumar says this will work beautifully. "There is no one who wants a child to study more than a mother, no matter how poor the family might be," he says.

To correct the discrepancy between the quality of education in state run and private schools, a committee headed by former foreign secretary Muchkund Dubey is studying the issue.

Prem Shankar Mani, an MLC and Janata Dal U ideologue, says, "We believe the ends of social justice will be served only when children from lower castes get access to English education."

Mani says declassing children is an important element in education for a state as poor as Bihar. "Talk to a child in a public school and ask him about hunger. He will describe it as appetite. But he has to learn the meaning of hunger as well from his low caste classmate."

World Bank lead economist Dipak Dasgupta says health and education reforms by the government are steps in the right direction. "But," he adds cautiously, "we need to know more about evaluation and monitoring." Nitish Kumar smiles wryly at this. "They are right," he says, "the programmes need to be monitored every day, every week."

And this is the downside. In order to reform the Public Distribution System, the state government asked all district magistrates to collect figures of families Below the Poverty Line. One deadline has already been missed and a second one advanced.

Last week, at a videoconference with DMs, the chief minister lost his temper. The supply side story is that one block development officer complained he could not collect these figures because of threats by a "bahubali" and requested an NGO to conduct the survey. The NGO countered this by saying they would be subject to the same threat. The net result is that the figures are yet to come.

Ask Nitish Kumar and he will explain why he wants to encourage sugar mills to set up integrated sugar complexes in Bihar -- ethanol, alcohol and suage plants

State finance minister Sushil Modi was not even present at the press conference with Investment Commission chief Ratan Tata. Like a cuckolded husband, he is always the last to know when it comes to events in his department.

Understandably, big business is wary about investing in Bihar, though the state government is trying to make sure it doesn't turn away for lack of a policy and legal architecture.

Although the chief minister says FDI worth Rs 14,000 crore (Rs 140 billion) has been approved for the state, the real bucks have come in only to set up 14 sugar mills. The chief minister is clear what he doesn't want: "We will not be joining the race to set up Special Economic Zones in Bihar," he says. "They are controversial and we can't spare agricultural land."

The Union government is holding out a helping hand. Thanks to a Patna visit by P Chidambaram earlier this year, bank CMDs are burning the tarmac at Patna airport. They are coming to Bihar in droves. What this activity yields is another matter. Last week, bids were opened for roadbuilding in Patna. The contract has gone to the Tantia group.

If words don't match deeds, the Bihar elite, whom Kumar has kept engaged so far, will lose patience. But the World Bank says everything Kumar is doing is "exactly right".

"In principal, Bihar should be growing twice as fast as the the national average if the government continues its reforms process. That's the potential of the state," says Dipak Dasgupta. But adds his associate, Mandakini Kaul, "Expectation management is a big issue."

That is the challenge for the new republic that is Bihar.

URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/10/05/stories/2006100502410900.htm

Lalu flags off Garib Rath

PATNA: Railway Minister Lalu Prasad on Wednesday flagged off the Garib Rath, first AC train for the poor, from the Saharsa station in Bihar. The ticket for the train to Amritsar in Punjab has been subsidised by almost 50 per cent.

For the 1,500-km journey a passenger will pay only Rs. 695 as against the fare of Rs. 1,279 for travel in AC three-tier in an express train. Travel in the AC chair car will cost only Rs. 595.

Three such pairs of trains would link Nizamuddin with Patna, Chennai and Mumbai. The Nizamuddin-Patna train was likely to be launched in a month or two.

Stolen Antiques Worth Rs. 26 Crore Recovered
Patna: October 6, 2006

http://i12.tinypic.com/2r61bpy.jpg
Patna police, on Thursday, raided two houses in Malsalami and Naubatpur areas and recovered ancient relics belonging to the Pali era with an international value estimated at Rs. 26 crore while also arresting four persons in the case, IG (Headquarters) and police spokesperson Anil Sinha said.

The three idols of Lord Vishnu, Lord Buddha, and an Yakshini, however, are not one of those idols stolen during the recent break-in into Patna Museum in which criminals walk away with 18 ancient statues worth over several crore rupees.

The raids were led by the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Kundan Krishnan. From Malsalami, the police recovered the stone statues of Vishnu and Buddha that were stolen from Lakhisarai some times back. The metal statue of the Yakshini, which alone is believed to have an international value of over Rs. 20 crore, was recovered during the raid in Naubatpur, Sinha said.

"So far the two crimes (the recovery of statues and burglary at Patna Museum on September 25) don't appear to be related but we are investigating the case and interrogating the four arrested men to see if there is any connection between the two," the SSP said.

Japanese Envoy to Visit Bihar on October 16
Patna: October 7, 2006

Close at the heels of Singapore senior state Minister for External Affairs Balaji Sadashivan who recently visited Bihar to explore the possibilities of reviving the ancient Nalanda University, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is now gearing up to welcome Japanese ambassador Yasukuni Enoki who is slated to arrive in Bihar on October 16.

Mr. Enoki, during his two-day trip to Bihar, will hold meetings with the Chief Minister, his deputy Sushil Kumar Modi and other ministers in the NDA government, to express his nation's desire to offer assistance in resuscitating the ancient university in Nalanda.

While in Bihar, a state that has virtually turned into must-visit destination for foreign dignitaries since the shift in power last November, Enoki is expected to explore other investment opportunities in the state as well, officials in Patna said.

Besides Nalanda, the Japanese ambassador is expected to visit Bodh Gaya and Rajgir.

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Rajgir just 15 kms from Nalanda is located the complex of temples and monasteries. The place is called Rajgir. It is one of the most important tourist places in India. Being located in a valley, Rajgir is a very scenic place. The small hill grit town is covered with lush green forest which add to the beauty of the place. Rajgir was the capital of the Magadh Mahajanpad (State) when Patliputra was not formed. In those days it was called Rajgrih. Rajgir or Rajgrih means the home of Royalty.

This place has been associated with Lord Buddha and Buddhism. Buddha not only spent many years in Rajgir but also delivered sermons here and proselytized emperor Bimbisar at the Griddhakoota hill. The Jivekarmavan monastery was the favorite residence for Buddha. Even Bimbisar gave Venuvan Vihar to Buddha for his residence. It is said that it was at Rajgir that physician treated Buddha, Jivak after he was injured by his cousin Devdatta.The teachings of Buddha was penned down at Rajgir and it was also the venue for the first Buddhist Council. Today Rajgir has come up as one of the most important pilgrimage for the Buddhist.Rajgir also has some very beautiful Hindu and Jain temples which attracts Hindus and Jains also to the place. Not only as a place for worship, Rajgir has come up as health and winter resort with its warm water ponds. These ponds are said to contain some medicinal properties which help in the cure of many skin diseases. The added attraction of Rajgir is the Ropeway which takes you uphill to the Shanti Stupa and Monasteries built by the Japanese Devotees on top of the Ratnagiri hills.

Jarashand ka Akhara: This is the Ranbhumi where Bhima and Jarasandh fought one of the Mahabharat battles.

Jivakameavan Gardens: Seat of the Royal Physician's dispensary where Lord Buddha was once brought to have wound dressed by Jivaka, the royal physician during the reign of Ajatshatru and Bimbisara.

Ajatshatru Fort: Built by Ajatshatru (6th century B.C.), the king of Magadha during the Buddha's time. The 6.5 sq.meter Ajatshatru's Stupa is also believed to have been built by him.

Cyclopean Wall: Once 40 Km long, it encircled ancient Rajgir. Built of massive undressed stone carefully fitted together, the wall is one of the few important Pre-Maurayan stone structures ever to have been found. Traces of wall still subsist, particularly at the exit of Rajgir to Gaya.

Shanti Stupa: The Vishwa Shanti Stup is located on a 400 meter high hill. The stupa is built in marble and on the four corners of the stupa are four glimmering statues of Buddha. To reach the top of this hill one has to come through the “Ropeways”. This place is also called the GriddhKoot.

Venu Vana: Site of the monastery Venuvana Vihar built by king Bimbisara for Lord Buddha to reside. This was the king's first offering to Lord Buddha.

Karanda Tank: It is the tank in which Buddha used to bathe.

Sonbhandar Caves: Two rather strange cave chambers were hollowed out of a single massive rock. One of the chambers I believed to have been the guard room, the rear wall has two straight vertical lines and one horizontal line cut into the rock; the doorway is supposed to lead to king Bimbisara Treasury. Inscriptions in the Sankhlipi or shell script, etched into wall and so far undeciphered, are believed to give the clue to open the doorway. The treasure, according to folklore, is still intact. The second chambers bears a few traces of seated and standing etched into the outer wall.

Bimbisar jail: his impatient saon and heir, Ajatashatru, imprisoned King Bimbisara here. The captive king chose this site for his incarceration, for, from this spot he could see Lord Buddha climbing up to his mountain retreat atop the Griddhakuta hill. There is a clear view of the Japanese Pagoda. The stupa of peace was built on the top of the hill.

Veerayatan: A Jain Temple and Museum

Jain Temple: On hill crests around Rajgir, far in the distances one can see about 26 Jain Temples. They are difficult to approach for the untrained, but make exciting trekking for those in form.

Chariot Route Marks: The Chariot Route and hell inscriptions are worth a visit for the strangeness of the phenomenon, two parallel furrows cut deep into rock for about thirty feet giving credence to the local belief that they were "burnt" into the rock by the speed and power of Lord Krishna's chariot when he entered the city of Rajgir during the epic Mahabharata times. Several shell inscriptions, the undeciphered characters current in central and eastern India from the 1st to 5th centuries AD, and engraved in the rock around the chariot marks.

Other places of interest:
Hot Springs, Pippala cave, Swarn Bhandar, Gridhakuta, New Rajgir Walls, Bimbisar Road, Maniyar math, Saptarni Caves and Poppala Stone house are the sites of tourist interest.

PATNA: Universities in Bihar are likely to go hi-tech soon with the proposed computerisation of their examinations. A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting of the vice-chancellors and other officials of all the universities held here on Sunday at Nalanda Open University. Governor R S Gavai chaired the meeting.

Ways and means to streamline university examinations and maintain the academic calendars were discussed at length and it was decided to computerise the examination system of all the universities completely. A Mumbai-based firm also demonstrated its software for examinations which was highly appreciated by the VCs.

Nalanda Open University (NOU) also displayed its examination software on the occasion. This software has helped NOU considerably in maintaining its examination schedule.

Stressing the need of regularising all the university examinations by March, 2007, Gavai tried to ascertain the specific constraints relating to examinations and academic sessions from each VC individually and directed them to take necessary steps for regularising teaching and examinations.

He clearly told the VCs that the academic calendars of the universities should spell out the exact dates of commencement of examinations and publication of results. In no case, the VCs would extend the dates of examinations as mentioned in the academic calendar. Only the chancellor would be authorised to change the date of examination in some exceptional circumstances.

The meeting was attended by the registrars and controllers of examinations of all the universities.

UGC team visit: A team of the UGC officials, led by its secretary and regional director, would be visiting Patna on Monday to assess the utilisation of grants sanctioned to different universities during the 10th Plan period and release the remaining grants. The team would meet Patna University (PU) officials at Raj Bhawan on Monday.

http://projectsmonitor.com/detailnews.asp?newsid=12191

Kahalgaon unit 6 by Dec. 06

NTPC Ltd is trying hard to commission the sixth unit at Kahalgaon power project by December 2006. The Union power secretary has asked BHEL, the main plant equipment supplier, to speed up the delivery of equipment required for commencing boiler light-up at unit-6. As per the schedule, BHEL was to complete the boiler light-up by September.
The Kahalgaon STPS stage II expansion scheme involves addition of capacity 2x500 mw as an extension to the existing stage I of 4x210 mw capacity at Kahalgaon, located about 25 km from Bhagalpur. The project was to cost Rs 4,002 crore. BHEL was awarded the contract of Rs 1,412 crore for engineering, procurement and construction in August 2003.

Rediff.com
Patna: Bihar is witnessing the largest ever employment drive for teachers in the state, and aspirants are lining up for what they say is the best step taken by the state government in years.

For many like Raj Kishore Mehta - the sole bread earner in his family of his five - this employment drive has come as a much-aspired dream come true.

“Every one in our family is filling up the forms and the one who is the best will get the job,” Mehta says.

The latest drive is aimed at improving the teacher-student ratio from the present 1:62 to the national average of 1:40.

Under the ongoing drive, over two lakh teachers are to be appointed in the state and the interestingly there’s no specified upper age limit.

"This is a welcome step by Bihar government. It’s been 20 years since my mother graduated and she is still unemployed. Even we have completed our stiudeis. Now the two of us will apply together,” says an applicant Mani Lal.

These enthusiastic responses are just a reflection of how starved the state had been of fresh recruitments in over 15 years.

The challenge before the fresh recruits now is to live up to the expectations of millions of Bihar students, all of whom are banking their hopes and betting their futures on the would-be teachers.

News From Webindia123.com
Air Deccan to connect more eastern cities
Kolkata | October 13, 2006 8:47:22 PM IST

Low cost carrier Air Deccan would shortly launch flights to Jamshedpur, Bodh-Gaya, Patna and Leelabari from here.

The Kolkata-Jamshedpur flight would be launched in a month's time, Airlines Managing Director Capt G R Gopinath said during a web-conference here today.

'' We will also launch flights between Kolkata-Bodh Gaya, Kolkata-Patna and Kolkata-Guwahati-Leelabari,'' Capt Gopinath said.

Air Deccan operates 38 aircraft from Kolkata and had been calling for a hanger in the NSCBI airport. He said he had discussions with Left leader Nilotpal Basu over setting up of low cost air terminals and he would meet West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee on the issue.

The air carrier today announced an innovative financial deal to yield Rs 450 crore over the 15 months. Air Deccan has assigned its future aircraft supply contract in favour of a special purpose company (SPC) funded by international banks Investec Bank of UK and HSH Nord Bank AG of Germany.

The company had earlier placed orders with Airbus Industries and IAE (Rolls Royce and Pratt & Whitney) for supply of 60 Airbus A 320 aircraft to be delivered in seven years.
UNI TJP KK RA HT1757

Japanese Ambassador Keen to Invest in Buddhist Circuit
Patna: October 17, 2006

Japan's ambassador to India, Yasukuni Enoki, during his two day trip to Bihar on Monday, said his government was keen on investing in the development of the Buddhist circuit in Bihar in an attempt to turn it around the choice destinations for Buddhist pilgrims from around the world.

Enoki, who was accompanied by his wife, met with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday night and expressed the Japanese government's interest in the area. "Bodh Gaya, Nalanda, and Rajgir are of vital importance to Buddhists everywhere and we will study the feasibility of turning these places into world-class tourist spots that meet international standards," Enoki, who will leave for all three places of pilgrimage on Tuesday, told the Chief Minister.

The Japanese ambassador's visit comes five months after a seven-member delegate of the Japanese government met with the Chief Minister last May and proposed to develop the Nalanda University into a world-class seat of learning offering the best of everything – from the most qualified teachers to the highly-sophisticated teaching devices to restore the lost glories of the ancient university.

It may be noted that similar interests have been shown by leaders of other Buddhist nations including Singapore whose senior state Minister for External Affairs Balaji Sadashivan also visited Bihar in October to explore the possibilities of reviving the Nalanda University.

Pawar Opens Agriculture Research Center in Patna
Patna: October 17, 2006
Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, during the inauguration of the building/research center of the Indian Council for Agricultural Research in Patna on Monday, said major investment was required to boost production at all levels and the Central government was taking steps to provide high-quality seeds and fertilizer to small farmers to attain this goal.

The building was dedicated to the late socialist leader Jagjiwan Ram in the presence of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) president and Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav.
Kumar, in his speech, said Bihar had high hopes from the Union Minister particularly in raising production, storage, and distribution of litchi and makhana in the domestic and international market.

Yadav said the research center would benefit Bihar in many ways as scientists would be able to conduct their experiments and research in more effective and efficient way.

Union Minister and the daughter of Jagjiwan Ram, Meira Kumar, thanked Pawar for dedicating the building to her father who died nearly 20 years ago.

Others present on the occasion included ICAR managing director Dr. Mangla Rai, state Agriculture Minister Dr. Akhilesh Prasad Singh, and Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh.

Japanese Bank Approves Rs. 584 Cr. Loan Package for Patna
Patna: October 21, 2006

The Japan Bank of International Corporation (JBIC), after being satisfied by the response of the Bihar government, has agreed to give a loan of Rs. 584 crore for complete development of the state capital bringing the city a step closer to the realization of the dream of a Greater Patna.

The JBIC will release the loan in the fiscal year of 2007-08 to improve sewage, water supply, and set up solid waste management system to improve the basic infrastructure of the city that has taken a solid beating in the lack of proper and required maintenance work in last few decades.

The bank, however, did not approve loan for the development of underground drainage saying it would be nearly impossible to recover money in this project.

Not to be disappointed by this minor setback, the state government has decided to use Rs. 731 crore from the Nehru National Urban Modernization scheme fund for development of underground drainage system while using Rs. 207 crore from the Japanese loan for water supply scheme, Rs. 252 crore on sewage, and Rs. 124 crore on developing solid waste management plan, officials said on Friday.

Earlier in July, the Bihar State Water Board, under the Integrated Development Project, had sent out an overall finance package of over Rs. 1,488 crore to the JBIC for infrastructural development in the state capital. Satisfied by the state government's response to its queries, the bank has approved Rs. 584 crore with other plans still under consideration, a senior state official said.

Patna Palaces to be Converted into Heritage Hotels
Patna: October 26, 2006

The Nitish government has decided to resuscitate the two palaces now in dilapidated condition in Patna and turn them into world class heritage hotels on the patterns of similar scheme already implemented in the state of Rajasthan.

Details to convert the Rizwan Palace and Sultan Palace located on Frazer Road and Bir Chand Patel Marg respectively into heritage hotel under the Tourism Department has already started, Tourism Minister Nandkishore Yadav said adding it was part of the government's efforts to restore the past glories of Bihar.

Besides the two heritage hotels, the government is also working out details to build an international convention center on a ten-acre land at the cost of Rs. 5 crore, the Minister said.

A 50-acre, Rs. 10 crore plan to build an amusement park in Patna is also in the pipeline and the government is seeking assistance from outside investors to realize this objective, Yadav said.

Work to connect the Harmandir Takht Gurudwara in Patna City with the Bypass Road has already begun, the Minister informed.

Bihar to make the e-leap into IT age
Saturday October 28 2006 00:00 IST Newindpress
IANS

PATNA: Bihar, where once former chief minister Lalu Prasad saw IT as an elitist preoccupation, has approved a proposal to introduce e-governance in all its 8,479 panchayats at a huge cost of Rs.252 million (Rs25.2 crores).

But his successor government of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar approved a sweeping proposal late on Thursday that will enable villagers to connect with the outside world and get easy information access, state Cabinet Secretary A K Chauhan said Friday.

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and the Bihar State Electronics Development Corporation, a state-owned IT body, are to design the software for the e-governance project. The Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services (ILFS) will monitor its implementation.

Under the project, panchayat information centres, or panchayat portals called Vasudha Kendras, will be set up. This will enable villagers to connect with the outside world and provide affordable and easy access to information about the government and its policies, said Chauhan.

He said the Vasudha Kendras would be connected to all state departments through the Internet and the government will provide computers and Internet connections at the panchayat level centre.

According to the plan, eight government departments, including the chief minister secretariat, will be linked to the State-wide Area Network (SWAN).

The project aims at establishing direct contact with villagers and making the functioning of the government more transparent.

“People will come to know the progress of developmental projects, their implementation, costs incurred and can seek redressal of their problems with the click of a mouse,” Chauhan said.

It was on the advice of President A P J Abdul Kalam, during his visit to the state earlier this year, that the state took the e-governance project seriously.

Kalam had suggested that Bihar use e-governance as a tool for development and to ensure a corruption free administration.

The chief minister’s official residence is to be the main operational hub for e-governance.

A few months ago, top administrative officials and ministers were provided with laptops as part of the e-governance drive. Video-conferencing facility has also been set up in the state’s 38 district headquarters.

New Children's Park to Open on Nov. 14
Patna: October 30, 2006

Children of Patna will soon have a new park to play in as the government prepares to open a brand new recreational area near Gandhi Maidan completely equipped with a mountain, a pond with colorful fishes, and giant size animals including dinosaurs to strike the fancy of children on the birth anniversary of India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru on November 14.

With over three dozen workers called in from West Bengal and various parts of Bihar, the work is going ahead full steam to meet the Nov. 14 deadline, officials in Patna said.

The park, a joint private-public venture, will cost Rs. 10 lakh and will be maintained by a private company.

With its official opening on the Children's Day, the park will also have a restaurant offering snack items and soft drinks at very reasonable price, officials said.

Bihar to have 8 pvt medical colleges

Press Trust of India

PATNA, Nov. 4. — Decks have been cleared for opening eight new medical colleges in the private sector in Bihar with the State Investment Promotion Board (SIPB) approving the proposals.

The SIPB approved the proposals for setting up four medical colleges in the private sector in Patna, two at Bettiah and one each at Ara and Saharsa.
The SIPB also cleared a proposal for opening a dental college at Ara, official sources said.

Two American companies had submitted separate proposals for setting up the medical colleges in Patna and its adjoining areas. The board gave its nod to the proposal of the Medical World4u, an American company owned by an Indian, for setting up a medical college and super-speciality hospital at Patna with an investment of Rs 148.87 crore.

Nalanda opens window for Bihar to look East & global (http://indianexpress.com/sunday/story/16045.html)

Bihar’s priceless Buddhist heritage is emerging as an entirely unexpected but powerful bond between India’s most backward regions and the world’s most dynamic economies of East Asia.

Three high-profile events this month, including the Chinese President Hu Jintao’s visit to India, will converge on a far-reaching proposal to build an international university at Bihar’s ancient seat of learning, Nalanda.

For the prosperous East Asians, including the Communist Chinese, who are rediscovering Buddhism, the Nalanda project is a labour of love and a spiritual debt.

For Bihar it could be that single big idea to kickstart economic reconstruction in the long neglected state and put it back at the heart of a re-integrating Asia.

If New Delhi and Patna can get their act together in the coming months, the East Asian enthusiasm for the Nalanda university project and the development of Buddhist circuit could change the face of not just Bihar but much of the Eastern Subcontinent that is home to the largest number of world’s poor.

Highlighting the new Chinese enthusiasm for Buddhism and the enduring links with the Indian civilisation are two Buddhist monks who arrive in Nalanda in the next few days.

The monks, one from mainland China and the other from Taiwan, are retracing the steps of Xuan Zang (better known in India as Hieun Tsang) who visited India in the seventh century when the Nalanda school was at the height of its intellectual influence all across Asia. Traveling overland, the two monks will be at Nalanda in the next few days.

Once China is on board, the rest of Asia is expected to join in what could be unprecedented multi-national Asian project to build the Nalanda University. Meanwhile, an international seminar on the Nalanda University, kicking off in Singapore next Sunday, is expected to focus on the many themes of the project.

