Patna Projects Thread

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Lush County, Patna

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Club House at Lush County

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Vasundhara La Greeno, Ashok Nagar, Patna

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Nutan Plaza Near Dak bunglow Chouraha, New Dak Bunglow Road, Patna

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70 new buses to start plying in Patna soon

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A fleet of 70 city buses will start plying on six main city routes within a month, which will bring great relief to the office-goers and students.

These buses would be 32 seaters and also have standing facility like those in metros. These non-AC buses, along with providing easy transportation to Patnaites, would also ease the flow of traffic.

If one gets late and misses the bus, there will be no reason to worry as the buses would be covering the six routes at a gap of every 10 minutes.

The buses would also reduce the cost of transportation in the city. Though fares have not yet been finalized, "they will at least be 75% cheaper than the auto," Uday Singh Kumawat, state transport secretary, who is also holding the charge of administrator, Bihar State Road Transport Corporation ( BSRTC), told TOI.

At present, regular daily ticket system is on the cards, but the state transport department is working out details about monthly passes for students and office-goers. Not only this, officials are also planning to provide several other facilities and seating arrangements for women.

Kumawat said, "This project is in its final stage. Buses have been bought and registration formalities completed. Even the drivers and conductors have been assigned the job."

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Patna looks modern, says US officer

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Patna looks more modern and progressive than what I had expected it to be like! Thus spoke Lydia Barraza, cultural affairs officer in the US embassy in New Delhi, during her first visit to the state on Tuesday.

"Many stories about Bihar changing and modernizing are doing the rounds these days across the world. That's why we are here -- to gather more about the ground realities and explore areas of possible cultural interaction," Barraza told TOI.

Barraza has "heard a lot about "state chief minister Nitish Kumar who has been helming Bihar's rapid metamorphosis into a modern state for the last five years. "I learnt from my interaction with NGOs and activist groups that (development and welfare) schemes have been executed in rural areas and panchayats in real terms. There is much to learn from Bihar's experience," she said.

According to her, the students of Bihar exude amazing confidence and are very talented and hardworking. The educational institutions have great potential, said Barraza who served in Nigeria before being assigned Delhi ten months ago.

Speaking about the US embassy's American Corner in Patna that has been working to increase people-to-people interaction, Barraza said there is a plan to bring in expert speakers to the centre to deliver lectures on various topics.

Earlier, while interacting with the students of Indian Institute of Business Management, Barraza spoke at length about the various areas of interaction between India and the US and highlighted issues like trade, business, education, nuclear capability and the strategic dialogue between the two countries. The US society, she said, has adopted many Indian trends and fashion practices like saris and bangles. Bollywood blockbuster '3 Idiots' was a box office hit in the US as well. "While Amir Khan and Rani Mukherjee are my favourite Bollywood stars, 'Salaam-e-Ishq' is fave among Hindi movies," she said.

The students seemed to connect quite fast with the lady, dressed in white top and black trousers, speaking in chaste, flawless Hindi.

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HC asks IGIMS to install effluent treatment plant

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The Patna High Court on Monday directed the Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (IGIMS) to install effluent treatment plant for its incinerator to prevent air pollution in the vicinity.

A division bench, comprising Justice Shiva Kirti Singh and Justice Ravi Ranjan, adjourned the hearing of a PIL of Chandrabhushan Rai, resident of Sheikhpura locality, to April 26 when the IGIMS has to inform the court about the installation of the plant for its incinerator, which burns the hospital wastes emitting smoke in the air. The IGIMS has also to inform the court about steps taken for enclosing the generators on its campus with acoustic enclosures to check sound pollution emitted from the generators.

On the basis of the IGIMS information, the Bihar State Pollution Control Board would inspect the compliance of the court order.

Board counsel Shivendra Kishore submitted its report before the court stating that the plant was not installed due to which the smoke of the burnt bio-medical waste of the hospital was causing pollution. He added that the acoustic enclosures were yet to be provided to check sound pollution of the generators. The report added that a green belt has been provided in the area measuring 24,300 square feet around the incinerator to check air pollution.

IGIMS counsel Sunil Singh submitted that by April 25 an effluent treatment plant would be installed on IGIMS campus. Petitioner's counsel Kalyan Shankar submitted that the incinerator burnt rotten hospital wastes of the IGIMS and caused acute air pollution in the adjoining areas.

Directive on slaughter house: A division bench, comprising Chief Justice Rekha Manharlal Doshit and Justice Jyoti Saran, on Monday directed the Patna Municipal Corporation to submit a report stating the measures taken for removing the pollution problem caused by the slaughter house in Patna City and the move to shift it to another place from the residential locality. The case was adjourned for hearing to May 2.