The Singapore government, especially its foreign minister George Yeo, had been at the forefront of the Asian initiative on the Nalanda project. Singapore sees the university as the cutting edge of the important effort to re-establish the ancient links between the Subcontinent and East Asia.

Singapore believes an international university, with centres of excellence on science, religion, and humanities, all of which flourished in ancient Nalanda, could become the symbol of renewed cultural vigour in Asia along with its widely admired prosperity.

While Nalanda is yet to wake up to what’s in store for it, in a secluded corner, workers are now racing to meet the December deadline for completion of a Xuan Zang Memorial Hall being built jointly by the Indian and Chinese governments.



Why can't India build the university on its own? IMHO, India would be better served if we looked to Japan, Taiwan and Singapore to develop our Buddhist infrastructure.

Exactly! I dont wanna sound nationalist, but allowing too much Chinese investment will turn India into a Chinese colony since India is unable to compete with them on any significant front that matters, from infra to literacy to the overall standard of living. In fact, the development gap between India and China is comparable to the gap between the USA and Mexico, in China's favor.

Developmental issues aside, Naga, I just don't trust them messing in our internal affairs. There are a lot of border issues that need to be solved before Chinese should be allowed access to our hinterlands, and especially for religious reasons.

Besides, I am really curious to know where this journalist picked up the information that the Communist party is interested in Buddhism again.

Coomunists? Oh man, someone really needs to flush out that ideology, it's been shown to be an unworkable dream. Communal ownership of resources is ok, but having it forced upon everyone by the government is wrong.

The Korean peninsula is a perfect example of why Communism fails. It has two countries of the same heritage and culture until 50 years ago. South Korea, a free-market capitalist state, is a 1st-world country that transformed itself in just about 30 years. Communist North Korea, on the other hand, is a failed state with a lower standard of living than Ethiopia, thanks to really inefficient management.

Also, it is important to note that China's recent boom didnt start until they started introducing free-market concepts (more like making them legal again after 20-something years). China's past prosperity was a product of capitalism, its downfall was a product of cultural arrogance (they got a little self-assured of their civilization's very impressive acheivements), and the free market is what is now getting them back on track.

Mahavir Sansthan to Build Ten New Hospitals in Bihar
Patna: November 6, 2006

The president of Bihar State Board of Religious Trust Acharya Kishore Kunal, on the 18th anniversary of the Mahavir Arogya Sansthan in Patna on Sunday, said the Council, in next couple of years would construct ten new hospitals in a number of districts from the money received at temples and mutths.

A cancer care center in Hajipur at an estimated cost of Rs. 2.2 crore, Vatsalya hospital in Sitamarhi, a heart hospital in Muzaffarpur, and a medical college in Begusarai are some of the projects that the Trust is currently working on, Kunal, a former IPS officer said.

Kunal earlier inaugurated the addition of a maternity ward, a waiting room, an optometry, and a reception room at the Mahavir Arogya Sansthan in the presence of Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Nitin Navin, former Vice Chancellor S. N. P. Sinha Sinha, Justice Prem Shankar Sahay, director S. C. Mishra, Dr. Jitendra Kumar Singh and a number of doctors and physicians.

Kunal also expressed his frustration with the latest revelation that the management of a number of temples and other religious establishments have been illegally 'outsourced' to third parties, including some criminal elements who share the profit with the temple chief.

"We are preparing a list of such temples and would take legal actions against the erring temple priests," Kunal said.

Cabinet sanctions Rs 180 crore for sugar park project

Created on : 11/08/2006 7:44:36 PM (NORMAL )
Patna, Nov 8 (UNI) Bihar government today sanctioned Rs 180 crore sugar park project to be set up in Supaul district.

The state cabinet in a meeting gave its nod to the sugar park project of Bihar Cooperative Sugar park Federation Limited BISCOMAN. The sugar park would be set up in Supaul.

The cabinet also sanctioned implementation of Rs 4934.42 lakh centrally sponsored schemes for modernisation of state police. The implementation of the scheme would start in the current financial year.

The cabinet gave its nod to hike the sales tax on indigenously prepared liquor and also simplified that tax structure on it. With the new decision the sales tax would be fifty per cent and it would be collected only in single phase instead of three phases.

The cabinet changed the academic sessions of all government primary and middle schools. Instead of January to December, the academic calender would be from April to March.

The cabinet extended the period of Bihar Law Commission for three years and appointed retired justice of Patna High Court Radhamohan Prasad.
UNI RS KK RN1931

Trade Expo to Open in Patna on December 24
Patna: November 9, 2006

Patna will be hosting the National Trade Fair – Expo 2007 between Dec. 24-Jan 7 at Miller School ground attracting businessmen not only from various parts of the country but also from nations like Nepal, China, Bhutan, Malaysia and a number of other countries, fair organizers said on Wednesday.

The announcement came at a press meet organized by fair sponsor Northeast Consumer Expo and attended by its director Shabbir Ahmed, director Rishi Raj, co-sponsor Bihar Women's Industry Organization president Pushpa Chopra and secretary Usha Jha.

Emphasis will be given on products from Bihar in an attempt to establish a brand-image for the economically-strapped state, the organizers said.

The fair will also feature a fashion show, an art exhibition, and shows highlighting traditional culture of Bihar, they said.

More than 250 pavilions are expected to be featured in the expo including appearances from the Bhojpuri film star Manoj Tiwari and noted Bihar folk singer Sharda Sinha, the organizers said.

Nitish Says No Star Show to Mark 1st Anniversary
Patna: November 9, 2006

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, on Wednesday, ordered a stop on the mega-star show in Patna planned by the Information and Public Relations Department to celebrate the first anniversary of the NDA assuming power after trouncing the RJD-led coalition in the state.

Kumar said the people of Bihar had put their trusts in the NDA government in Bihar hoping for development and prosperity and it would be pompous to mark the anniversary with such a mega show when so much more has to be done yet.

"One year has passed and four more years have to go; anniversaries come and go, this is normal so what's the point in having a mega star show?" he enquired.

"On the completion of the first year of our governance, we would be presenting a report card to the people of Bihar that would highlight our achievements in the last year and what we plan to do in next four years," Kumar said.

http://i15.tinypic.com/40a9aol.jpg
Vaishali Sthupa

Vaishali today is a small village surrounded by banana, mango groves and rice fields. But excavations in the area have brought to light an impressive historical past. The epic Ramayana tells the story of the heroic King Vishal who ruled here. Historians maintain that one of the world's first democratic republics with an elected assembly of representatives flourished here in the 6th century B.C. in the time of the Vajjis and the Lichchavis. And while Pataliputra, capital of the Mauryas and the Guptas, held political sway over the Gangetic plain, Vaishali was a rich center for trade and industry.

Historically important, Vaishali, on the left bank of the Gandak river, is spiritually supreme. Lord Buddha visited this place frequently and at Kolhua, close by, preached his last sermon. To commemorate the event, Emperor Ashoka, in the third century B.C. erected one of his famous lion pillars here. A hundred years after the Mahaparinirvana of the Buddha - Vaishali hosted the second great Buddhist council. Two stupas were erected to commemorate this event. Jainism, too, has its origins in Vaishali, for in 527 B.C., Lord Mahavir was born on the outskirts of the city, and lived in Vaishali till he was 22. Vaishali is then twice blessed and remains an important pilgrim center for both Buddhists and Jains, attracting also historians foraging for the past.

On the outskirts of Vaishali stood the grand double storied Buddhist monastery. Buddha often discoursed here. Much against his wishes, he extended spiritual enfranchisement to women by admitting them to the Holy Order which was founded here. Legend has it that on one of his visits, several monkeys dug up a tank for his comfortable stay and offered him a bowl of honey. This is regarded as one of the great incidents in the legends of Buddha, who announced his approaching Nirvana and preached his last sermon here.

The Lichchhavis came a long way to bid him farewell on his way to Kushinagara and finally, they were stopped by a river created by Buddha. He once again paused to have a last of his much loved city. As a piety for Vaishali, he had already given his alms bowl which remained here for long time.

A life size-pillar beside a brick stupa at Kolhua commemorates Buddha's last sermon and announcement of his approaching nirvana. The lion faces north, the direction Buddha took on his last voyage. Adjacent to this is the tank associated with the monkeys offering honey. Nearby are the skeletal remains of a monastery where Buddha resided and a votive stupas dot the region.

Vaishali museum houses some of the archaeological remains discovered here. Facing the museum is the Abhishek Pushkarni which was holy to Lichchhavis. On one side of the lake is newly built Vishwa Shanti Stupa, a sixth in the series to be erected in India. Close to the museum is the shaded stupa which is supposed to have housed the casket relic with the ashes of Buddha.

Archaeologists have uncovered a good deal of Vaishali. It begins with a huge mound which is associated with the ancient Parliament referred to Raja Vaihala Ka Garh. Bawan Pokhar temple houses a rich collection of black basalt images dating back to the Gupta and Pala period. Another black basalt, four headed Shivling (Choumukhi Mahadeva) was discovered when a reservoir was being dug. Behind the bawan pokhar temple is a Jain temple famous for its image of the Trithankar. A little distance from these temples lies the Lotus Tank which used to be a picnic spot of the Lichchhavis.

Further north at Lauria Areraj, 31 Kms from Motihari, lies one of the Ashokan Columns with six of his edicts. The column is devoid of its capital. Another Ashokan column along with the lion capital can be visited at Nandangarh, 23 kms from Bettiah. These pillars possibly mark the course of the ancient Royal highway from Patliputra to Nepal valley. Few kilometers from the monolith at Nandangarh is the mighty brick stupa which is believed to have stored the casket relic containing the ashes of Buddha. At Nandangarh one can also see a dozen vedic mounds that contain the remains of ruling clans of pre-Buddhists times.

Vaishali - in and around:

http://i9.tinypic.com/42j1b1x.jpg

Ashokan Pillar: Emperor Ashoka built The Lion Pillar at Kolhua. It is made of a highly polished single piece of red sandstone, surmounted by a bell shaped capital, 18.3 m high. A life-size figure of a lion is placed on top of the pillar. There is a small tank here known as Ramkund. This pillar beside a brick stupa at Kolhua commemorates Buddha's last sermon.

Bawan Pokhar Temple: An old temple built in the Pala period stands on the northern bank of Bawan Pokhar and enshrines beautiful images of several Hindu gods

Budha Stupa-I: The exterior of this stupa which is now in a dilapidated condition has a plain surface. One eighth of the sacred ashes of the lord Buddha were enshrined here in a stone casket.

Budha Stupa-II: Excavation at this site in 1958 led to the discovery of another casket containing the ashes of the Lord Buddha.

Abhiskek Pushkarn (Coronation tank): It contains water that was believed to be sacred in the old days. All of Vaishali's elected representative were anointed here before their swearing in. The Lichchavi stupa was located near here.

The stone casket of the sacred ashes of Lord Buddha were enshrined here in Vaishali.

Kundalpur: Birth place of Lord Mahavira. 4Km.It is believed that the Jain Tirthankar, Lord Mahavir was born over 2550 years ago. Mahavir is said to have spent the first 22 years of his life here.

Raja Vishal ka Garh: A huge mound with a circumference about one Kilometer and walls nearly 2 m high with a 43m wide moat around them, is said to be the ancient parliament house. Over seven thousand representatives of the federal assembly gathered here to legislate and discuss the problems of the day.

Shanti Stupa: On the south bank of the coronation tank, built by Buddha Vihar Society.

Building a future on Nalanda’s ruins
Saturday November 11 2006 10:42 IST J P YADAV


Bihar has nothing to offer except history. Or so goes a popular saying in the state. And, in terms of history, one of its more impressive sites is that of Nalanda, which lies some 90 km east of Patna. Here are the ruins of one of the oldest universities in the world. Recorded history has it that Nalanda was the seat of multi-disciplinary learning for 700 years, between the 5th to 12th century AD.

The ruins of Nalanda have rekindled hope for Bihar. Since every economic power in East Asia — China, Japan, Singapore and Thailand — share a Buddhist legacy, they are interested in this Buddhist heritage site. Nalanda has consequently surfaced as a powerful cultural and emotional bond within the region. The idea of setting up an Indo-Asian Institute of Learning, similar to the one that existed here earlier, is proving to be a remarkably attractive one for these countries.

The idea of reviving the lost glory of Nalanda through this university was initiated, incidentally, by President A P J Abdul Kalam, during a visit to East Asia. Kalam had prescribed it as one of the ten things Bihar needed to do to march on to the path of prosperity. For Bihar, lagging far behind in all indices of development, this is an opportunity that needs to be utilised carefully. What is required is to develop not just the university, but the entire grid of Buddhist sites.

Bihar has already benefited considerably from Bodh Gaya, the site where Lord Buddha attained enlightenment. For every Buddhist, it has emerged as a pilgrimage spot equal to what Mecca is for the Muslim. Buddhists from across the world are ready to undergo all manner of hardships to visit Bodh Gaya at least once in their lifetime. The challenge is to make them visit more often and also to go beyond Bodh Gaya. There are reasons why this is a difficult proposition, given poor law, pot-holed roads and a lack of international-grade tourist infrastructure. Despite being situated just around 60 km from Bodh Gaya, Nalanda and Rajgir attract a very small share of the international tourist traffic that comes to Buddha’s land of enlightenment.

It may sound shocking to many but Nalanda at present does not have a single hotel. Tourists who come here leave the place before sunset for Rajgir, 10 km away. On November 18, Nalanda will receive a team of 30-40 members of the Chinese Central Television, which is producing a documentary on Xuan Zang. The team will be compelled to leave Nalanda for Patna since there is no place that can accommodate them comfortably for a night’s stay. Even the hotels at Rajgir are far below international standards.

Apart from this, the law and order scenario here is also dismal, despite the best efforts of the present regime. Foreign tourists are still advised not to venture out after sunset. Ending this sense of fear could well be one of the major challenges before the Nitish Kumar government. After all, tourism can hardly be expected to prosper unless the visitors feel safe and secure.

It’s not that the state government is not thinking beyond the university. The chief minister was quick to realise the potential of the Nalanda project, given Bihar’s rich Buddhist heritage.

He has long acknowledged that his state’s strength lies in its heritage, fertile soil, abundant water and human resources. The state government has now drawn up a mega plan for the Buddhist heritage sites in the state, with a special focus on Nalanda. Apart from setting up an international university, the government has announced that it will build a tourist park of international standards and a township at Nalanda. Similar plans have been set in motion for Bodh Gaya. Two new luxury hotels and an 18-hole golf course is on the anvil. The UK-based Professional Golfer’s Association has submitted a detailed project report for setting up a golf resort on a 200-acre plot. A golf course is also being planned for Nalanda.

Attracting foreign investments successfully is not a job that the state government can handle alone. Active support from the Centre is also needed for something tangible to emerge. The state has seen several instances of great plans consigned to dusty shelves. It would be a great pity if the Nalanda project meets with a similar fate.

Patna civic body employs eunuchs to collect dues
Faizan Ahmad [ 10 Nov, 2006 0036hrs ISTTIMES NEWS NETWORK ]

PATNA: The Patna Municipal Corporation has hit upon a novel idea to collect taxes from commercial establishments — the civic body has employed eunuchs to collect dues from shopkeepers.

Needless to say, the mission has been quite successful. On Wednesday, the "agents" collected cheques and cash amounting to Rs 4.25 lakh from the defaulters in different localities.

"Tax jama karo. Hum sarkar ki taraf se bol rahe hain. Ghar-darwaza neelam mat karao,"Pooja yelled at shopkeepers while others danced and clapped. One eunuch said, "Our leader Kali Hijra was approached by the government and she roped us in for the job."

While some shopkeepers were shocked, others took it sportingly. Many of them hastily took out chequebooks, filled up the details and handed them over to the eunuchs.

Bihar Panchayats to Implement e-Governance (http://www.sda-india.com/sda_india/psecom,id,22,site_layout,sdaindia,news,13130,p,0.html)

Bihar has approved a proposal to introduce e-governance in all its 8,479 panchayats at a cost of Rs.252 million, state Cabinet Secretary A.K. Chauhan said. Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and the Bihar State Electronics Development Corporation, a state-owned IT body, will design the software for the e-governance project. The Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services (ILFS) will monitor its implementation.

According to the plan, eight government departments, including the chief minister secretariat, will be linked to the State-Wide Area Network (SWAN). The project aims at establishing direct contact with villagers and making the functioning of the government more transparent.

"People will come to know the progress of developmental projects, their implementation, costs incurred and can seek redressal of their problems with the click of a mouse," Chauhan said. It was on the advice of President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, during his visit to the state earlier this year, that the state took the e-governance project seriously.

Bhojpuri film industry witnessing a boom (http://www.navhindtimes.com/articles.php?Story_ID=110613)

New Delhi, Nov 5: After being ignored for years, the Bhojpuri film industry is finally getting its due. Bhojpuri films are not only reaping rich dividends at the box office but also attracting the attention of Bollywood biggies like Amitabh Bachchan, Dilip Kumar and Jeetendra.

While the Amitabh starrer ‘Ganga’ is doing very good business, thespian Dilip Kumar has written the script for a film to be produced by his wife Saira Banu and Jeetendra is in talks to star in a Bhojpuri film. There are rumours Konkona Sen Sharma could also act in a Bhojpuri film.

“Around 50 Bhojpuri films are released in a year. Every week there is one release,” Mumbai-based film publicist Ashok Bhatia said.

The industry, which is re-surfacing slowly, churns out moderate budget films that do well in the rural hinterland of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. These have benefited from the highly glamorised recent Bollywood potboilers, which are aimed at NRI audiences.

“Single theatres in small regions in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh don’t run these big-budgeted Bollywood films as they focus on the NRI audiences. The B and C grade audiences don’t like them. They prefer Bhojpuri films instead,” said Bhojpuri filmmaker Alok Kumar.

Kumar has made two films ‘Raja Bhojpuriya’ and ‘Ho Gail Ba Pyaar Odhaniya Waali Se’, which has completed 100 days in Mumbai.

To cater to the audience’ taste for fast-paced action, the family-oriented Bhojpuri films had to morph into the masala genre.

“Earlier, it used to be family-oriented emotional dramas. But now the audiences like to watch masala flicks. So the current films are modelled on the Hindi hits of the 70s and 80s,” said Kumar.

Making a Bhojpuri film is cheap compared to the many millions spent on a single Bollywood film. They cost around Rs 7-8 million and the biggest Bhojpuri stars like Ravi Kishan or Manoj Tiwari apparently charge Rs 2.5 million per film - a nominal amount compared to what the Hindi film heroes command.

“We have to keep the budget in control because we don’t have access to all the theatres in the country. And we don’t get instant results. We recover our cost, but not immediately,” added Kumar.

Ravi, who is the superstar of Bhojpuri films, said: “I have worked very hard to popularise this language, which was looked down upon as a C-grade vernacular language. I am from Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh, and love my language. I decided to market it in a way that would make it an international phenomenon. And see... we are now going to have our first Bhojpuri concert across the globe.”

Over 270 million people speak and understand Bhojpuri and the Bhojpuri diaspora is based in countries like Mauritius, Ghana, West Indies, Fiji, Nepal, Dubai, Indonesia, and the Netherlands.

Talking about the overseas market, Kumar said: “There is a demand for Bhojpuri films in those countries but proper infrastructure is not there. I would love to screen my films there. Music albums of Bhojpuri films are going there and are lapped up.”

Bhojpuri film actors, following in the footsteps of Bollywood stars, are all set to woo global fans with live performances.

Members of the Bhojpuri film fraternity, which has seen a phenomenal growth in the last few years, have joined hands to organise their first star-spangled stage show called “Bhojpuri Hungama” with 20 shows planned in various parts of India and across the world.

Amitabh starrer ‘Ganga’ - a Bhojpuri film produced by his make-up man Deepak Sawant, is doing good business.

“There is a huge craze for Bhojpuri films and people will start respecting them after the international shows. Shweta Tiwari of ‘Kasauti Zindagi kii’ fame is also joining us. Actors Nagma and Rambha are also part of this concert,” said Ravi.

In India, Bhojpuri films are now gaining popularity beyond the boundaries of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

Said Arun Kumar Singh, a Delhi-based teacher from Bihar: “We live away from our home. Whenever we are homesick, Bhojpuri films provide us emotional succour. We are able to connect to the films because they show our culture and tradition.”

Now Bollywood ace choreographer Saroj Khan is directing a Bhojpuri movie, director Tinnu Verma is remaking a Bollywood hit, ‘Mera Gaon Mera Desh’ in Bhojpuri, and Bollywood singer Udit Narayan is producing a Bhojpuri film called ‘Kab Hoi Gauna Hamar’.

Apart from that, producers like Subhash Ghai, are foraying into Bhojpuri films and so are Hindi movie stars.

Sweet dreams to jazz up Nitish regime (http://www.telegraphindia.com/1061108/asp/jamshedpur/story_6970514.asp)
NALIN VERMA

Patna, Nov. 7: For chief minister Nitish Kumar, charity begins at home.

Nitish will spark off celebrations commemorating his first year in office in November by tabling a “report card” of the government and follow it up with a global meet at Patna in January to discuss development strategies for a “resurgent” Bihar.

The investment of Rs 4,600 crore for opening new sugar factories and the revival of the closed ones will be one of the principal features of the report card.

“The sugar sector, which has the potential to put the Bihar economy back on track, is the most favoured destination of the investors. We have already sanctioned proposals for 10 sugar mills and have received project reports for 15 others from the entrepreneurs,” the Bihar chief minister, who had promised to issue his government’s report card after a year in office, told The Telegraph. Nitish is learnt to have been supervising the report himself.

From January 19 to 21, experts and investors from across the world are expected to flock the state capital for a meet and the Nitish government is a party to the gathering jointly organised by New Delhi-based Institute of Human Development and bihartimes.com, a Patna based portal.

Nitish’s focus, though, will remain the sugar sector, which used to be the backbone of state’s economy. All nine sugar factories of the state sugar corporation downed the shutters during the 15-year Lalu-Rabri regime leaving lakhs of farmers, in a sugarcane-rich state like Bihar, impoverished.

“The revival of the sugar factories will open the gate for investors to invest in the agro-based sector, which is ideal for the gangetic planes of Bihar,” Kumar said. “The praise from the Tatas and Mahindras has proved that the government is building a friendly atmosphere to invite investment.”

Interestingly, Nitish, unlike his predecessor Lalu Prasad and Arjun Munda, former chief minister of neighbouring Jharkhand, has not made a single foreign trip in his year-long stint in the saddle. Lalu Prasad went to England, United States, Singapore, among others, in the 1990’s ostensibly to invite investment in the state.

Nitish, in a way, resembles his Orissa counterpart Naveen Patnaik who despite being in the United States with fellow writers and bibliophiles before donning the politician’s robe has not visited a single foreign country after being in office for nearly three years. His government, though, has invited investment, including foreign ones worth Rs 4 lakh crore.

“The concept of a global village is fast gaining ground. It’s not necessary to make frequent foreign trip on state expenses. People from all across the globe are watching us in this IT age. We have to create a conducive atmosphere for investment and investors will follow,” Nitish Kumar said.

Spirit of Bihar (http://www.thestandard.com.hk/weekend_news_detail.asp?pp_cat=36&art_id=30443&sid=10507314&con_type=3&d_str=20061021)

Saturday, October 28, 2006


Despite rampant poverty and crime, the Indian state's abundance of Buddhist treasures and ambience is attracting more seekers of nirvana, writes Nirmala George

The road to Bodh Gaya, one of Buddhism's holiest sites, had been long and strenuous.

Four hours of jolting along potholed roads had taken their toll. My back was sore and I was more in need of spinal therapy than the spiritual therapy that had brought me to Bihar, a poverty- wracked state infamous for its appalling crime and lawlessness.

But my all-too human aches fled when I entered the sprawling silence of the Mahabodhi Temple complex and let the serenity of the centuries-old shrine wash over me.

There, under the canopy of an ancient peepul tree, where the rustling of leaves mingled with the quiet, rhythmic chanting of mantras and the clicking of prayer beads, sat a group of saffron- robed Buddhist monks engrossed in prayer.

The elaborately carved Mahabodhi Temple, Buddhism's holiest shrine and a popular destination for nirvana seekers, marks the site where the prince- turned-hermit-turned-spiritual-leader, Gautama Siddhartha, attained enlightenment some 2,500 years ago after intense meditation.

From then on, he was known as the Buddha, or "Enlightened One."

Today, there are an estimated 360 million Buddhists around the globe.

Bihar is a checkerboard of Buddhist holy sites. A few hours drive from Bodh Gaya is the town of Rajgir, where the Buddha taught and prayed. Nearby is Nalanda, one of the world
's earliest universities, which flourished in the 5th century BC.

The state is also an increasingly important stop for wealthy tourists, many seeking their own, luxurious form of enlightenment.

For years, those tourists were largely people who grew up Buddhist, often in Japan, Thailand or Sri Lanka. But increasingly, Buddhism's appeal has spread to the West, where the Buddha's teachings about nonviolence and spiritualism have been melded with beliefs ranging from Judaism to atheism.

But Bihar isn't ready-made for wealthy tourists.

While India's economic boom has spurred economic development in many regions, Bihar has lagged badly, with a state government nearly paralyzed by corruption and mismanagement. Tourists are advised to return to their hotels before dark and to stick to government-licensed taxis and buses to avoid being - literally - taken for a ride.

So while there are glass-walled shopping malls outside New Delhi and high-end spa resorts in India's southern backwaters, much of Bihar struggles with barely paved roads, on-and-off electricity and rampant crime.

That has meant that despite its abundance of Buddhist treasures, the state fails to draw its full share of tourists.

Not that Bihar isn't trying.

While the state doesn't track religious tourists, officials say the Buddhist trail is increasingly hot. After the Mahabodhi Temple was named a World Heritage site in 2002, Bodh Gaya has seen a steady rise in visitors. As India's torrid summer gives way to the monsoon rains and cooler weather in October, they come flocking.

"In the fast-paced lives that people lead, increasingly - perhaps instinctively - there is a trend to discover our inner selves. And most of the tourists who come here are doing so in search of that inner peace," said Rama Shankar Tewari, Bihar's top tourism official.

Tourism authorities are trying to cash in with an ambitious tourist campaign, "Come to India: Walk with the Buddha." As part of that, roads are being repaved, museums are being refurbished and public restrooms being built or repaired.

Security around the shrines and monasteries has also been stepped up to ensure that pilgrims are not hounded too much by touts and beggars. Still, most sites have their share of children holding out stick-thin arms and trinket vendors periodically shooed away by security guards.

A year-long celebration of the 2,550th anniversary of the Buddha's death, called the Parinirvana, began in May, but plans to gradually upgrade facilities will unfold over 25 years.

The detailed blueprint includes numerous luxury and budget hotels around the Buddhist circuit. It also includes a world-class 18-hole golf course in Bodh Gaya and luxurious spas, said Manoj Srivastava, who heads Bihar's state-run tourism development corporation.

If that seems odd logic - bringing the hedonism of golf to a land steeped in both spiritualism and poverty - Srivastava disagrees.

"While Bihar's rich trove of Buddhist treasures serve the spiritual quest, the average traveler is also looking to relax," he said.

And despite it all - despite the bad roads, the beggars and the trinket- vendors selling plastic Buddha statues, key chains with imprints of the Buddha's feet and kitschy bead necklaces - spiritualism is everywhere here.

"Everyone warned me against visiting Bihar. Even after we landed in India, people kept saying: `Be careful, it's Bihar.' But our experience has been splendid," said Natalie Halle, a schoolteacher from Valencia, Spain, visiting Bodh Gaya for the second time in as many years. "The serenity about this place brings you back, and you forget all the warnings."

A hush descends on visitors when they visit the Mahabodhi Temple, which rises from a gently sloping hollow. White-robed nuns sit cross-legged at the foot of the enormous carved and gilded Buddha statue, reading holy verses in a deep sonorous hum.

The temple and the adjoining Mahabodhi tree, under the shade of which Buddha attained enlightenment, has long been a pilgrimage destination.

Bodh Gaya is also home to dozens of monasteries built and maintained by various Buddhist countries. Thailand's monastery, with its gilded Buddha statues, brilliantly colored wall paintings and rich silken wall hangings offers a contrast to the more simplistic lines of the Japanese temple, or the Himalayan architectural style of the Tibetan monastery, with its carved dragons, pennants and archways.

As I set out from Patna as dawn was breaking one recent morning, the distant purple hills were shrouded in a hazy mist, the road flanked by a patchwork of verdant rice fields dotted with ponds and thatched houses.

My destination was the international World Peace stupa, a shrine a few kilometers from Rajgir. Access is by an "aerial rope-way" - a euphemism for a chain of rickety bucket chairs strung on a pulley - which takes you to the top of the hill in seven minutes. Otherwise, it's an arduous hour-long trek.

Hundreds of visitors line up each day, many looking more for the rope- way's thrill and the spectacular views than for some sort of enlightenment.

I had a momentary twinge of fear as I was pushed into a chair as it slowed down - barely - to pick me up. But it was a smooth ride to the top.

A leisurely stroll brought me to a sprawling Japanese-built monastery, its wide open doors producing an air- conditioned effect from the sharp breezes that blow in.

"The breeze makes you forget that there's been no power for more than two hours," said G Okonogi, a Japanese monk who has made the remote monastery his home for over 25 years.

Nalanda in Singapore! (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/300094.cms)
Pranava K Chaudhary
[ 3 Nov, 2006 0331hrs ISTTIMES NEWS NETWORK ]

PATNA: The glory of ancient Nalanda will be showcased in Singapore during a three-day international meet-cum-exhibition on Nalanda commencing on November 10. The meet, which will be attended by representatives from 16 countries, is likely to discuss the revival of the ancient glory of Nalanda.

Bihar State Planning Board vice-chairman N K Singh is likely to represent Bihar at the international meet. The department of tourism is busy shortlisting the relevant materials on Nalanda, its photographs, CDs and books for the international event.

The deputy director, department of tourism, Ashok K Sinha told TOI that the best photographs on Nalanda will be sent in the Singapore exhibition. The Singapore embassy has also made a request to the department secretary, R S Tiwary, to provide all relevant materials on Nalanda.

The decision to hold an international meet on Nalanda in Singapore was finalised during the visit of the senior state minister for foreign affairs of Singapore, Balaji Sadashivam, to Patna in September.

Sadashivam has invited Bihar CM Nitish Kumar to attend this seminar. The exhibition depicting the ancient glory of Nalanda and Buddhism in South-East Asian countries will be held in various museums of Singapore. The Bihar government has been lobbying hard to include the ancient Nalanda ruins in the Unesco's list of World Heritage Sites. The ruins fulfil the eligibility criteria laid down by the UN body as these are of outstanding universal value and represent a masterpiece of man's creative genius.

Only recently, Nitish wrote a letter to Union tourism minister Ambika Soni to push the case of Nalanda.

The Bihar government's recent presentation on Nalanda at the PMO was highly appreciated. In view of the state government's sustained efforts for its inclusion in the Unesco's list of World Heritage Sites, the director general of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is likely to visit the ancient ruins soon to assess the situation on the ground, said an official.

James Jessamine, a senior consultant with the United Nations World Tourism Organisation, who was recently in Nalanda, has prepared a master plan of Nalanda ruins for the Unesco.

A few months back, an eight-member Japanese delegation, including two members of Japanese Diet, had met CM Nitish Kumar with a proposal for developing an international university at Nalanda where the ancient Nalanda varsity once existed. The Japanese delegation expressed its willingness to invest in the proposed mega university with a view to reviving the old glory of the ancient university.

The ancient Nalanda varsity was spread over an area having a radius of about 16 km, out of which an area of only 1.6 km radius has been excavated so far.

Bihar to get heritage hotels (http://news.monstersandcritics.com/india/article_1214750.php/Bihar_to_get_heritage_hotels)
Oct 26, 2006, 8:15 GMT

Patna, Oct 26 (IANS) Bihar is all set to convert a few of its old palaces into heritage hotels to attract more tourists to the state.

'The government has identified two palaces, which will be turned into heritage hotels. More such palaces across the state will be converted later, said state Tourism Minister Nandkishore Yadav Thursday.

Influenced by the heritage hotels in Rajasthan, Bihar too plans to open up these projects to private investors. 'Like Rajasthan, we will also welcome private parties to come and invest in them,' added Yadav.

The two old palaces identified by the state tourism department so far are the Rizwan Palace and Sultan Palace, which are situated in the heart of the Bihar capital.

According to department officials, there are over a dozen such buildings in Bihar that could be made into heritage hotels.

Scores of tourists daily visit well-known Buddhist sites like Bodh Gaya, Rajgir, Vaishali and Nalanda.

Patna Palaces to be Converted into Heritage Hotels (http://www.***************/news2006/october/102606/palaces_to_be_turned_into_hotels.html)
Patna: October 26, 2006

The Nitish government has decided to resuscitate the two palaces now in dilapidated condition in Patna and turn them into world class heritage hotels on the patterns of similar scheme already implemented in the state of Rajasthan.

Details to convert the Rizwan Palace and Sultan Palace located on Frazer Road and Bir Chand Patel Marg respectively into heritage hotel under the Tourism Department has already started, Tourism Minister Nandkishore Yadav said adding it was part of the government's efforts to restore the past glories of Bihar.

Besides the two heritage hotels, the government is also working out details to build an international convention center on a ten-acre land at the cost of Rs. 5 crore, the Minister said.

A 50-acre, Rs. 10 crore plan to build an amusement park in Patna is also in the pipeline and the government is seeking assistance from outside investors to realize this objective, Yadav said.

Work to connect the Harmandir Takht Gurudwara in Patna City with the Bypass Road has already begun, the Minister informed.

All 18 Statues Stolen from Patna Museum Recovered
Patna: November 19, 2006

In a dramatic development, a CBI police team in conjunction with Nalanda and Nawada police, on Saturday, recovered 16 ancient relics earlier stolen from Patna Museum following a raid in Barahaita village under Giriak police station in Nalanda district.

Confirming the report, Director General of Police (DGP) Ashish Ranjan Sinha said the statues recovered on Saturday appeared to be the ones stolen from Patna Museum on September 25 but would wait a confirmation from the curator of the museum before officially announcing the recovery of the statues.

The police arrested one person during the raid who was identified as Vinod Yadav. As reported earlier, the police had earlier arrested two brothers from Kolkata and had recovered two of the stolen statues from their possessions.

Based on the information provided by the two brothers, a special task force team made up of CBI sleuths, and Nalanda and Nawada police, first raided some houses in Nawada districts. Later they raided the house of one Jago Yadav (late) in Nalanda district where they found the 18 statues carefully hidden in a hole dug in the ground.

The statues were estimated to have a value of Rs. 50 crore in the international grey market, officials had maintained.

Nitish deserves praise for changing Bihar`s image: Shatrughan
ZeeNews.com
Patna, Nov 26: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar should be complimented for his "sincere effort" to remove the "lawless and backward" tag from the state and ushering in its development but the work culture still needs to be improved, film star and BJP leader Shatrughan Sinha said today.

"Kumar and his team deserve praise for the effort to change the image of Bihar from a hopeless state to a happening one. But for faster results, the government needs to improve work culture among babus (bureaucrats)," Sinha told over phone from Delhi.

Peeved at the bureaucracy's attitude towards his proposal to build a film city in Bihar, Sinha, who hails from the state, had recently written a letter to Kumar and the Deputy Chief Minister.

Giving "full marks" to Kumar for his effort to make Bihar a "happening state", Sinha said, "everybody knows the NDA inherited the state in a bad shape from the RJD. Nitish, through his hard work in the past 365 days, has succeeded in bringing Bihar on the tracks."

The NDA government completed its first year in office last week.
Bureau Report

URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/11/27/stories/2006112716411100.htm

Management institute will be set up in Patna: Nitish

AHMEDABAD: An Indian institute of management on the pattern and standard of the existing IIMs will be set up in Patna and is expected to start functioning by the 2007 academic year, the Bihar Chief Minister, Nitish Kumar, said here on Sunday.

Mr Kumar, who was invited by the IIM, Ahmedabad, to address the Confluence 2006 on ``The Challenges and Opportunities in Transforming Bihar as a Vibrant Wealth Creation" and later preside over the concluding ceremony of the four-day congregation of the business schools in Asia, said he had held some preliminary discussions with the IIMA director, Bakul Dholakia, for necessary `advice and guidance' for the setting up of the management institution in Patna.

Mr Kumar said the administrative works for setting up the IIM, Patna, had already started and he was confident that the classes would be started from the next academic year.


The Chief Minister reeled out facts and figures about what his government had done in Bihar in the last one year and planning for the future to bring the State from the present ``most backward" stage to be among the most developed states by 2015.

He reiterated that the Railway Minister, Lalu Prasad was `enjoying the fruits' of what the seeds he had sown during his tenure as the Railway Minister for the turn around of the Indian railways for which he was getting applauds from all quarters.

He said when he took over as the Chief Minister in November, last year, Bihar by all indicators was considered to be the most backward state, in respect of illiteracy, unemployment, social disharmony and the nightmarish law and order situation.

The people believed that Bihar could not change and it would be impossible to develop the State to the level of other most developed states in the country. "But in one year we have shown that Bihar can change and is changing very fast for the better," he claimed.

Mr Kumar said his government's decision to create Special Auxiliary Police (SAP) by recruiting about 5,000 retired army personnel had been appreciated by the Defence Minister. For the people of Bihar, the SAP had become the most popular force and its deployment was being demanded at every place having even minor law and order problem.

Claiming that the law and order situation had improved vastly in the State, where people, particularly women, dreaded to come out of their houses after the night-fall, Mr Kumar said the criminals had been given the clear message that crime did not pay.

He said his government had already received 61 proposals for investments of over Rs 26,000 crores, but needed central co-operation to secure more investments in other sectors where the industries would not come to Bihar unless provided with attractive tax concessions.

Among various other measures being taken by his government, he enumerated the current recruitment of 2.35 lakh teachers to improve the present ration of one teacher to 92 students, and in some cases even 200 students, as against the national average of one teacher per 40 students.

bihar's teacher to student raito is 1 to 92!!! that is abysmal. nice to see Nitish doing something for the state. improve education, and u have a hope that the state is gonnna develop. good work!

Rediff.com
Bihar to have a nuclear power plant soon
The 2000 MW plant will be set up at Rajauli in Nawada district.

PATNA: It's time for Bihar to beam with pride as the power-starved state will soon see a 2,000-Megawatt nuclear power plant coming up. The Union Energy Ministry and Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) has approved the state government's demand for setting up a nuclear power plant in Bihar.

The site for the plant is also finalised by experts of NPCIL, who have agreed to the state government's choice of Rajauli in Nawada as the project area. The only hitch is the availability of proportionate amount of water in Phulwaria reservoir for the proposed 4x500 MW nuclear power plant. Bihar minister for water resources Ramashray Prasad Singh, said there will not be any shortage of water for the proposed plant.

Once a metaphor for lawlessness and urban decline, Bihar's capital Patna is fast becoming a happening city, thanks to a much-improved governance coupled with a booming economy.

A visit to the city - where a new government came to power last year - helps change the erstwhile perception about the safety of its people. With an improved law and order situation, women are now seen venturing out alone, driving cars and even taking children to favourite evening hangouts - all unimaginable until a couple of years ago.

'Earlier, we were so petrified that in spite of being financially well-off, we couldn't enjoy our lives. But now things have changed. We have started living a normal life. There is a marked improvement in law and order,' Anjani, a housewife with two children, told IANS.

'New restaurants like Yo China, Moti Mahal and Roti have come up. The government is also making efforts to provide entertainment to the public,' she added.

Added Sanjeev Sinha, who owns a chain of hotels in Bihar and Jharkhand: 'We have two restaurants and three bars in Patna. Though we didn't have any problems during (former chief minister) Lalu Prasad Yadav's regime but business has certainly improved in last one year. Now more and more families visit us. They come to eateries as well as the bars. And people are more relaxed now.'

He added that the government was planning to extend the closing time for bars beyond 10 p.m.

After living in fear for decades, the city is finally getting back to normalcy. In fact, travelling into the interiors of the state has now become less risky. Crime rates in villages have also declined.

''Don't worry madam, you are safe,' cab driver Mansoor assured us while we were on our way to Patna from Amawan (a small village about 110 km from here),' said Krishna Shandilya who was travelling with her sister and daughter.

He stopped the car at Bakhtiyarpur, once one of the most crime-infested places in the region for the evening tea.

The city's business community is also reaping benefits of the current positive trend.

The purchasing power of consumers has gone up significantly. 'There was a 43 percent growth in the sales of Maruti cars in 2006. We have sold the highest number of cars in eastern zone this year,' said Rakesh Prasad Singh, owner of a Maruti showroom in the city.

Ever since the new government came to power last year, the fear factor has started evaporating and people feel more relaxed now, he added.

Talking about the significant changes, Singh said: 'One of the most significant changes seen in the last one year is the city's business community fearlessly investing in new projects. Earlier, people dreaded showing off their wealth.'

Apart from the mushrooming of new shopping malls and an increase in cars plying on roads, what has come as a relief is that people have started enjoying their lives.

'Patna is like any other city. I don't understand why people fear so much. We also go out with friends and freak out,' retorted Priya, a student of the Patna Women's College.

However, youngsters feel the city should have more entertainment spots. Also, they want a better public transport facility.

Another growing demand among the citizens is that the state government needs to create job opportunities on a large scale.

But at the same time, the city is plagued by some serious infrastructure problems, which need to be remedied immediately.

People, however, hope that the city will soon prosper and, like many Indian cities of its size, become a favourite investment destination for non-resident Indians (NRIs).

http://www.indiaenews.com/india/20061211/32031.htm

Bihar seems to be facing the Singur heat as Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his deputy Sushil Kumar Modi strongly differ over inviting Tatas Motors to set up a car project in the state.

Modi, who belongs to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and two other cabinet ministers of the same party are reportedly reluctant to buy Nitish's mantra of slow and solid development.

Earlier this week in Kolkata, Modi said that the Bihar government had extended an invitation to the Tatas to set up its small car factory in Bihar as it was facing vehement resistance to the same project in West Bengal's Singur from the Trinamool Congress.

However, the chief minister denied that his government had invited the Tatas to build a car project.

He said: "The company is setting up the factory in West Bengal. There is no question to ask them to shift to Bihar."

In November, the chief minister had warned Urban Development Minister Ashwani Kumar Choubey over promising to turn Patna into Paris and Bhagalpur into Manchester.

The chief minister had also asked Road Construction Minister Nand Kishore Yadav to be realistic while promising to construct smooth roads across the state. Around 7,700 km of road in districts, 3,629 km of national highways and 3,232 km of state highways are in a pitiable condition.

Both Choubey and Yadav are BJP ministers.

Political pundits say that the differences were clear and the chief minister was realistic in his approach. Nitish admitted that the state has managed to attract big investments and the attention of a few major corporate houses, including the Tatas, Mahindra and Mahindra and Bharti Telecom.

http://www.indianmuslims.info/news/2006/december/10/economy/nitish_differs_with_deputy_over_inviting_tata_car_project.html

i think an invitation from bihar to the tatas is a valid one,provided it is true,considering all the hullabaloo created by mamata banerjee over the project

as for mr. nitish kumar ...as one magazine puts it "he will be responsible for bihar's catapult towards economic development and progress in the future"

i personally think bihar could not have got a better cm than him

Riding on the cellular boom and the aggressive strategy by operators to add new users, the GSM subscriber base in the country has crossed the 100-million mark. India has now become the third largest GSM market in the world behind China (401.7 million subscribers) and Russia (152.2 million subscribers).

In the Category C circles, highest growth was recorded by Bihar at 8.5%

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/750716.cms

Monday, December 18, 2006
Chronology of events leading to Lalu's acquittal
Press Trust of India

Patna, December 18: Following is the chronology of events leading to Lalu Prasad's acquittal:
1 March 11, 1996: Patna High Court directs CBI to probe fodder scam cases.

2 March 19, 1996: Supreme Court affirms PHC order, asks 2-member bench to monitor progress of investigation.

3 August 19, 1998: Disproportionate Assets case registered against Lalu.

4 April 4, 2000: Lalu chargesheeted. Rabri devi's name included as co-accused for abetment of the offence.

5 April 5, 2000: Lalu/Rabri surrender to CBI court. Rabri gets bail, and Lalu sent to jail after judge rejects his bail prayer.

6 May 10, 2000: Patna High Court grants provisional bail to Lalu which is extended on 25 occasions.

7 June 9, 2000: Charges framed against Lalu/Rabri

8 November 23, 2006: Arguments conclude in the case.

9 December 4, 2006: Judge fixes December 18 for delivering verdict.

10 December 18, 2006: Lalu, Rabri acquitted.

URL: http://www.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=78351

Lalu, Rabri get clean chit in assets case
Monday, 18 December , 2006, 11:19
Patna: Union Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav on Monday won a major legal battle when he and his wife, former Bihar Chief Minister, Rabri Devi, were acquitted in the disproportionate assets case against them.

Lalu and his wife were present when the CBI Judge Muni Lal Paswan pronounced the verdict in a jam-packed court here, sending their supporters outside into a frenzied jubilation. The case in which the Railway Minister was accused of amassing property worth Rs 46 lakhs above his known source of income between 1990 and 97 as Bihar Chief Minister was an offshoot of the infamous fodder scam. Rabri Devi was accused of abetting her husband.