On Monday, the PMC submitted a report stating that the slaughter house had stopped functioning and now measures are being taken for its shifting to the area away from residential localities.

Writ petition dismissed: A single bench presided by Justice Ajay Kumar Tripathi on Monday dismissed the writ petition of district accounts officer of District Health Society, Saran, Rajnish Kumar Sudhakar, challenging termination of the contractual agreement of his service with the society.

The court held valid the state government stand placed by additional advocate general (AAG) Ray Shivaji Nath that the contractual agreement with the petitioner was terminated with one month additional salary by the then civil surgeon-cum-chief medical officer of Saran, who was member secretary of the society, on directive of the district magistrate-cum-chairman of the society. The Saran DM had in his instruction to the AAG informed that the petitioner was given honourable exit from service.

The DM added that Sudhakar was the first to be axed as the authorities concerned took steps to end the mess in the society which was performing very poorly in Saran compared to other districts as far as providing health care is concerned. The working environment in the society was vitiated because of criminal dispute among the petitioner, civil surgeon-cum-secretary, society, and programme manager, the DM added.

Saran was placed at 38thplace among 38 districts in terms of parameters like patients' attendance, doctors on duty, institutional delivery, family planning, immunization, fund utilization, health facility and monthly reporting, the DM added.

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Kapil Sibal lays foundation of IIT-Patna campus

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The government was committed to the development of all new Indian Institutes of Technology, union Human Resource Development ( HRD) Minister Kapil Sibal said while laying the foundation stone of the IIT-Patna.

The premier technology institute is coming up on 500 acres of land near Bihta, about 30 km from here.

Sibal, who arrived here Monday night, said construction work would be completed within three years.

"The central government was committed to the development of all new IITs, including IIT-Patna," Sibal said after he laid the foundation stone.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who was also present on the occasion, said the state government had last year handed over 463 acres of acquired land. He formally handed over the papers for the 500 acres of land to IIT-Patna director Anil K. Bhowmick.

Bhowmick said the campus was being designed by the Kolkata-based Development Architect Private Ltd.

IIT-Patna has been running at a temporary polytechnic campus here since August 2008.

IIT-Patna to be ready by 2013

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Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Tuesday said that the proposed IIT-Patna campus will be ready by 2013.

The proposed IIT-Patna campus, spread over a sprawling 500 acres land at Bihta, will be ready and functional in two years' time," he said after Union HRD Minister Kapil Sibal laid the foundation stone of the institute.

The Chief Minister said the process of identifying land for the IIT was been a difficult one as there is a shortage of land in the state for non-agriculture purposes.

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Auto LPG booking from April 26

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An automatic LPG booking system would be launched in the state capital from April 26 through which consumers can make booking on mobile numbers. This information was given to food and consumer protection minister Shyam Rajak by the officials of Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) and Indian Oil Corporation (IOC).

HPCL and IOC officials told the minister that HPCL consumers will have to dial 9507123456 and IOC consumers 9708024365 for getting gas cylinders.

The consumers would have to follow the instructions given on to book gas refills.

The officials said that this facility is limited for the consumers of Patna district only. The consumers can also get the details of their bookings and earlier booking also. Rajak said the scheme will be launched on April 26 at a function.

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Kota institute sets up shop in city

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Resonance, a Kota-based private coaching institute for medical and engineering admission tests like IIT-JEE, AIEEE and AIPMT, has set up shop in Patna.

Batches for the academic session 2011-12 will start from May 9 for the passouts of class X and plus two. Admission forms are available at Resonance Study Centre at Kankarbagh Colony. Forms are also available at all the leading book stores, said Safdar Seraj, centre head of the institute.

"In the last one decade, as many as 6928 students from our institute have been selected in IITJEE. Some of them achieved top 100 positions,"institute vice-president Satish Sharma said.

Sharma, while speaking at a seminar on 'Steps to success' here for IIT and AIPMT aspirants, gave tips to themont preparing for the examination.RK Verma, managing director of the institute, tipped the students on techniques of successfully achieving career targets and motivated them to follow academic discipline and systematic learning.Later, a question and answer session was held, where parents cleared their doubts related to patterns of competitive examination, preparation and tips for admission counselling after getting selected.

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Move PMC for link road: HC

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The Patna high court on Tuesday directed a petitioner, Madan Mohan Kumar Azad, to move the Patna Municipal Corporation for widening of a link road connecting Fraser road and Exhibition road by removing the encroachments on its flanks.