Lalu was the main accused in the case while his wife was charged by CBI with aiding and abetting her husband in the alleged crime. It was this case, which had led the CBI, for the first time, to raid the official residence of the Chief Minister. During the trial CBI, which registered the case against Lalu on August 19, 1998, stuck to its charge that he had accumulated assets of over Rs 46 lakh disproportionate to his known sources of income between March 1990 and March 1997 as Bihar Chief Minister, the defence contended the assets were all accounted for.

While 94 witnesses, including Brigadier R P Nautial, ex-director general of CRPF A P Dorai and former speaker late Radhanandan Jha, were presented for the defence, a total of 132 people, including former CBI SP of Patna, V S K Kaumudi, deposed for the prosecution.

The FIR in the case was registered by Kaumudi under the Prevention of Corruption Act. The chargesheet was filed on April 4, 2000 by him against Lalu for allegedly possessing assets worth Rs 46,26,820 disproportionate to his known sources of income. The name of then Chief Minister Rabri Devi was included in the chargesheet for abetment of the offence under section 109 IPC read with section 13(1)(e) of Prevention of Corruption Act.

Charges were framed against Lalu and Rabri Devi on June 9, 2000. Apart from the disproportionate assets case, Lalu's name figures in as many as six cases of the multi-crore rupee fodder scam, estimated to run into more than Rs 900 crore. Out of these, one case is pending with the CBI court here while the rest were transferred to the court of special CBI judges at Ranchi since the place of occurrence of offences was within the territory of Jharkhand state.

Lalu has filed a discharge petition the case here, while charges have been framed against him in all the five cases in Jharkhand.

Government to Seek Death Penalties for Professor's Killers
Patna: December 18, 2006
Because of the brutal nature of the crime, the state government will appeal to the court to award death sentences to the killers of Patna University History professor Papiya Ghosh, Home Secretary Afzal Amanullah said in Patna on Sunday.

"This was a pre-meditated murder committed in cold blood and the government will ask the court to deliver capital punishment to all those involved in this heinous crime," the Home Secretary said.

Meanwhile, the police revealed more information related with the case that not only shocked Bihar but had widespread coverage in other states as well.

"Besides making threatening calls, the criminals also sent us a letter from Muzaffarpur," the police said.

Scattered with expletives, the criminals mocked the police for putting up 'only' Rs. 50,000 as reward money for their capture.

"No one will come forward for a meager amount like Rs. 50,000. You should have announced a reward of at least Rs. 1 lakh if you want someone to give you some leads," the letter read.

"This was an attempt to throw us off track and so we concentrated on phone calls made by criminals using Dr. Ghosh's stolen mobile," Buddha Colony police station in-charge K. K. Singh said.

Meanwhile, the police have taken a Patna lawyer into custody after one of the criminals admitted 'gifting' the washing machine stolen from Dr. Ghosh's house to his lawyer to keep him in good humor, sources said.

Nitish Kumar refrains from direct comment
ZeeNews
Patna, Dec 18: Deftly sidestepping a direct reaction to the acquittal of his bete noire Railway Minister Lalu Prasad and his wife in a disproportionate assets case, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today said only parties involved in it could react to the development.

"Neither I personally nor the Bihar government were parties to the case which was between a Union Minister and a central investigative agency -- CBI. It`s they who can make comments. To me, it is just news, a piece of information," he told reporters at his residence shortly after the verdict was pronounced.

When asked about Lalu`s assertion that he and his wife had been proved innocent "despite the trial by the media and political rivals", Kumar said "Lalu has been in the habit of creating ghosts which he can beat with a stick. I never interfere with the course of justice".

Asked if Lalu`s acquittal had not blunted the edge of opposition`s campaign against tainted ministers in the Union government, Kumar replied "This is just one case (in which the duo has been acquitted). There are several others".

Bureau Report

Lalu, Rabri Exonerated in DA Case
Patna: December 18, 2006

Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, and his wife and former Chief Minister of Bihar Mrs. Rabri Devi, on Monday, were acquitted by a CBI court in Patna in the disproportionate assets (DA) cases, an offshoot of multi-billion rupees fodder scam perpetuated during the Lalu regime in the '90s.

Yadav, who has already spent some time in the jail in the related case, praised the judiciary saying justice had prevailed as cases against him were politically motivated and had no merit whatsoever.

The court decision comes nine years after cases against the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief and his wife were lodged under the Prevention of Corruption Act in 1997.

Monday judgment notwithstanding, Yadav still faces charges in six cases in the fodder scam. While five of these cases are now pending in Jharkhand courts, Yadav faces trial in one case in Bihar court.

Loud cheers erupted when CBI judge Muni Lal Paswan announced the verdict in the presence of Yadav, his wife, their lawyers, and a number of supporters.

"Justice has been served and my faith in the Indian judiciary has been bolstered," a jubilant Railway Minister said adding God is great and judiciary is God.

Meanwhile, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has indicated appealing the verdict and take it up with the High Court. CBI counsel L. R. Ansari said he had 90 days to appeal the judgment. The agency would first examine various aspects of the case before deciding if it wants to move the High Court, he said.

"Lalu got away with money stolen from Bihar treasury, there is no doubt about it," Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders in Patna said after the judge announced his verdict at around 11:05 am. BJP vice-president Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, while talking to reporters in New Delhi, said Lalu remained guilty in the eyes of the public.

"People of Bihar know the truth and that showed in the last state elections where once invincible RJD got wiped off in its own backyard," Naqvi said.

NIFT is coming to Bihar

PATNA: After a branch of BIT, Mesra, and a National Law Institute, Bihar is getting ready for a centre of the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT). After the Centre's proposal for a branch of NIFT in Patna, the union textile ministry has sought 10 acres of land and a sum of Rs 29 crore from the Bihar government. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar readily agreed to the Centre's decision and the state government has earmarked 10 acres of prime land in the Mithapur agricultural farm for the project.

Informing members of the Bihar Legislative Council, the chief minister said he had conveyed the decision to the Union textile minister and urged him to start work for the project at the earliest. The NIFT centre is coming up in the area earmarked recently by the Nitish Kumar government as a new institutional area.

Besides, the newly-opened Chanakya National Law University (giving a five-year integrated degree course in Law), the state government proposes to set up other institutions of repute like NIFT and a branch of the Indian Institute of Management in the area. During his recent visit to IIM, Ahmedabad, the Bihar CM had proposed that a branch of the IIM be set up in Patna as well.

Thousands of students from Bihar go to other states to study Medicine, Engineering, Law, Management and Fashion technology. To check this migration, the Nitish Kumar government has been trying to establish institutes of national repute in Bihar. So far, the new government has succeeded in getting a branch of BIT, Mesra, a National Law Institute and now the NIFT. Some medical colleges and engineering colleges are also coming up soon in the state.

With the way things are going right now, Uttar Pradesh will soon take over Bihar's uneviable position as India's worst state.

With the way things are going right now, Uttar Pradesh will soon take over Bihar's uneviable position as India's worst state.

Its a pity that two of the most historically advanced states -
Bihar and UP are lagging behind in dev projects.
Lets hope, UP will find its own Nitish Kumar soon!

babji!! u r the soul of this thread

babji!! u r the soul of this thread
Thanks @chix_love. Nitish is doing a commendable job in Bihar.
Having started from scratch and empty coffers, he is developing Bihar at a consistent pace.

Railways to set up two new coach factories
Press Trust Of India / Kanpur December 22, 2006
The Railways have decided to set up two new rail coach factories at Rae Barely in Uttar Pradesh and Marora district in Bihar, an official said here today. The Rae Barely coach factory would be set up at a cost of Rs 1,652 Crore. The centre has already sanctioned the project while nod for the Bihar factory was yet to be received, Additional member of the Railway board Yashpal Gupta said.

Gupta, who was here to participate in a seminar at the Indian Institute of Technology, said the factories are being constructed to meet the increasing demand for rail coaches. Ultra modern and comfortable rail coaches would be manufactured in the factory, he said. The Rae Barely factory will manufacture coaches based on German design and the coaches would be made of steel to ensure better quality.

India is now exporting rail coaches to Senegal, Myanmar, Angola and Sudan, he said.

i am sanjay and i m from gods own country KERALA...helloo....babji...u have done a very good job in projecting ur homestate behar...my concept has completely changed after visiting this thread...go babji go....nice work pal.... Then wat about new building projects in behar...i cant see a single project mentioned in this thread...i think that there is no flat culture or aparment culture in patna or other cities in bihar..is tat true....only very little skyscrapers seen in this thread....plz do sent the pictures of skyscrapers in patna and other cities...visit my home city thread in the cityfolder CALICUT...welcome u always to KERALA....hope i can see a coment in my thread today itself or tomoro.....see u...bye takecare....

thanx babji 4 visiting calicut thread....we all r waiting 4 our behar to come to the main stream...and hope nithish kumar govt is doin a good job to bring it right there...egarly waiting to see more pictures of patna...hope u will post more pictures of skyscrapers in patna..u din answer one of my question babji..wat about the flat culture in patna??is it picking up the pace or still people prefer to live at individual homes...wat about the property prizes in patna?????hope u will answer...egarly waiting to know more about patna... see ya takecare.........

Patna aerials
photos copyright scorius (http://www.greenpowercanada.org/index.php?page=gpindia)

Patna's tallest building - Biscomaun Tower, Golghar and the flooded Ganges..

http://img95.imageshack.us/img95/6331/patnaaerial2scoriushm2.jpg

Patna Highcourt

http://img135.imageshack.us/img135/9898/patnaaerial1scoriussws0.jpg

Constructions on Six New Flyovers to Begin in January
Patna: December 25, 2006

The Nitish government is all set to hand over constructions of six new flyovers in Patna to one single company the tender of which would be floated by the second week of January, officials in Patna said on Sunday.

The government, in an attempt to maintain complete transparency in the tender process, will hire some eminent consultants and the work on the flyovers will begin soon after January 14 when the inauspicious period of 'kharmas' ends, they said.

The flyovers to be constructed between Exhibition Road and Dak Bungalow crossing, between Jagdeo Path intersection and Danapur, between Boring Road and Boring Canal Road, between Kankarbagh Colony crossing and Rajendra Nagar Road Number 2, near Sheikhpura Mor, and Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (IGIMS) are expected to reduce traffic congestion in the city substantially.

sun....that patna arial photo is really nice....which is that maidan seen in this picture....and bescom tower is looking terrific in white....i think this is the newest part of city...

sun that patna highcourt building is also lookin nice and green..which is that straight road seen in the picture...

Constructions on Six New Flyovers to Begin in January
Patna: December 25, 2006

The Nitish government is all set to hand over constructions of six new flyovers in Patna to one single company the tender of which would be floated by the second week of January, officials in Patna said on Sunday.

The government, in an attempt to maintain complete transparency in the tender process, will hire some eminent consultants and the work on the flyovers will begin soon after January 14 when the inauspicious period of 'kharmas' ends, they said.

The flyovers to be constructed between Exhibition Road and Dak Bungalow crossing, between Jagdeo Path intersection and Danapur, between Boring Road and Boring Canal Road, between Kankarbagh Colony crossing and Rajendra Nagar Road Number 2, near Sheikhpura Mor, and Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (IGIMS) are expected to reduce traffic congestion in the city substantially.

its nice to hear that new flyovers r goin to come up at various intersections in patna city...tell me more about other cities in behar....

thanx babji 4 visiting calicut thread....we all r waiting 4 our behar to come to the main stream...and hope nithish kumar govt is doin a good job to bring it right there...egarly waiting to see more pictures of patna...hope u will post more pictures of skyscrapers in patna..u din answer one of my question babji..wat about the flat culture in patna??is it picking up the pace or still people prefer to live at individual homes...wat about the property prizes in patna?????hope u will answer...egarly waiting to know more about patna... see ya takecare.........

Sanja, thanks for your interest in Bihar. flat culture in Patna is yet to pickup. may be there is not much demand, hence there are no ventures. I don't know why there are not many high rises, but I would personally think the following could be some of the reasons:
lack of: (1) remittances (2) FDI (3) Hightech jobs (IT, ITES, Pharma, manufacturing etc) (4) security for investors (5) women welfare and dev activities (6) Educational infra (7) progressive govt. etc.

however, things are changing for better. if the current pace of developments continue for a few years, Bihar would become a thriving economy once again!

Bihar - major Industries:
Agriculture: Bihar state depends 90% on agriculture. The land is most fertile and produces several types of agriculture products such as : rice, wheat, maize, joe, gram, oilseeds, sugarcane, jute etc. Several rivers such as Ganga, Saryu, Gandak, Bagmati, Kamla, Khosi etc. emerging from Himalayas mountain flow through the Bihar planes and makes them fertile.
Rice Mills : Rice mills in Bauxer karbisganch in Purnia District, Araria etc.
Sugar Mills : Sugar mills located at Banmankhi in Purnia District, Bauxer, Madora in Saran District, Samastipur and Bihata in Patna District.
Edible Oil Mills : Edible oil mills are located at Araria, Banmankhi in Purnia Dist, Bauxer, Lakhisarai at Munger dist.
Oil Refinery: Barauni refinery is one of the country's biggest oil refinery's at Barauni in Bihar State.
Textiles : Bihar is the country's second state after West Bengal in Jute production and Jute textiles. Due to availability of raw jute, cheap labour, sufficient power, water and transportation in Northern part of Bihar, some Jute mills are located in this region (Karbisganj in Purnia dist, Katibar, Muktapur in Samstipur dist).
Engineering Industries: Engg Industries are located at Dumaro in Bhojpur Dist, Madora in Saran Dist, Mokama in Patna Dist, Muktapur in Samastipur Dist (cycle factory), Mujaffarpur, Phoolwari sarif in Patna Dist (cycle factory), Fatuha in Patna Dists (scooter factory), Bihar Sarif in Nalanda Dist (cycle tyre). Railways carriages and goods factories are located at Derionson in Rohtas Dist, Jamalpur in Munger Dist, Mokama in Patna Dist.
Tobacco: Bihar is country's sixth largest tobacco producing state. Availability of kendu leaves and cheap labour, Biri manufacturing industries are located at Bihar Sarif in Nalanda District, Janjha in Munger District etc.
Economic Infrastructure:
Roads :The State is serviced by 2318 Kms. of National Highways, 4192 Kms. of State highways, 12,579 Kms. of district roads and over 69000 Kms.
Railways : The State has extensive and well developed railway system providing vital links to mining industry and tourism with important cities and ports.
Airports :Patna International Airport is directly connected with Kathmandu (Nepal), New Delhi, Calcutta, Bombay, Lucknow, Varanasi & Ranchi. 39 district Head Quarters have air strips.
Inland Water Transport :Major rivers are the Ganges, Ghaghra, Gandak, Kosi, Damodar, Sone and Swarnarekha. Total length of rivers in Bihar is 4,414 Kms. Navigable length of rivers: 1,325 Kms.
Power :Total installed capacity of the Bihar State Electricity Board (BSEB) Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC), National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC), Tenughat Thermal Power Corporation (TTPC) and Bihar State Hydro Electric Corporation (BSHEC) in Bihar is 4470 M.W.
Tourism: There are many potential places of interest for tourism.
Please visit the website at: http://bstdc.bih.nic.in/Destinations.htm

Japanese bank to fund road project in Bihar
[ 24 Dec, 2006 1817hrs ISTIANS ]
PATNA: The Japanese Bank of International Co-operation will fund the conversion project of the existing 320 km of bumpy roads into a smooth four-lane highway in Bihar's Buddhist circuit zone, an official said. The Buddhist circuit includes the famous Bodh Gaya, Rajgrih, Nalanda and Vaishali.

"The Japanese bank has agreed in principle to fund the project in the Buddhist circuit. The state government will submit a feasibility report to the bank by February," said R.K. Singh, secretary, road construction department on Saturday. The bank has been keen to develop the roads in the Buddhist circuit for the last two years. It is estimated the bank would invest Rs.2 billion in the project.

The news about the funding came when the Buddhist circuit is celebrating 2,550 years of Buddha's Parinirvana. The Unesco had already declared the 1,500-year-old Mahabodhi temple in Bodh Gaya, the birthplace of Buddhism, a World Heritage Site in 2002.

Earlier this year, Tourism Minister Ambika Soni announced a plan to develop the Buddhist circuit by laying world-class road network. She said such a network must be created linking Bodh Gaya, the seat of Buddha's enlightenment, to other Buddhist destinations like Nalanda and Rajgrih.

CM Presents Bihar Vision with Promise of Generating 50,000 New Jobs
Patna: December 26, 2006 Patna daily

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, while claiming to have brought positive change in Bihar since wrestling power from the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) government in 2005, said nearly 50 lakh people would be given jobs in the 11th Five-Year plan (2007-12) even as the state would seek special status from the UPA government.

At a special meeting of the Cabinet on Monday, Kumar, presenting the 'Bihar Vision', said Bihar was solidly on the path of development and the government was fucussing on improving the infrastructure of the state while adopting policies that would help reduce poverty in Bihar.

The new Five-Year Plan for Bihar entails provisions for development in the field of human resources, education, agriculture, road development, power and drinking water supply, health, and industrial advancement bringing the plan total to a whopping Rs. 1,66, 953 crore, the Chief Minister said.

"The state also has made provision for nearly 70,000 new schools in Bihar with a majority of them located in rural and remote areas," he said. For better utilization of the state's abundant water resources, the government will renew the plan to link all rivers, the reports said.

"To attain the goal of 8.5%annual growth rate, the state will need Rs. 108,283 crore from private investment while Rs. 58, 310 crore will be needed from public fundings," the Chief Minister said after the meeting adding the state aims to bring down the poverty level from current 44% to 22% in the next eight years.

The Japanese have been funding the "Buddhist Highway" in Bihar for the last 20 years.

Of course the road never got built. They would occassionally resurface the Patna-Gaya route, but it remained 2 lanes.

All the money would be eaten by Lalu Yadav. This episode alone made me angry and bitter for many years about foreign aide to developing countries. Money that's given by foreign governments to poor countries like India for development is often used to buy swimming pools, Mercedes Benz cars, and helicopters for people like Lalu Yadav, and perhaps even used for the murder of reformist politicians who actually want to make a difference.

So despite the good intentions of the Japanese government, their gifts were actually hurting the people of Bihar! :ohno:

But now with someone more reliable in the Chief Minister's mansion, I think the time is right for real development in Bihar. I hope they use this money wisely and create development, and punish anyone along the way who steals it.

What bugs me is the fact that Japan never bothered to look where its money was going or take action.

New government or no new government, I dont trust any state government in this country. Their collective minds are as small as a molehill and greed as large as a mountain. The Planning Commission of India and foreign donors must ensure strict monitoring systems are enforced for state projects.

Road Construction Work Hampered by Extortion Demand
Madhepura: December 29, 2006

Notorious gangsters Buchan Yadav and Pintu Yadav operating in Purnia-Madhepura area and wanted in hundreds of murder, abduction, extortion, and robbery cases, on December 24, ambushed the staff of Narsingh Construction Company engaged in massive road and highway construction work in the district and demanded Rs. 1 crore in 'rangdari tax' or face imminent death, reports from Madhepura said.

According to the report, the two Yadavs, along with over a dozen goons armed to the hilt, arrived at one of the construction sites in Madhepura on Dec. 24. After roughing up some of the labor and company staff, the duo ordered them to stop construction work until they are paid Rs. 1 crore for allowing them to work in that area.

"There will be a massacre here if you are seen again in this area doing construction works," Pintu Yadav reportedly told the contractor.

As a result, the work on the road construction project has come to a grinding halt.

The construction company has asked for complete protection for all the staff until the project is over which would be sometimes in mid 2008, that is, if no other such situation arose. The contractor has complained that the government has failed to provide protection to his staff in spite of several requests for such measures from the Madhepura Superintendent of Police (SP).

... Anand Kumar Khatri was very honest and upright businessman...
... they always demanded and pressurised him for payment of rangdari tax (extortion money)...
http://ndtv.com/mb/readreply.asp?topicid=9&tablename=TV&id=5715 Saturday, October 30, 2004

... The Law and Order situation is also an important aspect of governance and poor law and order situation can not stimulate any private sector to invest in the state. Kidnapping of businessmen for ransom and rangdari tax has scared the local businessmen to such an extent that they are fleeing to some other state with their capital. For economic growth and additional employment generation, state needs heavy investment in private sector...
http://www.bihartimes.com/poverty/ajay_kumar.html Ajay Kumar Currently working with CARDI, Patna

...Bihar is still immune to absorb the technological inputs. There is clearly no political will as well to develop the state. Though on the other side of the country, the liberalisation and globalisation of economy is bringing in vast technological inputs in the country, the state of Bihar has been bullet proof to all these developments. It is unfortunate that even the small scale sector units have almost died in the state unable to bear the burden of the Rangdari tax system on one end and the extreme or total lack of power supplies to run their units...
http://www.bihartimes.com/poverty/sunanda_k_s.html
Mrs.Sunanda K.S., Executive Secretary, Alternative For India Development(AID), Chennai
http://www.bihartimes.com/poverty/poverty1.html

...
SHEKHAR GUPTA: How much progress has been made in NHAI’s projects?

GT road that goes through Sasaram is almost built. We’ve also put those who were trying to extract hafta/rangdari tax from builders behind bars. No one is protecting the construction mafia in Bihar now.
...
http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_full_story.php?content_id=147946 Sunday, December 03, 2006

... The agitators, mostly traders, attributed the Thursday's murder to the failure of the trader to pay extortion amount to the criminals. The traders also sat on a dharna and raised anti-police slogans. According to them, all the businessmen of the area are being asked by criminals to regularly pay "rangdari tax". City SP Ganesh Kumar, who talked to a few businessmen, told TNN that the killing did not appear to be related with any extortion demand. ...
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/415137.cms 10 Jan, 2004

... The so-called 'rifle-dhari' security guards seeing your Samsonite or American Tourister will insist on opening your suitcase knowing fully well that you would prefer not to open it and would rather settle for a small amount of 'rangdari tax'. I experienced it once and I refused to open it or even bribe the 'government-payrolled dacoits'. I was lucky to come out alive after a one-hour ordeal ...
http://www.***************/readerswrite/2005/jul/aamir2.html Patna Daily Readerswrite 2005 july

any news about the huge buddha statute going to be build in bodh gaya????????who is funding that project...

http://www.zeenews.com/nri/inner1.asp?aid=198294&sid=ART&ssid=1
A number of sculptors in Uttar Pradesh’s Sarnath are busy chiselling an eighty feet tall statue of Lord Buddha, which will be the world’s tallest Buddha statue after the one demolished in Afganistan’s Bamiyan valley under the Taliban regime.

The tallest Buddha statue is a part of an old project, which started ten years ago but had to be put on hold in the wake of financial problems. The work was resumed three years ago with the assistance after the Government of Thailand extended its help for the project. It will take three more years to complete the statue.

"We are making a statue of Lord Buddha with the help of Thailand government. It will be the tallest statue of Buddha in a standing position and it comes second in height only to the Bamiyan Buddha (statues). It has been more than 10 years since we began work, and now we are also creating awareness about its construction," said Mohan Lal, designer of the statue.

"At least 20- 25 artisans are working on this statute for over three years….it will take three to four more years to complete. Right now, we are through with the stomach, feet and the face. Two or three months will be taken for the finishing work," said Jyoti Singh Khushwaha, the contactor undertaking the construction of the statue. Workers at the site tell, the statue will use over 635 blocks of sandstone and will be made in the Gandharva style of art, which lays great significance to it.

Buddha was born a prince at Lumbini in Nepal over 2,600 years ago. He attained enlightenment at the age of 35 in Bodh Gaya in Bihar and finally departed from the world at the age of 80 in Kushinagar. Situated 10 kilometre away from Varanasi, Sarnath is the place where Lord Buddha is believed to have delivered his first sermon in 500 B.C. The place has a number of Stupas (hemispherical dome) and monasteries. In the early days of Buddhism, Stupas were constructed to honour important events including Buddha's enlightenment, his first sermon, his death and the four famous Buddhist councils.
http://www.organiser.org/dynamic/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=160&page=33 December 10, 2006
Tallest Buddha statue coming up in Sarnath
Its height will be second only to the Bamiyan Buddhas - By S. Kalyanaraman
The statue would use over 635 blocks of sandstone and would be made in the Gandharva style, which laid great significance to it.

A number of sculptors in Sarnath in Uttar Pradesh are busy chiselling an eighty feet tall statue of the Buddha, which will be the world’s tallest Buddha statue after the ones demolished in Afganistan’s Bamiyan Valley under the Taliban regime.

Thailand support :The tallest Buddha statue is part of an old project, which started ten years ago but had to be put on hold in the wake of financial problems. The work was resumed three years ago with the assistance after the Government of Thailand extended its help for the project. It will take three more years to complete the statue.

Artisans at the site said the statue would use over 635 blocks of sandstone and would be made in the Gandharva style, which laid great significance to it. The Buddha attained enlightenment at the age of 35 in Bodh Gaya in Bihar and finally departed from the world at the age of 80 in Kushi-nagar. Situated 10 kilometres away from Varanasi, Sarnath is the place where the Buddha is believed to have delivered his first sermon in 500 B.C. The place has a number of stupas (hemispherical domes) and monasteries. In the early days of Buddhism, stupas were built to honour important events including Buddha’s enlightenment. —ANI
http://www.headlinesindia.com/direction/north1.jsp?news_code=18158
Saturday, November 25, 2006 (16:20:42)
UP:Tallest Buddha upcoming in Sarnath
Sarnath: A number of sculptors in Uttar Pradesh’s Sarnath are busy chiselling an eighty feet tall statue of Lord Buddha, which will be the world’s tallest Buddha statue after the one demolished in Afganistan’s Bamiyan valley under the Taliban regime. The tallest Buddha statue is a part of an old project, which started ten years ago but had to be put on hold in the wake of financial problems. The work was resumed three years ago with the assistance after the Government of Thailand extended its help for the project. It will take three more years to complete the statue.

Situated 10 kilometre away from Varanasi, Sarnath is the place where Lord Buddha is believed to have delivered his first sermon in 500 B.C. The place has a number of Stupas (hemispherical dome) and monasteries. (PTI)

Published on Thursday, March 1, 2001 by Agence France Presse
Afghan Taliban Begin Destruction of Ancient Buddha Statues

KABUL - Ignoring an international outcry, Afghanistan's puritanical Taliban Islamic militia began demolishing statues across the country on Thursday, including two towering ancient stone Buddhas. Taliban Minister of Information and Culture Qudratullah Jamal told AFP the destruction of scores of pre-Islamic figures, designed to stop the worshipping of "false idols," had begun throughout the country.

Undated photo of the world's tallest statue of Bhudda measuring 53 meters (175 feet) in Bamiyan, 125 kilometers (90 miles) west of Kabul in Afghanistan. Supreme Commander of the Taliban Mullah Mohammad Omar had ordered the destruction of all statues in Afghanistan, including the centuries-old Buddha in Bamiyan, and armed Taliban troops fanned out across the country Thursday to implement the supreme leader's order. (AP Photo)

He said militiamen started wrecking the almost 2,000-year-old Buddhist masterpieces in the central province of Bamiyan, including the world's tallest standing Buddha measuring 50 meters (165 feet), after sunrise...
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines01/0301-04.htm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/3890513.stm
India 'to build biggest Buddha'
http://i11.tinypic.com/2ymawdz.jpg
Computer-generated image of the Kushinagar Buddha statue
The authorities in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh have confirmed plans to build the world's biggest statue of the Buddha. The site will be the town of Kushinagar where Buddha died 25 centuries ago. The bronze statue is planned to be more than 150m tall, double the height of the 8th Century Tang dynasty Buddha in south-west China. The Kushinagar statue will be co-funded by the Uttar Pradesh government and a Japanese religious trust.

'World's biggest statue' :The statue will depict a future incarnation, the Maitreya Buddha, in a seated position. It will be three times higher than the 46.5m (151-foot) Statue of Liberty. Local officials say it will be the world's biggest statue and that a 17-storey temple building with huge prayer halls will be housed inside it. However, in the United States, plans are underway to build a statue in Houston, Texas, called The Spirit of Houston, that would be even higher. Kushinagar was the place that the Buddha chose for his Mahaparinirvana, or final exit from earth. The town was then known as the capital of the Malla republic, one of the republican states of northern India during the 5th and 6th centuries BC.

thanx babji for all these information....but i taught it was comin in gaya..

New IIT proposed in Bihar

http://ia.rediff.com/money/2007/jan/05iit.htm

The Centre plans to open one of three proposed IITs in the 11th Plan period in Bihar.

Union Human Resource Development Minister Arjun Singh intimated this to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in a letter, the state science and technology minister Anil Kumar said on Friday.

The letter said the spot selected for setting up the prestigious institute should have approximately 600 acres and be well connected by road, rail and air.

Kumar said the Bihar government will take "no time" in meeting the conditions for setting up the IIT. "We will soon be selecting a site in consultation with the chief minister to begin the process for acquisition of the land," he said, expressing happiness at the Centre's gesture.

Singh also asked the chief minister to appoint a special officer who will coordinate between the Centre and the state for the setting up of the institute. Official sources said the IIT, wanted by Bihar for nearly six decades, would come up in Patna.

The state has been chosen for setting up the new IIT as it has no national institute after the formation of Jharkhand. A large number of students from the state join various IITs every year.

thanx babji for all these information....but i taught it was comin in gaya..

Check out this link for more info on that project :cheers:

Maitreya Buddha Project, Kushinagar, Uttar Pradesh -- an Update, Aug, '06 (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=389451)

Indian Gasohol to pump in Rs 13600 cr in Bihar (http://business-standard.com/compindustry/storypage.php?tab=r&autono=270715&subLeft=1&leftnm=1)

At a time when big sugar companies such as Dhampur and Rajshree are looking to delay their investment in Bihar, Tamil Nadu-based Indian Gasohol Ltd has proposed to pump in Rs 13,557 crore in the state over the next 3-4 years.

This is the single-largest investment proposal received by the state after the Nitish Kumar government took over. The state cabinet on Friday has given its approval to the proposal, said a senior state official.

“The company would set up 10 distilleries for producing ethanol from sugarcane with a combined capacity of 54 lakh tonne annually. Each unit will have a crushing capacity of 25,000 tonne crushed daily (tcd),” he said.

The company does not plan to to produce here as sugarcane juice will be directly used in the manufacture of ethanol.

This will be a new trend as most of the Indian companies produce ethanol from molasses, a by-product from sugar production. The work is expected to start this year.

By the time all the units go on stream, the country is expected to witness significant demand for ethanol as a result of the government’s plan to blend petrol with five per cent ethanol.

“Apart from ethanol, the mills would also generate 2000 mw of energy out of bagasse. Of this, about 1450 mw would be supplied to the state grid while the rest would be used to run the units. This would help the state to tide over the power shortage to a large extent”, the official said.

The company has offered to buy sugarcane at a price of Rs 1250 per tonne from farmers. The units are expected to provide direct employment to 50,000 people and indirect employment to two lakh people.

The company would give training to 18, 000 state farmers on growing sugarcane to increase the per acre yield to 50 tonne from the current 30-40 tonne. The farmers would also be given solar energy operated pump sets for carrying out irrigation.

The units will be set up in districts of Buxar, Rohtas, Aurangabad, Gaya, Araria, Katihar, Bhagalpur and Nalanda.

Indian Gasohol to pump in Rs 13600 cr in Bihar (http://business-standard.com/compindustry/storypage.php?tab=r&autono=270715&subLeft=1&leftnm=1)

how sweet! :)

Bihar promises better roads

Shakti S. Singh
The Government of Bihar has drawn up an action plan to strengthen the road network in the state. The government has sanctioned Rs 678 crore to develop 7,714 km of roads. An additional Rs 167.65 crore has been released for construction of roads under Nabard, Central Road Fund and Border Area Development Programme.

Out of 7,714 km of greater district roads, 4,000 km has been taken up for widening and strengthening in this financial year. Tenders worth Rs 589 crore are under process and project bids for Rs 194.47 crore have been already invited. The condition of Bihar's roads in the last 15 years has been pathetic, Road Construction Minister Nand Kishore Yadav admits. "Our government has taken up the task of providing better roads on priority," he says. Giving details of the road projects, the minister said that RIDF had also sanctioned Rs 334 crore for widening of 533 km of state roads. Tenders for road works valued at Rs 435.52 crore have been allotted and construction work on various sections is expected to commence soon. A similar Rs 663-crore road project is already in progress.

The state government has constituted the Patna Road Project to develop 150 km of roads in the capital city. Under this programme 150 km of main roads will be widened, footpaths will be built and proper drainage system will be laid. The Bihar State Bridge Construction Ltd has also been revived to construct bridges on various rivers. The government has also started a bridge construction programme in remote areas of the state on the lines of the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna.
[08 January 2007]

Modi Promises to Push for IISER in Bihar
Patna: January 7, 2007

A four-member delegate led by BiharBrains chairperson Bibhuti Vikramaditya, on Monday in Patna, met with the Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi and presented its demand for the establishment of an Indian Institute of Science Education & Research (IISER) in Bihar.

During the meeting that lasted near 40 minutes, Modi assured the delegate of his support to their cause and promised to take up the issue with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar during his meeting with him on Tuesday. Modi also invited the delegate to attend the NRI meet in Bihar to be held later this month.

Earlier, during his talk with the state Science and Technology minister Anil Kumar, Vikramaditya also presented his demand for an IISER in Bihar. "Our demands have been forwarded to the state Department of Human Resources and other concerned officials in the state and we soon to have a report on its status," Vikramaditya said.

Besides Vikramaditya, former Vice Chancellor Prof. Jagannath Thakur, Prof. B. K. Sharma, Prof. S. P. Verma, and Vijay Sharan were part of the delegation.

Bihar truly is a conundrum. It used to be one of India's most prosperous regions with some of the brightest minds. Even to this day, Bihar produces some of the brightest kids amongst us.

The establishment of an IISER, or an IIT should be a very welcome move.

Modi Promises to Push for IISER in Bihar
Patna: January 7, 2007

its a welcoming move....the state which housed nalanda and takshashila deserves these institutions...

Scottish Exploration Team Arrives to Search for Oil in Ganges
Patna: January 15, 2007

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, his deputy Sushil Kumar Modi, and a number of NDA leaders in Bihar, on Monday, gave a warm welcome to the members of the Cairn Energy Search India Ltd, a subsidiary of Edinburgh based Cairn Energy Search Ltd (CESL), at the Patna Airport as the team began aerial survey of the Ganges to look for oil in its basin.

"This is a great day for Bihar," a visibly jubilant Chief Minister said adding if the results of the exploration were positive, it would change the face of Bihar once and for all.

"Bihar was left with only land, sand, and human resources after Jharkhand state was carved out of it in 2000. If oil is in fact found in the basin of the Ganges, Bihar will become an object of envy for the rest of the nation," Kumar said while breaking the ceremonial coconut at the state hangar at Patna Airport.

Equipped with a special high-tech Cessna plane obtained from Canada, the exploration team would survey areas spread in 13 districts including Patna, Begusarai, Muzaffarpur, Bhagalpur, Darbhanga, Khagaria, Madhepura, Madhubani, Munger, Sitamarhi, Samastipur, Saharsa and Supaul over a period of three months flying over the state ten hours a day, officials said.

The entire project is estimated to cost the state government approximately Rs. 200 crore, they said. Energy Minister Vijendra Prasad Yadav and Director General of Police (DGP) Ashish Ranjan Sinha were also present on the occasion.

Richard Hitton, Director (Exploration) Cairn India, expressed his thanks to the Bihar government for extending warm welcome to his team.

India hasn't yet embarked on huge oil searching expeditions: the reason i say that is bc they just recently found huge reserves in KG Basin of AP's coast and recently, in Kaveri Basin. i am sure the Ganges basin too has some good amount of reserves atleast....and royalty from the oil can really help build rural infrastructure in Bihar, which will be the first move towards an upwardly mobile ppl.

Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Global meet to showcase ‘Resurgent Bihar’
Press Trust of India

Patna, January 16: After initiating a slew of measures in its quest for achieving socio-economic turnaround, the Nitish Kumar government, buoyed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's appeal to make a Mauritius out of Bihar, is gearing itself up to present the state as ‘a most happening place’ in the upcoming global meet of NRIs.

The three-day global meet for a resurgent Bihar, beginning January 19 would be inaugurated by President A P J Abdul Kalam who has evinced keen interest on making the eastern state a developed one by 2015.

Stating that the visit of Kalam would be a big event for Bihar, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said his government had always "benefited from the President's advice and guidance for achieving the objective."

Besides Kalam, Lord Meghnad Desai of the British House of Lords, C Rangarajan, head of Prime Minister's Economic Advisory Council, Abhijit Sen, Planning Commission member, Yogendra C Alagh, Economist and ITC's head Yogi Deveshwar, along wiht over 100 NRIs from across the world are also expected to participate in the meet, Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi said.

The conference is being organised by a few independent bodies with the support of the state government on the theme 'Resurgent Bihar' in an attempt to project the initiatives taken by the Nitish Kumar government to mobilise investments for ensuring all-round growth of the state.

Modi said the idea was to project Bihar as a happening place offering great investment opportunities. The CM himself would stress on the point at the inaugural and valedictory sessions of the meet. "Our effort will be to present Bihar as a much better governed state where all kinds of good things are happening for the investors to be a part of it," he said.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, while inaugurating the three-day Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in New Delhi on January 7, had urged the entrepreneurs to go to Bihar and inspire people there to make a Mauritiius out of Bihar. During his recent visit, the PM had also conveyed this message to Mauritian people whose ancestors hailed from Bihar.

Ever since the NDA-led government by Nitish Kumar came to power, a number of initiatives, including making the atmosphere conducive for investments and promising tax concessions to the entrepreneurs for their industrial complexes for which they would make available suitable plots, have been taken.

In sugar sector, private investors had shown interest in setting up sugar mills and allied units and the state government has also decided to hand over the sugar mills under Bihar State Sugar Development Corporation to the private sector for their revival.

According to Minister of State for Sugarcane Development Nitish Mishra, the government had received 19 detailed project reports from private investors of which the state cabinet had already cleared 14. "In the given scenario, private investors have committed to invest over Rs 4,578 crore in setting up sugar mills," he said.

The state government had also sanctioned proposals from Tamil Nadu-based firm Indian Gasohol Limited (GSL) for setting up projects worth Rs 13,557 crore for production and cent per cent export of ethanol from cane juice in the state.

Mishra said the government had crushing units at Navanagar Buxar, Bikramganj, Gaya, Aurangabad, Jamui, Munger, Bhagalpur, Araria and Purnea with each having an installed capacity of 25,000 tonne crushing daily to facilitate the firm to ensure export of 5.4 million tonne of ethanol per annum.

Solar energy plants would also be set up at each of the units for ensuring production and supply of electricity in rural areas, he said, adding the cane crushing units together would cover growing of sugarcane in 15 lakh acres in the state.

The proposed projects would create direct employment for 50,000 people and give indirect employment opportunities to over 2 lakh people in Bihar, Mishra added.

The NDA government has also decided to open four new medical colleges and hospitals in the public sector, in addition to the nine medical and dental colleges that are proposed to be set up in the private sector. Of them, four would be in Patna, two each in Ara and Bettiah and one in Saharsa.

URL: http://www.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=79748

Kalam unveils 10-point mission for Bihar's development

Patna, Jan 19 (PTI) President A P J Abdul Kalam today unveiled a 10-point mission for Bihar with special emphasis on agriculture, education, health and infrastructure so that it achieves the status of a developed state by 2015.

"Bihar has a great capital of knowledge, skills and hard work. This capital has spread in many parts of the country and also many countries in our planet. The time has come for Bihar to get transformed into a developed state before 2015," Kalam said in his inaugural address at the 'Global meet for a resurgent Bihar'.

Though wooing potential investors is the motive behind the meet, the state's NDA government has insisted that it is not an investors' conference.

It is being attended by over 500 delegates, including eminent economist Lord Meghnad Desai, a Labour peer in the House of Lords of the UK, Y V Deveshwar, ITC chairman and chairman of IIM (Kolkata), and C Rangarajan, chairman, Prime Minister's Economic Advisory Council and former RBI governor.

Identifying the core competence of Bihar, Kalam suggested increasing agricultural production, activating sugar industries and dairy development, food processing and horticulture leading to empowering and enrichment of 27 million farmers. PTI

Bihar is on threshold of turnaround: Desai
Faizan Ahmad [ 21 Jan, 2007 0234hrs ISTTIMES NEWS NETWORK ]


PATNA: Lord Meghnad Desai said on Saturday that Bihar had reached a crucial stage for its turnaround. He appealed to the people to extend "critical support" to the government and hoped, "Bihar does."

He said, "When people ask me if Bihar is on way to resurgence, I say, I hope it is. But it will be possible only when civil society gets enough strength and citizens gets enough courage to go to schools and ask why there is no teacher."

Delivering a special lecture at the plenary session of the 'Global Meet For a Resurgent Bihar', Lord Desai came down heavily on the Congress policies during the 40 long years after the Independence. He said the leadership decided not to pursue social reforms movements for equal dignity to all sections of the society. This was coupled with slow economic growth rate with no job opportunities for unskilled poor people.

He said the economic reforms in India started only 12 years back with a policy on inclusion of excluded people. "Overall reforms can be ushered in only by the politicians and the people, nobody else", he said. But he also criticised the result of the backlash between 1977-89 when people were kept out of power and they thought enough was enough. "When other backward caste leaders came to power, they helped their own little sections. The state machinery, which should have been used for health, education and other social welfare works, was used badly for corruption," he lamented.

An economist of world repute, Lord Desai dismissed the common perception that only a small section of Indians pay tax. He said, "Everybody pays tax from his or her salary and income. If the government budget is declared deficit, it is an anti-poor people act."

Lord Desai alleged that the Planning Commission has always been ruled by "third rate" Marxism. "I am against the bad policies of Bhadralok politics," he said, favouring reservation benefits for the neglected classes. But he asked what was the use of reservation when the neglected people are deprived of educational facilities and they end up at the secondary level itself.

On caste system, he said, it might erode, but will not be finished. "Caste is really a matter of identity," he said and stressed that injustice on caste lines be abolished for the social prosperity. "Remove injustice of caste that's blighting the society," he added.

Bihar, he said, wanted to prosper but little could be done. He said it was not only the case with Bihar alone but all the BIMARU states. The bad politics, he added, helped deterioration because people gave mandate to people who were not too good for everybody.

At the plenary session dedicated to transformation of Bihar and challenges and opportunities, State Planning Board deputy chairman N K Singh touched a few areas of opportunity. It included macro acceleration of GDP to 8.5 per cent, improving agriculture growth at 7 per cent, investment in human resources development by building institute of higher education and vocational skill, in health and ancillary sectors, road, power and civic amenities with public-private partnership.
Regarding tourism sector, he informed the audience that the master plan for Bodh Gaya was soon going to be implemented and that the government was in the process of acquiring 600 acres of land near the ancient ruins at Nalanda for Nalanda International University. The project was appreciated by the Chinese and Japanese premiers during their talk with PM Manmohan Singh and also at the East-Asian summit at Seoul recently.

What surprised the delegates was the unannounced arrival of CM Nitish Kumar who took time off to listen Lord Desai's lecture. The session was chaired by V S Vyas, professor emeritus and chairman Institute of Development Studies, Jaipur.

ITC to Invest Rs. 300 Cr. in Munger
Patna: January 20, 2007

The Indian Tobacco Company (ITC) chairman Y. C. Deveshwar, on the second day of the Global Bihar Meet in Patna on Saturday, announced the company's decision to invest Rs. 300 crore in various schemes, including primary education and health care in Munger district.
On the second day of the conclave, guests from nearly ten countries put forth their views on "Overview of Challenges, Opportunities, and Development Strategy of Bihar".

"We are adopting Munger for developmental purpose and we encourage others to take similar steps for their own home town or village. If we all adopted a town or a village, there is no reason why we could not turn Bihar into a highly developed state within a short period of time," Deveshwar said adding he had long relationship with Munger and therefore his interest in the district.

Noted economist and a professor of the London School of Economics Lord Meghnad Desai, in his speech, said the government should concentrate on stopping brain drain from Bihar.

"Politicians are too busy working for themselves. Now is the time to think about the state and if we all followed up on the suggestions made by President Kalam in his yesterday's speech, people of Bihar can change the face of the state in a positive way," Lord Desai said.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi, and a number of Cabinet ministers were present at the occasion.

Mauritian envoy praises Nitish Kumar
[ 21 Jan, 2007 2053hrs ISTPTI ]

PATNA: Mauritian envoy to India Mukesh Chunni on Sunday said Bihar is bound to progress as it has "the right person (Chief Minister Nitish Kumar) in the driver's seat".
The state is bound to progress as the government has initiated a number of measures to woo foreign investors, he told reporters after meeting Kumar at his official residence.

Mauritius has emotional bonds with Bihar as the grandfather of current Prime Minister Navin Chandra Ramgoolam, Shiv Sagar Ramgoolam had migrated to that country from Bihar's Saran district, he pointed out. Chunni's forefathers also had migrated from Bihar's Bhojpur district. "We want to link the island with India not only emotionally but economically as well." He pointed out that 75 per cent of Mauritius' total population is of Indian origin, of which 50 per cent is from Bihar and adjoining Uttar Pradesh.

"Ours is a small island but the country's exclusive economic zone is as big as in India (one square kilometre) and the island is ideally located for a triangular business between Africa, Mauritius and India." Chunni said the country, which once thrived on sugarcane cultivation, has now diversified to sectors like tourism, information technology and textiles.

The envoy said if a small island could prosper by sugarcane plantation, Bihar which is full of resources too could make a stride towards development by using the latest technology. He also invited Kumar to visit Mauritius.