A division bench comprising Justice S K Katriar and Justice Samarendra Pratap Singh passed the order while disposing of the PIL of Azad. The court directed the PMC to consider the plea of the petitioner for widening the link road as per the original plan.

Rupam's case: A single bench presided by Justice Shailesh Kumar Sinha on Tuesday granted time to the state government to produce the details of the status of cases of sexual exploitation of Rupam Pathak, who had stabbed Purnia MLA Raj Kishore Kesri leading to his death, and a case of attempt to murder her, lodged by Rupam against four associates of Kesri.

The order was passed during the hearing of a writ petition of Rupam's mother, Kumud Mishra. The petitioner's counsel, Dinesh Kumar, submitted that the prayer made in the writ petition regarding CBI investigation into the murder of Kesri had already been met. Now the court must decide the case of attempt to murder Rupam by four goons of Kesri who had attacked her after Kesri fell down on being stabbed allegedly by Rupam, the petitioner's counsel submitted.

Additional advocate general Anjani Kumar sought time for getting the records of the cases of rape and attempt to murder of Rupam pending in the courts in Purnia. The court will hear this case again on May 2.

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Good news all around today for Patna

AAI keen on expansion of Patna airport

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Buoyed by unprecedented growth in air traffic at the city's Jaya Prakash Narayan International airport (JPNI) in the last couple of years, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) is working out strategies to better tap the growing flying capacity of people from Bihar.

In a recent letter to the Bihar chief secretary, AAI chairman V P Agrawal has requested the state government's civil aviation department to intensely deliberate upon AAI's expansion proposals of JPNI airport.

"During 2009-2010, the city airport had emerged number one in the country in terms of percentage growth of domestic passengers as well as domestic aircraft movement. AAI's survey report for the year 2010-2011 is due to be declared soon and JPNI airport is most likely to once again notch number one spot this year too," said a source.

According to the AAI figures, Patna airport handled over 5.52 lakh domestic passengers in 2009-10, which was 60.4% more than the corresponding figure of over 3.44 lakh passengers for 2008-09.

The AAI's letter to Bihar government clearly mentions the traffic growth and the acute space constraints that it has to face.

"The space crunch is not only an obstacle in the way of increasing the number of airlines for providing more options to air travellers, but more seriously, it becomes an obstacle in the way of providing fliers amenities at the airport," said a senior official.

Expansion of the existing city airport is extremely necessary. "Even if the state government is seriously considering the plan to set-up a new airport, the existing airport needs expansion. Construction of the new airport will take around five years. Till then, the existing airport will be unable to bear the burden of ever-rising air traffic growth at the JPNI airport," sources said.

Due to space crunch, AAI authorities are unable to entertain requests from different airlines to launch air service from the state capital. Recently, AAI had to ignore requests from a private operator which wanted to launch Patna-Kathmandu flight, due to space crunch.

AAI's letter has requested the government to consider shifting the state hangar, IAS Bhavan, and Bihar Flying Club which are adjacent to the airport so that the land could be used for a new terminal building. But the state government is yet to seriously consider the shifting of certain buildings used by it from their present location and make available the land for the new facility.

A team of the state's civil aviation department has already visited the city airport to inspect its adjacent areas. "The government is ready to consider the possibility of providing land for the expansion of the existing airport," said a senior government official.

Patna-Bakhtiyarpur NH to have 4 lanes soon

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There is good news for Patnaites and those visiting or passing through the state capital. The road jams, which are very frequently witnessed on Patna-Bakhtiyarpur NH-30, are slated to become history.

Work on converting the existing Patna-Bakhtiyarpur national highway into a 50-km four-lane expressway began on April 13 under the guidance of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). "The ambitious project is likely to be completed within three years from now," said an NHAI official.

"The four-lane expressway will come as a great relief to vehicles passing through the state capital. Currently, passing through the existing Bypass road is difficult as it remains crowded throughout the day and night," said Bihar's road construction minister Nand Kishore Yadav. The contract has been given to a private developer agency.

According to the agreement reached between the private agency and NHAI, the developer will construct the road at its own expenses and NHAI will provide no fund for the purpose.

As per the agreement, the developer will construct a toll collecting plaza near Didarganj railway overbridge. The developer will be authorized to collect toll from three and four-wheel vehicles to compensate for the cost of the expressway. Two-wheelers will be exempted from toll payment.

The project is likely to cost Rs 574 crore. This sum along with returns thereon, are supposed to be collected through toll over a period of 20 years. "After 20 years, the company will transfer the right of road to the NHAI," said a senior NHAI official.

The breadth of one-side black top road will be 8.75 metres. The total black-top carriageway will be 17.5 metres. The median between the expressways will be of two metres in town and four metres outside town.