11 states stand to gain from ‘Buddhist Tourism’ thrust
Ashok B Sharma Newindpress

New Delhi As India gears up to market Lord Buddha to attract global tourists, about 11 states stand to reap major benefits if they make sincere efforts to upgrade the identified circuits.

The Union ministry for tourism and culture has chalked out an action plan to promote “Buddhist tourism” around places having direct association with Lord Buddha’s life and mission. These are Kapilavastu, Sarnath, Kaushambi, Shravasti, Sankisa and Kushinagar in Uttar Pradesh and Bodhgaya, Nalanda, Rajgir and Vaishali in Bihar. Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Ltd (IRCTC) is slated to launch a luxury coach—Mahaparinirvan Special Express—in March 2007 from Delhi, which would facilitate tourists to visit all these places. Year 2007 is the 2,550th year of the attainment of mahapariniravan or salvation by Lord Buddha.

The eight-day tour package of Mahaparinirvan Express includes train and road travel, hotel accommodation, meals and incidental expenses like site entry and guide charges. The package also provides flexible options. Apart from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, the other states that house icons of Buddhism are Orissa, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh. States like Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir (Ladakh and Leh) have schools of learning and practices of Buddhism, particularly those relating to the Vajrayana/Lamaism sect and also spots for nature and adventure tourism. Thus, in all, 11 states have sites that are of specific interests to “Buddhist Tourism”.

A study by ICRA Management Consulting Services Ltd (iMaCS) on behalf of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (Ficci) has estimated that if “Buddhist Tourism” is sincerely promoted, it can attract about million tourists by 2012, a rise by 400% over the flow of 200,000 Buddhist tourists in 2004. The increased tourist flow would result in spillover effects, providing employment opportunities and increased local income. The government also plans to launch a website in Chinese and train guides in Chinese to attract tourists from China.

Union minister for tourism and culture, Ambika Soni, has urged all stakeholders, including the state governments concerned, corporate sector and travel and tour operators to make sincere efforts to upgrade infrastructure and restore Buddhists sites. She urged state governments to seek overseas aid, if necessary. Soni lauded the Bihar government for making sincere efforts in this direction. “We have made special efforts jointly with the Bihar government to improve the road from Gaya to Bodhgaya, removed illegal occupants of the land around the Mahabodhi temple by creating two new commercial hubs. We have also planned to restore Sarnath to to its full glory”, she told FE.

The Japan Bank for International Cooperation has so far assisted four projects in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Maharashtra amounting to Rs 1,200crore. It has plans for assisting development of other Buddhist circuits in India and the Heritage Corridor between Delhi and Mumbai.

URL: http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_full_story.php?content_id=153030

http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_1913792,000900030002.htm


Bihar Govt to set up body for quality roads


To speed up road construction and keep tabs on the quality of work, the state government is mulling formation of Road Development Authority. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has agreed in principle to the proposal of the Road Construction Department to form such an authority.

Kumar hinted at this after a high-level meeting called to review road construction work in the state. Road Construction Minister Nand Kishore Yadav, department's secretary K Singh, advocate general PK Shahi and others attended the meeting.

In a presentation by the department, the officials stressed on the need for setting up a board/corporation or an authority so that regulatory and development works could be separated. "This will also help in removing the procedural delays in tender process and the shortcomings in the old PWD code," said the department officials.

After examining the presentation, the CM directed that a development authority be constituted with financial and administrative powers so that it could function properly and independently.

He also stressed on the need for induction of technical and management specialists of national and international repute as members of the authority so that they could give their valuable suggestions on the construction of quality roads in the state.

Directing the officials to immediately put the proposal in this regard for the state cabinet's approval, Kumar advised them to incorporate certain provisions of the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) in the by-laws.

He even suggested that the State Road Development Authority be also entrusted with the power to acquire lands for road construction.

He said, during the 11th Five-Year Plan period, the state was to receive an estimated Rs 58,000 crore out of which Rs 12,000 crore had been earmarked for road construction and added that the thrust should be on speedy and quality construction of roads.

Rs 5600-cr Japan grant for state's Buddhist circuit

Pranava K Chaudhary [ 31 Jan, 2007 0223hrs ISTTIMES NEWS NETWORK ]
PATNA: Japan has agreed to offer a grant to the tune of Rs 5,600 crore for infrastructure development of Buddhist circuit in Bihar. These include landscaping, solid waste management and improvement of existing drains and electrification.

The Rs 5600-crore grant to be given by the Japan Bank of International Cooperation (JBIC) will also fund construction of four-lane roads as part of the infrastructure development in the state's Buddhist circuit. A total 481.20-km stretch of roads will be covered under the project. The existing 275-km stretch of the Bakhtiarpur-Biharsharif-Nalanda-Rajgir-Hisua-Gaya-Bodh Gaya route will be fully upgraded under the project.Bihar road construction secretary R K Singh will submit the feasibility report on the identified roads to JBIC latest by February 15. Buddhist circuit roads will be developed on a par with international standard. Similarly, it is understood Japan has also expressed it eagerness in developing water supply scheme, sewerage project, solid waste management and improvement of existing drains and construction of new drains and electrification at Bodh Gaya. A sum of Rs 50 crore would be spent on the landscaping and flood protection measures at Bodh Gaya.

JBIC has also extended financial assistance in developing basic facilities like drinking water, electricity and sewerage system at Nalanda, Vaishali, Rajgir, Kesariya, Areraj and Mangalgarh. Moreover, the famous tourist spot at Barabar Cave located on the Patna-Gaya route will also be developed. Under the destination development plan, access ways, toilet facilities, reception centre and landscape development around the existing lake would be developed at an estimated cost of Rs 50 crore. Bihar's resident commissioner in New Delhi C K Mishra told TOI that the project was finalised at a high-level meeting held in New Delhi recently.

Additional director general in Union ministry of tourism Sanjay Kothari, joint secretary in Union ministry of tourism Amitabh Kant, JBIC representative Mitsunari Sayato, Bihar tourism secretary R S Tiwary, besides Mishra attended the meeting. Japan has also expressed interest in the construction of greenfield airport in Patna with all modern facilities. In this regard, the Centre has directed the Bihar government to prepare a preliminary site selection report in collaboration with the National Airport Authority of India.

The JBIC has also agreed to grant a sum of Rs 600 crore for the construction of control tower, technical block, fire station, strengthening and extension of runway, land acquisition, provision of runway associated systems and diversion of roads and power lines at Bodh Gaya airport.
Lets hope, they would spend the money appropriately and deliver the results.

Japan has been India's largest donor for a long time. They're funding the Delhi Metro, and now the Buddhist circuit, and soon hopefully the East-West line of the Kolkata Metro.

I would really like that JBIC constantly monitors every aspect of this project because there will be many interested parties looking to bite into this money. With the constant Japanese monitoring, I am assuming the media will also be more active in following this massive project.

ITC to Invest Rs. 300 Cr. in Munger
Patna: January 20, 2007

How can an economist make such a foolish statement? :ohno:

People go where the jobs are. I have relatives back home in Bihar who are professionals, graduates who just sit at home all day because they can't find employment. I have an uncle whose a British trained orthopedic surgeon who can't get any cases, because there's so much poverty in the town that he lives in.

People go where the jobs are. You can't tell people they can't leave in order to "stop brain drain". You have to create growth to make things better.

Hi gang, I am here to join you for the sake of bihar specially.
Myself a young mech engineer from West Bengal who has been assigned to establish sales & survice network in Bihar for the current company. Hope I will get enough information from here.
I deal in DG Sets and Online UPS. My other sub assignments are Transformers, switch gears, AC/DC motors.
Looking forward to to your great support;:)

Hi gang, I am here to join you for the sake of bihar specially.
Myself a young mech engineer from West Bengal who has been assigned to establish sales & survice network in Bihar for the current company. Hope I will get enough information from here.
I deal in DG Sets and Online UPS. My other sub assignments are Transformers, switch gears, AC/DC motors.
Looking forward to to your great support;:)

WELCOME on board @Partha2673.
Where are you operating from within Bihar...
Who are your target client base...
I hope, you would find a great business potential in all the new and old sugar plants in Bihar. Good Luck!.
ps: appreciate, if you could also show us some latest pics and updates of Bihar developments now and then. Thanks in advance! :)

Bihar opens call centre for RTI
Sanjay Singh
Monday, February 05, 2007 22:35 IST DNA

PATNA: Gone are the days when people used to run around government offices and pamper the babus to get information about the status of their application or any other work.

People can now seek information and also keep tabs on the pace at which their files are moving in government offices simply by making a phone call. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar opened an “RTI call centre” named Jaankari (information) at the state secretariat this week, to effectively implement the Right to Information (RTI) Act. “This will bring Ramrajya in the real sense of the term,” the CM said.

Arvind Kejriwal, an RTI activist and Magsaysay Award winner, whose idea idea it was to set up the call centre, said other states should follow Bihar’s example.

Chief Information Commissioner Justice Shashank Kumar Singh urged the state government to hold special camps in the district and block headquarters in order to make people aware of the importance of RTI and the process to exercise it. As a large population in rural Bihar is still not able to read or write, the call centre facility would be very useful to them for it would send applications on their behalf to the departments concerned.

The Chief Minister added: “Government officials will have to be more responsive and responsible or be ready to face action under the RTI Act. There is no escape route. So better be prepared and cultivate the habit to provide the desired information at the first go.”

Good news - Bihar may get more ADB money…
[ 7 Feb, 2007 0346hrs ISTTIMES NEWS NETWORK ]

PATNA: Asian Development Bank (ADB) has shown keen interest in lending huge amount to Bihar in various development projects. A 10-member ADB team on Monday held detailed discussion with chief secretary A K Chaudhary and departmental heads of road, finance, urban development, agriculture and energy.
They also called on chief minister Nitish Kumar to apprise him of some of the preliminary conclusions of the meeting. The team had also detailed discussion with Bihar State Planning Board vice-chairman N K Singh.

Talking to TOI, Singh said the ADM team showed keen interest in lending money to Bihar in various sectors, particularly infrastructure. The team appreciated the new investment opportunities in Bihar. During the meeting, the team also identified various sectors in this regard, including state highways particularly connecting population segment of 500-900 not covered by Pradhan Mantri Gramin Sadak Yojana, power sector particularly in capacity building and helping in additional generation in the state, strengthening cooperative institutions and marketing retail operation for strengthening agriculture operation.

The team has decided to discuss these projects with their senior-level managers at Manila.

The ADB will also have to submit its detailed report to the department of economic affairs and Union ministry of finance for taking appropriate steps in this regard.

So so many proposed funds for our State. First the Japanese and now ADB.
Babji, tell me one thing, there were few scooter factory at Fatuah and cycle factory in the phoolwarisharif area, what about them? Will those factories ever come alive or they have just gone dead for good?

Babji, my target customers are the builders, industries, hotels, nursing homes and hospitals and any prospect who needs a Diesel Generator to back up his power requirement.
Currently I am operating from the state capital Patna.

Hi gang, I am here to join you for the sake of bihar specially.
Myself a young mech engineer from West Bengal who has been assigned to establish sales & survice network in Bihar for the current company. Hope I will get enough information from here.
I deal in DG Sets and Online UPS. My other sub assignments are Transformers, switch gears, AC/DC motors.
Looking forward to to your great support;:)


I am not sure you are in the right forum though. You may be our only forumer from Bihar plus this is mainly a cityscape/project/infra forum.

Welcome on board and best of luck.

Suncity, I understand your anxiety, but since I deal mainly in Capital Goods so the informations about Bihar I get here will indirectly help to target my schedule.

I am with all of you here.

Three medical colleges, CVC-like body on anvil
[ 7 Feb, 2007 0344hrs IST TIMES NEWS NETWORK ]
PATNA: Bihar will have a State Vigilance Commission (SVC) on the pattern of Central Vigilance Commission and the state will implement the Administrative Reforms Commission (ARC) recommendations on transfers and postings. Also, three medical colleges would come up at Madhepura, Bettiah and Nalanda and the Bihar Intermediate Education Council would be merged with Bihar School Examination Board.

All these decisions were taken by the state cabinet at its meeting on Tuesday. State cabinet secretary Girish Shankar said the government has principally agreed to constitute an SVC and merging of theIntermediate Council and BSEB. As for the changes in the existing policy on transfer and posting of state officials and employees, the cabinet has decided that but for emergency situations, transfers would be made normally twice in a year — in May-June and November-December.

Besides three new medical colleges, the cabinet has also decided to open a dental college in Nalanda district.

Accepting the Administrative Reforms Commission recommendations, submitted to the state government on July 15, 2006, the state cabinet has decided to reconstitute the existing 47 departments into 44 departments. The civil aviation and Rajbhasha departments will be merged with cabinet coordination department.

Likewise, national savings and small savings, institutional finance and programme implementation departments have been merged with finance department.

Rail projects worth Rs 15,000 cr. for Bihar (http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/002200702211562.htm)


Railway Minister Lalu Prasad today said his Ministry has gifted projects worth Rs 15,000 crore for Bihar for setting up wheel, coach and locomotive factories in Chapra, construction of rail overbridges over river Ganga connecting Digha with Sonepur and river Kosi in Saharsa and broad-gauge conversion of rail lines.

"We have gifted the State with projects worth Rs 15,000 crore," he said while flagging off the new Patna-Ahmedabad Azimabad Express train at the Rajendra Nagar terminal here.

Six new trains were introduced in Bihar during the past three days, Prasad said, adding he had fulfilled the promise he made for the State in last budget.

Work continued on laying 600 km rail lines in different areas in the State, while survey was on to expand the railway network in another stretch of 1,350 km in the State, he said.

Prasad said rail locomotive factory in Saran, besides the wheel factory in Chapra, as promised by him for his Parliamentary constituency, were being set up with an estimated expenditure of around Rs 3,000 crore.

He said his ministry had given special attention for expansion of rail network in the state.

RJD Minister in the UPA Government Kanti Singh, party MP Vijay Krishna and Ramkripal Yadav attended the function.

Good updates Babji, thanks for keeping the thread alive.

What is happening with the resurgent bihar campaign? I am not seeing any upcoming projects in Bihar since last four months. Is the growth rate decelerating?

BABJI where are you:-(

Zee News
India, Japan set up mentors group to revive Nalanda varsity
New Delhi, May 15: Taking a significant step toward cementing cultural ties, India and Japan yesterday set up a "mentors group" to revive the glorious past of Nalanda University, the centre of Buddhist learning. The mentors group will comprise leading academicians from the international fora who will work towards restoring its standing as an institute of excellence.

"We know Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had said that he wanted Nalanda University to become an institution of excellence," Ministry of External Affairs spokesman Navtej Sarna told reporters while briefing on a meeting between Japan's Vice Foreign Minister Shotaro Yachi and Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon yesterday. The two sides also agreed to promote people-to-people contact in terms of students' exchange between the two countries.

In a joint statement issued during Singh's Japan visit in December last year, the two sides had agreed to "explore the idea of re-development of Nalanda as a major centre of learning with the establishment of an international university on the basis of regional cooperation." The two sides recalled "the important role of Nalanda in the ancient period as a leading international university" contributing to Buddhist and secular studies.

Japan, primarily a Buddhist nation, is a major investor in development of infrastructure at Buddhist sites in India - which include Ajanta and Elora caves and Nalanda University - with more than 3.7 million dollars at stake. Bureau Report
Hello all! Here is some recap on the Nalanda project.
Our dear Nitish has had a tragedy on the personal front recently. His wife (Manju Sinha, 53) has been ill for a while and she passed away. May God bless her soul! My prayers are with Nitish and his family at the time of this great loss. He will be back to work soon and lets hope, Bihar will pick up some momentum yet again!
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/rssarticleshow/msid-2058663,prtpage-1.cms
Did you know: http://www.newindpress.com/Print.asp?ID=IEP20070517074907

^^

Did you know: http://www.newindpress.com/Print.asp...20070517074907 (http://www.newindpress.com/Print.asp?ID=IEP20070517074907)

:nuts: :nuts: wow....i didn't even know that was possible until i read this article.....!!!

Thats like people power in Bihar.
Its on BBC too: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6666729.stm

Here is some thing that could bring in women's empowerment:
http://www.***************/news2007/may/051507/womens_university_in_bihar.html
Women's University in Bihar a Real Possibility
Patna: May 15, 2007

At a high level meeting held at the Raj Bhawan in Patna on Tuesday evening, Governor R. S. Gavai favored setting up of a women's university in Bihar to encourage women from all walks of life to acquire education to bring improvement in their lives.

"I will do everything under my jurisdiction to help set up this exclusive university for women," the Governor said at the meeting adding besides usual courses in science, art, and commerce, the university will also offer a number of vocational courses that would help girls learn skills that are essential in today's world.

Former Vice Chancellor of Women's University in Mumbai Dr. Rupa Shah, who also attended the Tuesday meeting with the Governor, was entrusted to prepare the blueprint for the university which would be eighth of its kind in the entire nation.

Besides Dr. Shah, others present at the meeting were Bhagalpur University Vice Chancellor Dr. Prema Jha, Patna Women's College principal Sister Doris DeSouza, Magadh Mahila College principal Dr. Sukhda Pandey, former proctor of Nalanda Open University Dr. Usha Singh, J. D. Women's College principal Dr. Asha Singh and Dr. Shanti Rai, and a host of college teachers.

self edited. duplicate post.

A lot of things have been announced like sugar mills, new IIT, wheel factory for the railways.

I'm curious to know what's actually gotten built.

ADB to Help Rebuild Ten Cities in Bihar
Patna: May 19, 2007 ***************
Ten cities in Bihar including Patna, Gaya, Muzaffarpur, Bhagalpur, Darbhanga, Biharsharif, Rajgir, Hajipur, Ara, and Bodh Gaya will be developed by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) after the government and the ADB reached a mutual agreement to that effect, senior officials in Patna said on Saturday.

Under the agreement, the government will prepare the first draft of the development plans of these ten cities by the end of this month and a more formal plan would be completed by July 15.

In August, the ADB will make a final decision on the choice of consultants who will embark on changing the faces of Bihar cities and will be closely monitored by an elite group of bureaucrats appointed by the state government.

The ADB will finance all the development plans at a very low interest rate and will also provide technical assistance as required, Urban Development Minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey said.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6263984.stm

Where 'backward' Bihar leads India
By Amarnath Tewary
BBC News, Patna

For many years, Bihar in northern India has earned notoriety for being one of the poorest and most lawless states in the country.

Nobel-prize winning author VS Naipaul once described it as the place where "civilisation ends".

But all is not lost, perhaps. We discover five areas where Bihar might consider itself to be ahead of other Indian states.


WOMEN POWER
Bihar is the only state in India to have 50% of places in local municipal bodies reserved for women.



Babita Devi says she feels empowered (Pics: Prashant Ravi)
Babita Devi, a thirty-something mother of two children, is one of the beneficiaries of this positive discrimination in a male-dominated society where women have traditionally lived and worked on the margins.

The wife of a small farmer, Mrs Devi defeated 19 contestants to win the civic election in her area and become a municipal commissioner.

Now she works to keep her neighbourhood clean and improve its sanitation.

"For the first time in my life I have got respect and attention from my family and society. It feels good," she says.

The present government in Bihar, run by the Janata Dal (United) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), began the policy of reserving half of local municipal body seats for women.

Today half of the 262,000 elected councillors to local municipalities in the state are women.

"The 50% reservation for women in civic bodies is not only empowering women but educating them to a great extent," says social scientist Dr Shaibal Gupta.


SPEEDY TRIALS
Fast track courts in Bihar have convicted and sentenced more criminals than courts in any other Indian state in the past 18 months.


Politicians have been sentenced after speedy trials
The government launched speedy trials to rid the state of its "most lawless" taint - there is a murder every two hours, a rape and kidnapping reported every six hours and a bank robbery every day in the state, according to police records.

Between January 2006 and May 2007, a total of 11,665 criminals were convicted through speedy trials and sent to prison.

More than 2,500 were sentenced to life, and 21 others given the death penalty.

Critics of the speedy trials express concerns about the quality of evidence and justice being dispensed in such a short time in a country where court cases typically drag on for years.

The fastest judgement in Bihar was delivered by a court in 13 days flat from the date of the incident.

Politicians across party lines have also been tried through speedy trials.

"The idea is to stem Bihar's burgeoning crime wave. It has been a great success," additional director general of police Abhayanand says.

A local advocate, Soni Srivastva, says speedy trials make sense "if all steps from filing charges to the trial are conducted properly".


SPECIAL COPS
Bihar is the only state in India where retired soldiers are being hired as policemen to stem the crime wave.


There are 5,000 ex-soldiers in the special force
They mostly comprise the "special auxiliary police" force - about 5,000 retired soldiers were hired last year and sent to help police various districts.

Since then this special force has earned plaudits for controlling crime and taking on Maoist rebels.

The force has earned praise from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who has asked other states to emulate the model.

"Its been hugely successful in checking crime. The forces are called in whenever there are law and order problems," says Mr Abhyanand.

The government is planning to hire another 11,500 ex-soldiers soon to bolster the force. On average about 100 of these soldiers-turned-policemen have been deployed in each district.


CASH COW
Bihar has a long and tortuous history of chronically unprofitable state-owned companies and their unpaid employees taking their lives.


Business is booming for the milk co-operative
But Sudha, a dairy co-operative, is a shining exception and one of the most successful exercises of its kind in India.

Launched in 1993, the co-operative's revenues from a range of milk and milk products has risen from $73.5m in 2001-2002 to $136m today. The co-operative has 6,000 outlets covering 84 towns in the state.

More than 260,000 milk farmers in the state are members of the co-operative, and a private bank has even launched a pension scheme for them.

Now Sudha has begun "exporting" milk to other Indian states like Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Jharkhand and Delhi.

"Regular payments to milk farmers and viable economic relationship with them has led to Sudha's grand success," says Atish Chandra, chief of the co-operative.



MODEL TAXES
Did you know that a simplified tax system conceived and launched in Bihar is now being emulated by Sri Lanka and various African countries and has been lauded by the United Nations?


Tax methods have been made simpler
Introduced by the municipality of Patna, the state capital, in 1993, the tax system, locally known as the "Patna model of taxation" simplifies property tax rates on the basis of the local area and use of property.

"It is very methodical," municipal commissioner Rana Awadhesh says.

"Using this model, the state can collect a large amount of tax money with less effort from officials and tax payers."

Property is classified according to its location, construction, use (residential or commercial), and rates fixed accordingly.

States like Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh have adopted the same property tax model.

The UN was so impressed by the taxation model that it gave a $30,000 award to Bihar for introducing this method.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Bihar_no_1_in_urban_reforms_/articleshow/2224114.cms

PATNA: Notwithstanding the ever-increasing concern of people towards lack of civic amenities in most urban areas, Bihar stands numero uno in urban reforms in the country.

This was announced by Urban Development Minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey before a galaxy of scientists and environmentalists on Saturday.

Bihar happens to be the first state in the country to enact the Model Municipal Act for ensuring all-round development of municipal areas.

The state has received a sum of Rs 38 crore from the Central government for effecting solid waste management. A suitable plot of land is being acquired for disposal of solid waste, he said.

Speaking as the chief guest at an all India training programme on bio-medical waste management organised by the Patna University Centre for Environment and Nature Conservation at Science College auditorium here, Choubey said steps have also been initiated for setting up a plant to generate electricity from waste polythene bags. It has been found that 33 metric tonnes of polythene bags can generate 9.5 MW of power.

He said registration of all nursing homes and hospitals with the Bihar State Pollution Control Board has been made mandatory and more than 700 nursing homes have already been registered. Besides, a heavy penalty has also been envisaged for the hospitals and private clinics which indulge in unscientific disposal of bio-medical waste.

Maharashtra Pollution Control Board’s former member secretary D B Boralkar said it is the primary responsibility of urban development department to arrange for proper disposal of bio-medical waste being generated by hospitals and nursing homes.

The state pollution control board can sue the urban development department if the hospitals do not manage their bio-medical waste properly. He said all the environmental problems in the country are linked with population.

PU pro-VC S Ehteshamuddin presided while Centre director R C Sinha welcomed the guests and introduced the theme of the programme. PU zoology head M P Sinha proposed the vote of thanks.

Delegates from several states, including Maharashtra, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Orissa and Bihar are participating in the training programme.

Musings of a Bihari

http://www.hindu.com/op/2007/08/26/stories/2007082650011400.htm

Bihar yet to have a SEZ

Bihar does not figure at all in the list of SEZs that have been given either formal or in-principle clearance by the Board of Approval. In sharp contrast, the Board has cleared a total of 550 proposals across 20 major states.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Bihar_yet_to_have_a_SEZ/articleshow/2316894.cms

Bhel wins contract for 1000 MW power plant in Bihar (http://www.business-standard.com/common/storypage_c_online.php?leftnm=10&bKeyFlag=IN&autono=35977)

Power plant equipment major Bharat Heavy Electricals (Bhel) has won orders worth around Rs 2,030 crore for supply and installation of the main plant package at the 1000-mw Nabinagar Thermal Power plant project in Bihar, involving core units of 250 mw each.

A company press release said the orders have been placed by Bharathiya Rail Bijlee Company (BRBCL).

PATNA: Railway Minister Lalu Prasad on Wednesday said he had ordered a survey of the state capital and preparation of a feasibility report for providing 'Mono Rail' facilities to ease traffic.

''Really, I am impressed by seeing the Mono Rail system when I was abroad recently. It is really my dream project which I want to implement in Patna,'' Prasad told reporters.

He said he had ordered undertaking a survey of the entire city area starting from Patna junction, Chiraiyatand, Patna City, Ashok Rajpath and Digha to Danapur.

''After the survey, a detailed feasibility report will be prepared and it will be ensured that the work on this project commence soon,'' he said adding the proposed project would come in handy for daily commuters and the vehicular traffic problem would ease.

''We have already announced development of Patna as a World class Railway Station for which work is in progress,'' he said.

He charged the state government with failing to make available required land to the Railways for several projects, including 40 rail-road overbridges

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Lalu_for_Mono_Rail_in_Patna/articleshow/3060066.cms

Brand Bihar to be promoted through its fruits

Brand Bihar, which is often used as a derisive metaphor for things not working out, is to be promoted through its luscious fruits this summer.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's government has decided to gift baskets of luscious 'Shahi' (royal) litchis and special 'Zardalu' mangoes to important people in New Delhi, including the president and the prime minister.

The special sweet gifts are also a bid to establish the Bihar brand.

The Shahi litchis of Muzaffarpur district and the delicious Zardalu mangoes of Bhagalpur district are known for their rare taste and delicate flavour, but yet to be marketed as a Bihar brand within and outside the country.

State Cabinet secretary Girish Shankar has directed the commissioner of Tirhut and Bhagalpur as well as district magistrate of Muzaffarpur and Bhagalpur districts to arrange for Shahi litchis and Zardalu mangoes to be gifted to very important persons (VIPs) in New Delhi.
The state government has decided to send the juicy gifts by June 15.

The government has prepared a list of 400 important people in New Delhi who will be given the gifts.

Apart from President Pratibha Patil, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Vice President Hamid Ansari, the sweet gifts will also go to Supreme Court judges and central ministers. The ministers include Railway Minister Lalu Prasad, Steel Minister Ramvilas Paswan and Finance Minister P. Chidambaram. Senior diplomats of several embassies and bureaucrats in the capital will also receive the goody basket.

The Shahi litchis and the Zardalu mangoes would be packed separately for gifting.

"The Muzaffarpur district magistrate was asked to prepare 400 packets of Shahi litchis. Each packet will contain 2.5 kg of litchis.

The Bhagalpur district magistrate has been asked to prepare similar packets of Zardalu mangoes. Each packet will contain 20 to 25 mangoes," an official source said.

"Bihar's Shahi litchis and Zardalu mangoes are set to impress India's VVIPs and diplomats this summer. It will boost the state's image," a government official told IANS here.

While 70 percent of India's litchis are produced in Muzaffarpur, the region's Shahi litchis are known worldwide for their aroma and taste.

Nitish Kumar had last year presented Shahi litchis to the president, the vice president, the prime minister and other ministers.

Since he came to power in November 2005, Kumar has been trying hard to build a positive image of Bihar by replacing the negative image of lawlessness, backwardness and a state without basic infrastructure. Till now Bihar is widely seen as an ailing state that is regarded as one of the least developed in India.

source economictimes.com (http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/News_By_Industry/Cons_Products/Food/Brand_Bihar_to_be_promoted_through_its_fruits/articleshow/3091951.cms)

Two Flyovers to Ease Traffic in Patna (http://www.***************/news2008/june/060508/two_new_flyovers.html)

Patna may have two new flyovers in next couple of years if all things proceed as planned and the plan is given a nod by the Road Construction Department and the Indian Railways, officials in Patna said on Thursday.

The plan includes building a three-lane flyover from the Nageshwar Colony to the water tank past A. N. College on Boring Road, and another one from Bailey Road to Sheikhpura.

Both bridges are expected to ease traffic on the existing roads while also cutting down on drive time due to limited exits on both flyovers, officials said.

The Bridge Construction Department has submitted a detailed planning report (DPR) of the two bridges to the Road Construction Department and once approved, the work would begin within a matter of weeks, they said.

Ruia plans giant sugar unit in Bihar (http://www.business-standard.com/common/news_article.php?tab=r&autono=325854&subLeft=1&leftnm=1)

Kolkata based P K Ruia Group, which also manages Dunlop India and Jessop India, would be building what it claimed would be the largest greenfield sugar complex in the country at Shariyatpur in East Champaran district of Bihar.

The Rs 800 crore project along with the capacity of crushing 10,000 ton of cane per day, would also include an ethanol manufacturing unit with a daily capacity of 240 kilolitres and a 50MW power plant.

The project would require 180 acres and 102 acres had already been acquired.

"We are keeping space for expanding the ethanol manufacturing capacity to 700-1000 kilolitres a day, if the state government allows the production of ethanol directly from the cane," said Pawan Kumar Ruia, chairman of the Ruia Group on the sidelines of a clourful foundation stone laying ceremony of the plant which was graced by several central government dignitaries and four elephants belonging to a local politician.

Out of Rs 800 crore project cost, Rs 120 crore would come from the sugar development fund (SDF), Rs 130 crore would be promoters' contribution and the remaining Rs 550 crore would be raised through bank loans.

IIM-Ahmedabad graduate aims to make Bihar, a vegetable hub

It may come as a shock to many that after topping the elite Indian Institute of Management (IIM), he opted to sell vegetables on the rough streets of this city. But then Kaushalendra is a man on a mission.

He is not moving around with his loaded pushcart to earn a livelihood but to make his home state, Bihar, the vegetable hub of India.

Kaushalendra, who is in his late 20s, is an IIM-Ahmedabad graduate of the 2007 batch. He could, like his peers, have chosen to sit in the plush air-conditioned premises of a top MNC like his peers. But he is roughing it out instead.

"I am here to do something. It was my childhood dream to contribute to the development of rural Bihar," he said.

"I have opted to make vegetables the new brand of Bihar," Kaushalendra, the native of a village in Nalanda, which happens to be the home district of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, said.

Clad in a simple shirt and trousers, the bespectacled youth is popularly known as the "MBA sabziwalla" among his loyal customers, particularly women in the Kankarbagh colony, a middle class locality.

Hailing from a farmer family himself, he started his venture about 10 days ago.

After passing out of IIM-A, he did extensive fieldwork, meeting farmers, studying cultivation techniques and finally taking a bank loan of Rs 40 lakh to start the project.

"Till date the response has been better than expected," Kaushalendra said, well aware of the attention he attracts.

Unlike other vegetable vendors, he is minutely studying consumer behaviour as he goes along. "It is important for me to study consumer behaviour when they purchase vegetables from my pushcart to help prepare a blueprint of expansion," he said.

Kaushalendra recalled that after doing his MBA, he along with some of his friends and teachers from IIM-A developed a pushcart to make it easy for vendors to carry a vegetable load of up to 200 kg.

His pushcart is made of fibre with an attached weighing machine, is ice cooled to keep vegetables fresh for up to five days, and sold under the brand name of 'Samridhi'.

"Initially, there was only one pushcart for trial but now I have already ordered 50 more. It will go up in the next phase," he said.

He plans to take Samridhi, launched by his NGO Kaushalya Foundation, across the country and abroad within five years. His vegetables are priced slightly lower than those sold by other vendors.

"I am confident that all major players in the vegetable market, including Reliance Fresh, will purchase from us in the next five years," Kaushalendra said.

In a bid to establish direct links with vegetable growers or farmers, Kaushalendra has tied up with over 250 vegetable growers in different villages in Nalanda and Patna districts.

He has also tied up with the Agriculture Training and Management Agency (ATMA) to take his dream to vegetable producers in different parts of state.

Kaushalendra said Bihar has an enormous untapped potential for vegetables. The vegetables produced in fertile land near the Ganges river can mark a turnaround for the state if marketed properly.

"It will assure better returns to growers," believes Kaushalendra.

It was not east for him to take to his pushcart selling vegetables as his family members initially opposed the idea and wanted him to go for a job with a fat salary and perks.

But here he is today, dreaming big and chasing his dream too

source economictimes.com (http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/IIM-Ahmedabad_graduate_aims_to_make_Bihar_a_vegetable_hub/articleshow/3187448.cms)

RPG group to set up thermal power plant in Bihar

A memorandum of understanding was on Thursday signed between the RPG Group of companies and Bihar State Electricty Board (BSEB) for setting up a 2000 mw thermal power plant at Pirpainty in Bhagalpur district.

The MoU was signed by Prabir Neogi, Director, Nalanda Power Co, a subsidiary of RPG, and A K Singh, BSEB secretary, in the presence of Energy Minister Ramasharya Prasad Singh and Energy Secretary Rajesh Gupta.

The thermal power unit at Pirpainty would be completed within four and half years, Neogi said after signing the MoU.

"It is a pleasure to have an opportunity in Bihar and we at RPG look forward to serving the state with our expertise in the field of power generation and distribution," he said.

The CESE, an RPG group company, had brought thermal power to India way back in 1899 when it set up its unit at Kolkata. At present the company caters to the needs of over two million consumers in the metropolis. The RPG Group also serve the energy requirement of Greater Noida through Noida Power Co.

Neogi said the CESC currently has the generation capacity of about 1,000 MW with three generating stations and was among India's ten top power stations.

source economictimes.com (http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/News_By_Industry/Energy/Power/RPG_group_to_set_up_thermal_power_plant_in_Bihar/articleshow/3194256.cms)

http://www.business-standard.com/common/news_article.php?leftnm=10&bKeyFlag=BO&autono=327991


Pradipta Mukherjee / Kolkata July 07, 2008, 0:08 IST

Keventer Agro Limited, the Rs 1,200 crore Group, is investing Rs 30 crore over the next two years in Bihar to set up a banana pulping and pressing plant.

The plant will initially produce close to 150 tonnes of bananas per day.

The idea is to get into backward integration and plan its own supply chain.

The company is tying-up with biotechnology-providers for value-added hybrid products.

According to official sources, the company already has expertise in food processing and is also planning to help farmers in their back-end operations.

"Banana is a 12-month crop and Keventer has expertise in food processing with apples and water melons. Certain parts of north Bihar produce banana in a big way but there is hardly any facility of its processing and export," the source added.

The company has tied-up with biotechnology companies who will help develop hybrid variety of seeds for value-added products. Keventer will buy these seeds from them and sell to the farmers. The farmers would grow the seeds on their farms and sell the fruits and vegetables to Keventer which the company will sell in the market, thereby managing its own supply chain from the initial to the final stage.

Keventer has tied up with Synergy Biotechnologies for tissue cultured plant and seed varieties.

Synergy Biotechnologies will enable development of better variety seeds which Keventer will buy and sell to the farmers. Farmers thereafter will grow the plants and sell the fruits to Keventer which the latter will sell through organised and unorganised retail in West Bengal.

Keventer has also tied-up with Nunhems, the company which produces seeds for professional growers. Nunhems will grow hybrid variety of water melon seeds for Keventer.

In another significant development, Keventer is planning to increase its stake in Andrew Yule-promoted lubricant outfit Tide Water Oil.

Currently Keventer holds close to 10 per cent stake in Tide Water Oil.

Andrew Yule is planning to divest its stake in Tide Water as a part of the restructuring process. The company was originally floated as a joint venture with Caltex (now Chevron) 60 years back. Chevron still holds 22 per cent stake in Tide Water through a subsidiary called Four Star Oil.

According to sources, "Keventer has appointed Ernst & Young, KPMG, and others to assist it in the bidding process and in developments after that. The intention is to have a controlling stake in Tide Water Oil.

However, there are other biggies like Reliance Industries, French oil giant Total, US oil giant Chevron, and Hinduja group bidding for Tide Water Oil. But if the deal comes through, Keventer will be able to diversify its business portfolio further and get into marketing and distribution of lubricants. A final call will be taken sometime in October."

As of now, with products like ‘Frooti', and ‘Appy', Keventer is planning to introduce newer packaging options with tetra packs that will be priced between Rs 40-55 for one litre.

The company will increase prices by 7-18 per cent for all its products, including its edible oil and packaged water brands, due to the inflation woes. The company last increased prices eight years ago.

Larsen & Toubro gets $242 mn order

MUMBAI: Engineering and construction firm Larsen & Toubro Ltd said on Tuesday it had received an order worth Rs 1047 crore ($242 million) from the Railways.

The contract, to set up a cast steel wheel manufacturing plant in the eastern state of Bihar, will have a capacity of 100,000 units per annum, it said in a statement.

The project is expected to be completed by L&T's Railway Business Unit in two years, it said

cross posting from the education thread


Bihar to appoint 92,000 teachers

Bihar government has given the go-ahead to the state Human Resource Department to start the process for recruitment of 80,000 primary teachers and 12,000 secondary and higher seecondary teachers after modifying the existing rules.

The cabinet meeting presided over by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar yesterday gave its nod to the amended appointment rules framed for absorption of teachers in primary, secondary and higher education in a bid to minimise the chances of irregularities alleged to have been committed while appointing teachers earlier.

The cabinet, however, discontinued the system of counselling of candidates, applied during the first phase of appointment of 1.36 lakh teachers, state Cabinet Secretary Girish Shankar said.

Shankar said under the amended rules, the candidates are required to file applications with details of their educational qualifications, marks and other information for preparation of a merit list and selectd candidates would be asked to get their degrees and marksheets verified.

The cabinet also decided to award "Bihar Gaurav Samman" carrying cash prize and a certificate to the students from the state securing high ranks in all-India competitive examination as well as international science competitions like Maths and Physics Olympiad, he said.

Any aspirant from Bihar securing the first rank in the UPSC, IIT, CAT and others would be awarded the "Bihar Gaurav Samman" with a cash prize of Rs One lakh, while those securing next five ranks would get a cash prize of Rs 50,000 each, Shankar added.

source economictimes.com (http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/News_By_Industry/Jobs/Bihar_to_appoint_92000_teachers/articleshow/3341809.cms)

Bihar's farm sector to get Rs 27k-cr upgrade package (http://in.news.yahoo.com/241/20080812/1264/tbs-bihar-s-farm-sector-to-get-rs-27k-cr.html)

The government is mulling extending a Rs 27,000 crore package to Bihar for the upgradation of the state's agriculture sector and developing the state as the food granary of the country. The move can be seen as the UPA government's gesture to keep railway minister Lalu Prasad and his Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) in good humour ahead of the general elections.

The special cell set up in the Planning Commission, under Satish C Jha, is working on the proposal. Jha told FE that the Commission is working out the details as to how much the Centre would contribute of the total package.

The state government is already in talks with international agencies like the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank to contribute part of the package aimed at promoting the entire agriculture sector in the state including horticulture, poultry and fishery, he said.

"A kind of food grain production fatigue has set in in Punjab and Haryana due to several reasons like loss of soil nutrient and water issues in these states. Also, India's food grain needs cannot be met by just few states. Eastern Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Orissa, West Bengal and Assam have a lot of potential for food grain production. The idea is to develop Bihar as the food granary for the country," Jha said.

As per the proposal prepared by the special cell for the development of the sector in the state, the state would take up organic farming in a big way and would ensure proper use of fertilisers to maintain soil nutrients. The research institutes in the sector would focus more on hybrid seeds. Stress has been laid on making credit easily available to the farmers and strengthening the extension services.

Bihar at present produces around 1.5 metric tonne per hectare of grain on an average. Jha hopes that once the state adopts the suggestions made by the cell, the state's production would go up to at least 4 metric tonne per hectare and add 2-3 million tonnes of extra grain.

The Commission is also looking at setting up a special development fund for Bihar that would look at the overall infrastructure and socio-economic development of the state.

Bihar's ravaged by floods and it doesn't bother a mention anywhere in SSC India. Come on, lets not make this only about projects and development.

Relief work on in Bihar, but it's a hard road (http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/PoliticsNation/Relief_work_on_in_Bihar/articleshow/3438080.cms)

Things are scary in the Kosi and Purnea divisions with millions battling for survival in the face of the Kosi fury.

With nearly 25 lakh people tormented by the rampaging Kosi, the state government machinery assisted by Army, Navy and Air Force are working to step up relief and rescue operations. However, this remains a daunting task given the magnitude of the calamity.

Fortunately, Kosi showed a receding trend for the third consecutive day on Tuesday but it can still strike with more ferocity. “These are only early signs to predict anything for sure. Yes, the river showed receding trend with water level of 1.11 lakh cusec, much lower than what we were actually bargaining for. It is better to keep our fingers crossed instead of predicting anything. But the damage it has caused to human life and property is more severe than the Tsunami,” said an official of the Disaster Management department.

On Tuesday, Union cabinet secretary M Chandreshekhar rushed to Patna to review the ongoing relief and rescue operations for the marooned and displaced. He, along with defence secretary Vijay Singh, water resources secretary UN Panjiyar and other officials called on the Bihar CM to take stock of the relief and rescue work.

Kosi breached its eastern embankment at Kusaha on August 18, opening a new channel in the process which the river had abandoned 200 years ago. The breach, which initially was 400 m wide, is now up to 2 km, leading to inundation of large areas of Madhepura, Saharsa, Supaul , Araria and Katihar districts. The fact that the river has adopted a new course has led to inundation of even those areas which had hitherto remained unaffected.

The impact of the devastation can be gauged from the fact Madhepura is completely cut off and it will take some time to restore road connectivity. Both Madhepura and Supaul districts could even lose geographical existence if water level of the Kosi were to rise beyond 10 lakh cusec, a record it established in October 1968.

According to additional commissioner of state disaster management department, Pratyay Amrit, altogether 23.85 lakh people with 331 panchayats and 855 villages of the 5 districts have been identified as flood affected. Amrit said 246 relief camps, 146 health centres and 63 cattle centres have been opened in 5 flood-affected districts as part of relief and rescue operations.

As of now, more than 2.50 lakh displaced people are taking shelter in relief camps. “More than 150 motor boats and 1,391 other boats have been engaged to rescue the marooned. Air Force choppers have so far dropped 59,000 food packets in areas where people may be facing shortage of food supply,” said Amrit.

At the moment, due to breach in its embankment, the river is having a free run and if the breach is not plugged, the river may continue to flow on its bed of the adopted course. Officials say the plugging exercise can only be taken up when the water level start receding and it should take about 6 months.

-------------------------------------------------------

Inept response to floods outrages India (http://www.reuters.com/article/homepageCrisis/idUSDEL29065._CH_.2400)

For several days, Urmi Mahato and her family were glued to the radio and TV, eager for information on rising floodwaters and waiting for the government to tell them whether and when to evacuate their home.

The warning never came, and officials assured there was no danger. Then one morning a wall of water crumpled the river's mud embankment, swamping the village and sweeping away her family.

"I do not know where to look for them, there is no one to help me," said the 24-year-old woman, sitting at a government relief camp in Bihar, one of India's poorest states.

The floods have forced more than three million people from their homes, destroyed 100,000 ha (250,000 acres) of farmland and killed at least 90 people.

Media reports say the toll is at least 10 times higher, after the Kosi river, which originates in Nepal, burst a dam last month and unleashed the worst flooding in Bihar in 50 years.

But the tragedy is not entirely nature's doing. Experts and aid agencies blame government ineptness for not only failing to warn people but also for mishandling relief.

In the most shocking example, SOS fax messages sent by engineers at the Kosi dam warning of impending disaster were ignored in Bihar's capital Patna, the Mail Today newspaper said.

The faxes piled up on the relevant bureaucrat's desk because he was on leave and no deputy had been appointed. No one reacted even when warnings were sent to other officials, the paper said, calling for prosecutions for criminal negligence.

"We have come across such reports, and we will definitely look into this issue once all this is over," Nitish Mishra, the state's disaster management minister, told Reuters in Bihar.

"There should definitely be some accountability."

Anger is mounting and stick-wielding victims have resorted to looting food warehouses and trucks in some areas.

The threat of disease is also rising, but the government says it could take months before people can return home from camps.

The monsoon comes every year and also caused severe flooding in Bihar last year, but authorities admit they were not prepared for the scale of the disaster.

"Neither us nor the people thought such a devastation could happen so suddenly," said Mishra.

FAILURE TO THINK AHEAD

But aid agencies are unimpressed by the speed of the relief effort. Hundreds of thousands of people are still trapped on rooftops, elevated roads or surrounded by water in distant villages, without any food or water.

"On the ground, preparedness is missing in the current response," said ActionAid's P.V. Unnikrishnan. "Preparedness cannot be a knee-jerk reaction and currently preparing against disasters is not on the radar of the government."

After days of delay, India finally stepped up evacuation and relief this week by deploying 14 more columns of army personnel, while three naval companies were also asked to help.