Lush green trees will be planted in the median to give a beautiful look to the expressway. On either side of the road there will be two-metre wide sideways. In town area, the road will be flanked by 12-metre wide service lane. This eight-kilometre-long service lane will originate from Anisabad here.

To ensure easy traffic flow on both the national highway and on different roads which connect the city to NH-30, a total of eight under passes will be constructed.

"In the state capital, under passes will be constructed at a distance of 1.30 kilometre. Four such under passes will be constructed in the city to ensure smooth flow of traffic," said an official.

No decision about the toll to be collected from vehicles has been made till now. A senior official of the road construction department, however, told TOI that the amount of toll will be moderate.

Cross-posting from High-speed rail in India thread

Originally Posted by Bombay2Calcutta

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Dull street to beauty spot

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From a dull industrial hub to a happening zone, the magical image makeover of the Patliputra industrial area in just six months has come as a pleasant surprise to all. It seems as if a fairy godmother waved her wand over the industrial hub and transformed it into a hub of activities.

The story of the metamorphosis of the area is somewhat similar to the fairytale of the ugly duckling. Till six months ago, the hub — set up in 1960 to promote small and medium industrial enterprises — was a lonely neighbourhood. Most of the industries had downed shutters and hardly anyone visited the area.

Suddenly a number of shopping malls, multiplexes and eateries have come up here. Its transformation is such that city residents believe that they have been teleported to a different place when they visit the industrial zone.



“I could not believe my eyes when I came here. Things have changed completely,” R-Block resident Ranjan Kumar told The Telegraph.

He added: “A number of cars of the latest models were lined up on the road. I could not find space to park mine.”

Parking space has indeed become dear. Residents of the city are making a beeline to filmmaker Prakash Jha’s P&M shopping mall, or to pick out the latest summer fashion from the outlet of fabric chain FabIndia. Others are dining out at Moti Mahal, an outlet of a restaurant chain.

Sources said this was just the beginning — Shopper’s Stop, Kentucky Fried Chicken and McDonald’s are also planning to open their doors in the area.

Experts, however, believe that this growth is not surprising.

“According to the central government notification in 2007, every industrial zone has to reserve 25 per cent of its area for the service sector. The aim of an industrial area is to create employment opportunities. That is exactly what these outlets are doing,” said Satyajit Kumar Singh, former chairman of Confederation of Indian Industries, Bihar state council.

But what about shopping malls and restaurants shouldering out other industries from the zone?

“Before 2006, an acre of land in the Patliputra industrial area was available for around Rs 6 lakh. But now it has gone up to Rs 2.5 crore, after the state government fixed the price of land here at Rs 600 per sqft. That is too high for small- and medium-scale industries. Only the service sector can survive in such a competitive market,” added Singh, also a promoter of Shakti Sudha that processes makhana.

Patna residents are not complaining, though.

“We are happy that finally a mall like this has come up in Patna. It is a new experience for us,” said Suman Mishra, a homemaker and resident of Boring Road.

She was buying clothes at the P&M mall with her husband, Congress leader Prem Chandra Mishra.

“Coming here is so much fun. The mall could have been bigger, though. When people start pouring in, it will get congested,” added Suman.

Ajay Saxena, general manager, Moti Mahal, said: “The change in the social and political atmosphere is reflected in the changed lifestyle of the people. They want to enjoy with their families. Shopping malls and restaurants are perfect for that.”

He added: “There is a perceptible change. Patna has become safer. Restaurant and mall culture is influencing people. They want to spend their leisure hours like their counterparts in the metros.”

The road leading to Patliputra industrial area — a kilometre-long stretch from Polytechnic More to Kurji More — is a proof of the transformation.

Earlier, it used to be a quiet avenue. Now, it is usually jam packed with cars. There are traffic jams as well. But no one gets angry or honks furiously. The general mood is that of holiday and fun with family and friends.

Footfall at the FabIndia outlet has gone up as well. Kahkashan Kureshi, sales executive, FabIndia, said: “Life here has changed so much in the past few months. Things have picked up pace. It has become so exciting.”

[World8115]

24x7 home auto service launched

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In a good news for Patnaites, a 24-hour door-to-door auto service was launched in the state capital on Monday. You can avail this facility by calling on 9308784614.

To get an auto at your door, you can book one by calling on the above number from any part of the city within a radius of 35 km. The minimum fare for this service is Rs 60 (for one to five km) and the maximum would be Rs 280. The waiting charge is Rs 40 per hour.