More than 560,000 people have been evacuated, and 200,000 have been moved to government relief camps, officials said.

Environmentalists say the government should have de-silted the river as Kosi, known as the "river of sorrow" for its ability to quickly change course, leaves behind heavy silt and debris.

"The floods have pushed Bihar back to 50 years and authorities should be blamed for a slow response not the river," said Rameshwar Prasad, a local historian and environmentalist.

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) said the floods, as well hurricanes in the Atlantic, were reminders of the risks of ever more extreme weather linked to a changing climate.

Indian experts agree, saying the government must wake up to the complex issue of climate change quickly.

"It looks unusual for such heavy rains to hit Nepal and Bihar at the same time and cause floods so regularly," Sunita Narain, a climate change expert said in New Delhi.

"We don't have time now, we better get our act together now and prepare to face disasters tomorrow."

Pan-India efforts for Bihar flood victims (http://www.timesnow.tv/Newsdtls.aspx?NewsID=15085)

As the flood situation in Bihar showed no signs of abating, a pan-India effort has been initiated to mitigate the sufferings of the people by mobilising the armed forces, paramilitary and civilian agencies.

While the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has roped in the services of CISF, BSF and even fire fighters from far-off places like Mumbai, a war effort has been mounted by the armed forces which have pressed into service their resources and personnel from all over the country in relief and rescue efforts.

Help has poured in from as far away as Kochi in Kerala to Jorhat in Assam. "The flood situation is grim as there is no sign of waters of Kosi river receding. The armed forces are currently focusing on rescue and relief work at the six worst-affected districts of Madhepura, Supaul, Araria, Purnea, Katihar East and Katihar West," Air Commodore G S Cheema, chief of transport and helicopter operations at IAF headquarters in New Delhi, said on Tuesday (September 2).

Since August 20, when they were alerted by the Bihar government, the Armed Forces have mobilised three heavy-lift and medium-lift transport aircraft, nine helicopters from the IAF, six light helicopters from the Army, 550-odd rescue boats, 37 columns of Army men numbering 4,500 men, 145 specialised Naval divers and 37 medical teams.

The armed forces have flown in about 650 tonne of relief materials such tents, food and water, apart from evacuating 2,200 persons affected by the floods. “A large number of marooned people have been evacuated to safer places in the flood-affected districts of Bihar. An average of 20,000 to 25,000 people is being evacuated daily," said Colonel Raj Shukla, a director at the Military Operation directorate of the Army headquarters in New Delhi.

While the Army has pressed into 450 average size boats, 64 small boats and six helicopters (four Cheetahs and two Dhruv ALHs), its specific task has been evacuation of the affected people. "At this rate of evacuation, we hope to achieve rescue of 3 lakh affected people, as stated by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, in three or four days," Shukla said, refusing to state the Army estimates of marooned people in the floods.

The Army has been concentrating on the most isolated and inaccessible areas such as Chatrapur and Bihariganj, where water levels have risen to about 8 to 10 feet in height with water currents touching 8 knots, as faced by 61 Engineers Regiment at Narpatganj, he said.

"At most place, Army men have been hiking on foot and moving 20 km deep into inaccessible areas to rescue people stuck in two metre-by-two metre of land that has formed an island, where about 10 people on an average have got stuck," he added.

The Army has been concentrating on the most isolated and inaccessible areas such as Chatrapur and Bihariganj, where water levels have risen to about 8 to 10 feet in height with water currents touching 8 knots, as faced by 61 Engineers Regiment at Narpatganj, he said.

"At most place, Army men have been hiking on foot and moving 20 km deep into inaccessible areas to rescue people stuck in two metre-by-two metre of land that has formed an island, where about 10 people on an average have got stuck," he added.

Reports of bravery and selfless service by civilians and Army men too have been reported in several parts of the State. “Army Havildar Sham Prakash from 202 Engineers Regiment clung on to two children and saved their lives, even though their boat capsized in one of the two such incidents. He was found alive after two days in the swollen river waters," another Army Colonel said.

The army also deployed eight columns of men each in Supaul and Araria, nine columns in Madhepura, and six columns each in Purnea and Katihar in the past week. “Since morning today, Army has deployed 64 assault inflatable boats that can be rowed through smaller channels to reach the remotest areas of the state for rescuing marooned people. Till yesterday the Army has rescued about 50% of all the people marooned due to the floods," the Colonel said.

The Air Force, on its part, has airlifted 1,360 people and 290 tonne of relief materials on its IL-76 aircraft, another 532 people and 62 tonne of relief materials on An-32 aircraft, and 61 people and 9.5 tonne of relief materials on its Avro aircraft during the relief operations, Group Captain Alok Kumar, Director of IAF helicopters operations, said. It also provided transport aircraft to life Army columns from Chandigarh, Agra, Delhi, Ranchi, Binagudi and Bhopal.

With Purnea air base, with all its limitations, as the centre of helicopter activity, the Air Force was also air-dropping relief materials to the people on the ground. "While the nine IAF helicopters (Mi-17s and Mi-8s) focus on distributing relief materials, the Army choppers were concentrating on rescue efforts," officers said.

The Navy flew its 145 specialised divers and 24 boats to Bihar from Mumbai, Vishakapatnam and Kochi, and these divers have been using their special equipment to rescue people still struggling in the river waters. (PTI)

God bless the Armed Forces and the Paramilitary, always there to pick up after the incompetence and impotence of the state machinery.

Flood situation eases further in Bihar, 7.69 lakh evacuated (http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?sectionName=Cricket&id=9d36fa3a-814b-49fc-b998-9728972bdb81&MatchID1=2903&TeamID1=2&TeamID2=15&MatchType1=2&SeriesID1=793&PrimaryID=2903&Headline=Flood+situation+eases%2c+7+lakh+evacuated&strParent=strParentID)

The flood situation in five north eastern districts of Bihar eased on Thursday further with water receding in several areas as the Army and Navy contingents evacuated over 7.69 people to safer places.

Though reports from worst-hit Madhepura, Supaul and Purnia districts said the water level had gone down at some places by over two-three feet, Water Resource department sources said the discharge in the Kosi from Barahkshetra in Nepal had increased marginally from 1.11 lakh cusecs on Wednesday noon to a little over 1.3 lakh cusecs on Thursday.

A population of over 25.71 lakh is affected by the floods in Supaul, Madhepura, Saharsa, Purnia and Araria districts of which 7,69,800 marooned people have been evacuated so far, Additional
Commissioner of Disaster Management department Pratyay Amrit said.
He said over 2.78 lakh people were taking shelter in 256 relief camps and many more had shifted to other safer places.

Official death toll in the 16 flood-ravaged districts so far stood at 69, he said.

Besides the five north eastern districts, a population of over 10.28 lakh was hit by the floods in Muzaffarpur, Patna, Katihar, Nalanda, West Champaran, Khagaria, Sheikhpura, Saran, Begusarai, Bhagalpur and Vaishali districts.

Thirty army columns comprising about 3360 men with 300 motorboats, four navy columns of 180 men and 12 boats and 635 personnel of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) were assisting the state administration in relief and rescue efforts.

PUNE: The railway ministry has decided to run an air-conditioned super fast train between Pune and Nizamuddin (Delhi) in the view of Commonwealth
Youth Games (CYG), to be held in Pune between October 12 and 18.

This will be the second train introduced especially for the mega sports event after Pune-New Delhi train was made operational last week. The AC train will cover distance between Pune and Nizamuddin in just 22 hours where other trains take more than 28 hours, said an official of the Pune railway division.

The Nizamuddin-Pune (2148A) AC super-fast will run every Saturday and Wednesday. The train will start on October 1 and will leave Nizamuddin on October 4, 8, 11, 15 and 18th. The departure time of the train from Nizamuddin will be 12:10 hrs while it will arrive at Pune next day at 10.30 hrs. This train will run via Nagda-Ratlam-Baroda-Vasai Road-Pune route.

The Pune-Nizamuddin (2147A ) train will run every Sunday and Thursday on October 2 , 5, 9, 12, 16 and 19th. Departure from Pune will be 15.20 hrs. Fares are; AC I-Rs 2,768, AC II-Rs 1,637 and AC III tier -Rs 1,196.

Source (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/New_AC_train_between_Pune_Delhi/articleshow/3542720.cms)

Hi all,
I have just joined this forum, and very happy to know that so much development is happenning in Bihar. Just came across an article about oil exploration in Bihar Ganga basin and thought of posting it for readers.

Cairn to start drilling campaign in northern Bihar

Our Bureau


Kolkata, July 3 Cairn India will launch exploratory drilling campaign in its onshore block GV-ONN-2002/1 in northern Bihar after the monsoon.

The company has already lined up a rig to drill the first well at Havidih under the Baheri circle in Darbhanga district, a press release said.

Located in the Ganga Valley basin, GV-ONN-2002/1 block was awarded to a consortium of Cairn India and its parent Cairn Energy PLC in NELP-IV. Cairn India holds 50 per cent operating interest.

7-year period


According to the production-sharing contract, Cairn India has a seven-year exploration period, comprising three phases, from the issue of the Petroleum Exploration Licence on June 8, 2005.

The Ganga basin is one of the largest as well as least explored sedimentary basins in India without any commercial discovery reported so far.

According to Cairn India, the company has decided to launch the drilling campaign following collection of seismic data over the last 2 years, including information from an airborne geomagnetic survey of the block and 2D seismic data through application of innovative techniques. The analysis of more than two thousand rock and soil samples from across the block is in progress.

The district land acquisition officials of Darbhanga have initiated the process of acquiring 4.5 hectares at the drilling site, the release added.







Related Stories:
Cairn starting seismic survey in Bihar

Gigantic human disasters have become like a type of pornography in India, especially in Bihar, kind of like how those videos where some guy gets his sawed off are popular street pornography in the Middle East.

The public craves this, to see the politicians making their rounds in helicopters, and then to marvel at the supposed relief efforts where one man out of a thousand might get some dried rice to feast on.

But once it's all said and done, nobody ever is held accountable. And to ask the question, "how do we prevent this next year" is never even asked, because then Indian people at home with TV's wouldn't get to enjoy all this flooding!

Bihar approves Rs 197 crore to plug Kosi breach

Bihar cabinet on Friday gave its nod to spend Rs 197 crore to reconstruct, strengthen and plug the breach in the embankment caused by Kosi
river on August 18 at Kusaha in Nepal which left more than 30 lakh people marooned in five districts.

''The cabinet headed by the Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today approved the Rs 197 crore for reconstruction, strengthening and breach closure of Kosi embankment,'' the joint secretary to the cabinet secretariat, Radhakrishna Choudhary said.

The state government has already got Rs 40 crore out of Rs 197 crore from the Centre for the breach closure work, Choudhary told reporters after the cabinet meeting.

Considering the significance of the work and time constraint, the government would allot the tender on an urgent basis within a week to an agency to start the work, which would be completed by March 31 next year, he said.


source economictimes.com (http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/Economy/Infrastructure/Bihar_approves_Rs_197_crore_to_plug_Kosi_breach/articleshow/3581571.cms)

Bihar Power Infrastructure Company has invited expression of interest to implement the 2x660 mw thermal power project in Baxar district of the state. The project is expected to be commissioned in 2012. BPIC is 50:50 joint venture between the Bihar government and IL&FS Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd.

Speaking to Projectmonitor, Abhishek Kaushik, an official at IL&FS-IDC involved in the project, said that they were inviting private developers to join hands with BPIC for implementing the project. "The selected agency will hold 74 per cent equity in the project besides undertaking design, construction, finance, management, operation and maintenance of the plant on BOO basis."

All pre-operational activities will be facilitated by BPIC which is in the process of acquiring about 500 acres of land. "We have received water linkage. The ministry of power has also recommended this project to the coal ministry for suitable coal linkage which we expect to receive in the next few months," Kaushik said. Other necessary statutory clearances will be in place soon, he added.

Kaushik further informed that 70 per cent of the power generated would be supplied to BSEB for Bihar which is a power-deficient state; 15 per cent will be exported to Haryana as per the requisition received by BPIC; and the balance 15 per cent will be sold as merchant power.

Source: http://www.projectsmonitor.com/detailnews.asp?newsid=17367&secid=80

Work on Chanakya National Law University's campus project at Mithapur in Patna district of Bihar will commence soon. The 18-acre campus will be developed at a cost of Rs 100 crore and will include two hostels. The tender for the above work was invited in June and the contract was recently awarded to Prakash Construction for developing the girls' hostel and Balaji Infra India for building the boys' hostel. Gherzi Eastern India is the consultant. Work on the hostels will start by end-November and December, respectively.

Source: http://www.projectsmonitor.com/detailnews.asp?newsid=17371&secid=80

Pearl Hospitality Private Ltd, a subsidiary of the Pearl Group of companies, plans to invest Rs 150 Crore in spreading its footprint across India’s hospitality sector in the first phase of five years. The company will collect 85 per cent of funds for this phase in debt, while the rest will be in the form of internal accruals.

In the first phase, Pearl aims to acquire at least four sites in the three and four star categories. At this time it will concentrate on a 300 room Eastern India expansion encompassing Ranchi, Patna, Sikkim and Siliguri. Five star hotels will be tackled in the second phase. The Pearl Hotel in Kolkata was launched on November 19, 2008. A 120 room hotel in Patna will come up mid 2010. Navi Mumbai and Pune properties are in the construction stages.

Source: http://www.hospitalitybizindia.com/detailNews.aspx?aid=2618&sid=1

The foundation stone for a new steel processing unit of the Steel Authority of India was recently laid at Wazirganj in Gaya district of Bihar. This is part of a series of around 10 such units that Sail has proposed to set up in states where it does not have presence.

According to information available with Projectmonitor, seven such SPUs have so far been launched including three in Madhya Pradesh, one each in Uttar Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir, among others.

The Gaya unit will produce 1 lakh tonnes of TMT (thermo-mechanically treated) bars that are used in civil construction. Coming up on a 30-acre land expanse, it would need 4.6-mw of power capacity.

The in-house consultancy wind of Sail—the Centre for Engineering & Technology—has been appointed consultant providing technical services for the project, including design and engineering. Though not officially confirmed, Sail's Bokaro Steel Plant in neighbouring Jharkhand will set up the unit.

Source: http://www.projectsmonitor.com/detailnews.asp?newsid=17509&secid=80

Well now Its a good news for the people oh bihar that patna is coming up with the statue of Rajendra Prasad. Read More (http://www.exchange4projects.com/TOURISM/lalu-lays-stone-for-installation-of-rajendra-prasad-statue-in-patna)

Its so nice to here that there are no controversy of this project other wise few days back one controversy grew up in mumbai of building the statue od chatrapati shivaji maharaj in arabian sea..... read more (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Mumbai/Shivaji_statue_plan_ill-conceived_Raj/articleshow/3130003.cms)

Well now Its a good news for the people oh bihar that patna is coming up with the statue of Rajendra Prasad. Read More (http://www.exchange4projects.com/TOURISM/lalu-lays-stone-for-installation-of-rajendra-prasad-statue-in-patna)

Its so nice to here that there are no controversy of this project other wise few days back one controversy grew up in mumbai of building the statue od chatrapati shivaji maharaj in arabian sea..... read more (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Mumbai/Shivaji_statue_plan_ill-conceived_Raj/articleshow/3130003.cms)


:lol::lol: See... I did say there are no shortages or heroes or land to build statues for them :lol::lol:

Gigantic human disasters have become like a type of pornography in India, especially in Bihar, kind of like how those videos where some guy gets his sawed off are popular street pornography in the Middle East.

The public craves this, to see the politicians making their rounds in helicopters, and then to marvel at the supposed relief efforts where one man out of a thousand might get some dried rice to feast on.

But once it's all said and done, nobody ever is held accountable. And to ask the question, "how do we prevent this next year" is never even asked, because then Indian people at home with TV's wouldn't get to enjoy all this flooding!

So the disaster victims are part of a conspiracy to get higher TV Ratings?

Next time, please read what you've typed once before posting.

Bihar has come up with a new concept with which it can be the First State to have e-Bhawans .... Read More (http://www.***************/news2009/feb/021609/ebhawans_for_bihar.html)

Bihar no longer a BIMAR(U) state

28 Jan 2009, 0318 hrs IST, Dipak Mishra, TNN


PATNA: Bihar is no longer a BIMARU state. In fact, Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) has reported that Bihar is among
the new destinations for private investments.

According to the ASSOCHAM Investment Meter, private sector has invested over Rs 304 crore in Bihar during the third quarter of the current fiscal. At a time when several states have registered minus growth in investment from the private sector, three states Rajasthan, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh, once dubbed BIMARU states for poor infrastructure and complete lack of investment opportunities have shown impressive gains, the ASSOCHAM report says.

"Until third quarter of the previous fiscal, the infrastructure-barred state of Bihar was unable to attract corporate investors in any sector. However, with the state government making efforts for the development of the state, Indian industrialists are planning to tap the resources in education and IT sectors," says the report.

Bihar's industry minister Dinesh Chandra Yadav is jubilant. "Since November 2005 when we assumed power, private sector has invested over Rs 1,000 crore in the state. Till last Monday, 15 new industrial units have started and 50 other units are in completion stage," he said.

According to him, the state's NDA government received 164 investment proposals worth over Rs 92,000 crore. Most of the investments were made on technical institutes and iron-processing units.

Incidentally, investment scenario was dismal during the previous Lalu-Rabri regime. "The total private investment from 2000 to 2005 was just Rs 21 crore," Yadav said and added investments will increase despite the economic slowdown. For, several investors have already purchased land, built boundary walls around them and started construction. "I presume investments in them will continue to roll in," he said.

Bihar has been in news for the last three months for all the right reasons. In November, the state registered a rise of 20% in automobile sales when most states showed a negative trend. Deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi attributed this to the emergence of a new class consisting of contractors and other agents involved in execution of development works.

And only recently Union petroleum and natural gas secretary R N Pandey pointed out that fuel usage was growing in Bihar at the rate of 13%, twice the national average.


Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Patna/Bihar_no_longer_a_BIMARU_state/articleshow/4039469.cms

Bihar attracting more investment: ASSOCHAM Study

January 27
Patna, (Bihar Times): Believe it or not the corporate India is keen to utilize the untapped resources of the BIMARU states. Only four out of 21 states whose data was collected recently registered positive growth rate in terms of investments planned by corporate India during the third quarter of 2008-09 in comparison to the same period in the previous fiscal. Incidentally Rajasthan with 245% tops the list, Bihar with 100% stands second, Punjab with 41.6% third and UP with 26.8% fourth. Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh are known as BIMARU states. Only Punjab is not in this category. The remaining 17 states witnessed negative growth in investment during the period. Surprisingly, Gujarat, about which so much is being highlighted, is much behind in the list.

“Until third quarter of the previous fiscal, the infrastructure barred state of Bihar was unable to attract corporate investors in any sector. However, with the state government efforts in the development of the state, Indian industrialists are planning to tap the resources in education and IT/ITes sectors with corporates expressing to investment around Rs 304 crore in the region during the third quarter of the current fiscal” says recently released report on investment.

According to the study ASSOCHAM Investment Metre, October-December 2007-08 and 2008-09: Shifting Investment Destinations, Haryana showed a negative growth of 86.87% during this period. The investment flow to Haryana, as per the study, was just Rs 1,167 crore, down from last year’s Rs 8,891 crore.

Significantly, Himachal Pradesh, which boasts of special concessions to industry, has also shown negative growth at -84% during the same period.

The ASSOCHAM study says that the economic slowdown, credit crunch and declining demand have thwarted investment plans of corporate India as announcements plunged by 75% in the third quarter of 2008-09, compared to the same period in the previous year. The report is based on the data tracked from investments announcements planned by various companies.

Rajasthan has successfully attracted the investors to the region with Rs 11,102 crore worth of projects announced in the third quarter of the current fiscal, compared to Rs 3,210 crore in the same period of the previous fiscal.

The figure of Punjab is Rs 1,027crore in October-December 2008-09, compared to Rs 725 crore in same period of previous fiscal.

Source:
http://bihartimes.com/Newsbihar/2009/Jan/Newsbihar27Jan2.html

http://img150.imageshack.us/img150/859/28022009004013.jpg

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BIHAR PROJECT AND DEVELOPMENT , hehehehehe


Flood situation eases further in Bihar, 7.69 lakh evacuated (http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?sectionName=Cricket&id=9d36fa3a-814b-49fc-b998-9728972bdb81&MatchID1=2903&TeamID1=2&TeamID2=15&MatchType1=2&SeriesID1=793&PrimaryID=2903&Headline=Flood+situation+eases%2c+7+lakh+evacuated&strParent=strParentID)

BIHAR PROJECT AND DEVELOPMENT , hehehehehe

what is so funny, kp.muthu99?

what is so funny, kp.muthu99?

i laughed at he artcle about flood is posted at development and project tag , i hope some industry comes to this state so that local people are not forced to go out as labour to other states where they are humilated as in maharastra , assam , punjab , ,,,etc

http://www.projectstoday.com/News/NewsDetails.aspx?nid=28399

n 29 October 2009, Bihar Government and ONGC have signed an agreement to carry out exploration of petroleum and natural gas in 2,227 sq km area in West Champaran district.

Phase I exploration work is expected to begin by December 2009 with 2D seismic survey using latest seismic data recording system and then geochemical survey using advanced technology.

The surveys are likely to be supplemented with gravity magnetic and Magneto-Telluric surveys in the coming years. The data generated by the surveys will be studied or interpreted on high-tech work stations with sophisticated software to pin point the prospective area in the block.

ONGC plans a major investment for carrying out the exploration and subsequent drilling a well up to a depth of 3,500 mtrs.

In early October 2009, the state cabinet had approved Petroleum Exploration License application of ONGC and Tata Petrodyne.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/MP-CM-does-a-Raj-over-no-jobs-for-Biharis-backtracks/articleshow/5203845.cms

Well I dont like any one commenting on people of a particular state , but at the same time now this state people must start thinking as why OTHER PEOPLE ALWAYS ABUSE THEM , there must be some core reason behind it , why not political parties of Bihar generate more jobs by inviting more industies and providing jobs to local so that they dont go to other states begging for job ..(once very rich state , full of mineral and coal is now facing such humiliation every where ,) Bihar people should not have allowed coal and minerals to go away from their state , instead they should have asked government to invite related industries .

^^
Bihar is rich even now it is no less than other states when it comes to minerals and ores.core of engineering lies here.People here are strong physically and mentallyl to take up any risky jobs which I can bet that people from no other state in India can even try.

It is the administration which has let the state down.Biharis personally are really good,intelligent and hard working I have many Bihari friends.
And added to the administration problems the recurrence of floods is another issue to be looked at seriously,The lands here are more fertile than any south Indian state.
Nitish kumar is doing an excellent job.Good that you have shown concern for this state which is neglected by its own people.

It will take some time for the state to practically see things happening,the steps taken by nitish will soon reap good for the state.