The service has been launched jointly by three auto drivers bodies to face competition by the upcoming city bus service. These bodies are Patna Auto Rickshaw Drivers Association, Patna District Auto Rickshaw Drivers Association and Auto Men's Union..

"At present we have got permission from the traffic department to run 335 autos. Within two days, we expect 200 more autos to join us," said Ajay Kumar Patel, secretary, Auto Men's Union to TOI, adding "right now we have only one office at Patna junction, but soon we would come up with more offices - at the Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna Medical College and Hospital, Mithapur bus stand and airport".

"We will give 10% discount to men above 60 years, women above 58 years and mediapersons, but they would have to show their identity proof. Soon, we would also have a toll-free number," said Patel.

Besides the home service, one can also avail these autos from Patna Junction, where one would have to give total fare in advance. The service provider would give a copy of cash memo to driver and passenger and keep one with themselves. After reaching the destination, the passenger would have to sign the cash memo of driver stating that he had reached the destination safely.

These associations have tied up with Indian Overseas Bank and more than 100 drivers have received loan for buying autos.

Prepaid auto service starts

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Promising hassle-free journey home from station to railway passengers, prepaid auto service today made its debut outside Patna Junction with 70 autorickshaws.

Food and consumer protection minister Shyam Rajak inaugurated the service. He said this service would be the “symbol of development of the state”. The name, destination and contact number of passengers would be noted in the register at the counter before they board autorickshaws, whose numbers would also be noted down.

The prepaid service is the joint effort of Patna Autorickshaw Chalak Sangh, Patna Zila Autorickshaw Chalak Sangh and Auto Men’s Union .

Speaking about the functioning of the service, Navkant Jha, the general secretary of Patna Autorickshaw Chalak Sangh, said: “The passengers would have to book their autos at the counter adjacent to the autorickshaw stand. After passengers pay the designated tariff for their destination, they would be given a receipt, a copy of which would be given to the autorickshaw driver. After the driver drops the passengers at their destinations, the latter will sign on the receipt given to the driver to prove they have reached their destinations safely.”

He said: “If the auto drivers fail to produce the passengers’ signature on the receipts, they would not be paid any money. This would boost the morale of the passengers and help them feel secured.”

General secretary of Patna Zila Autorickshaw Chalak Sangh Rajkumar Jha said the minimum fare of the prepaid auto is Rs 60 and the passengers would have to travel a minimum distance of 3km.

The prepaid auto service would be available from 5am to 10pm.

“The fare would be charged according to the distance a passenger travels. The fare can go up to Rs 250 or Rs 300 if passengers want to go to Hajipur or Danapur,” Jha said.

The prepaid auto service would be available from 5am to 10pm. A few autos will ply after 10pm. Their users would have to cough up an additional night charge.

After inauguration, several passengers travelled in prepaid autos.

Sanjiv Kumar, a passenger, said: “This is a good service. We would no longer have to bargain with the auto drivers.”

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Stadium far from finishing line
- Kankerbagh Sports Complex remains incomplete after 27 years
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Kankerbagh Sports Complex — the construction of which began in 1984 — has run a rather lengthy marathon for 27 years but the finishing line may still not be in sight.

Sources said the project, the original outlay for which was Rs 6 crore, was stuck at the starting line during the Lalu-Rabri regime and got the required impetus only after deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi took an interest in it in 2006.

Though much has been completed since then, a lot still remains. Among the incomplete units is an eight-lane, 400m-long synthetic track. At present, in the place of the race track, there is only sand.

Art, culture and youth affairs minister Sukhda Pandey said the completion of the track would take some time as its construction involved technical callisthenics. The “some time” could add up to nearly two years according to sources.

The executing agency for the project is the building construction department, which has already been granted Rs 39,05,98,000. For laying the synthetic track, the building construction department has been asked to start the tendering process. It has been granted Rs 13,71,00,000 in the current fiscal for the project.

Ajoy Kumar Bose, deputy director, youth wing, art, culture and youth affairs department, said a survey of the project was conducted on April 10 this year. Engineers of M/s Arch EnDesign, Lucknow, a private construction company, were also present at the survey.

The survey team had found various loopholes in the project.

“No facility of an electricity house and security guard’s cabin is mentioned in the design. Special lighting on the complex premises, street lighting and beautification of the area between the boundary wall and the outer road should also be done. There is no provision for floodlights in the outer stadium for day-and-night events. Drainage scheme for the complex is also not described,” said Bose.

He added that the current boundary wall was in a precarious state and only five-inch thick. Only on the eastern side, where a new wall has been constructed, it is 10inches in thickness. It needs to be broadened to keep intruders at bay.

Sources said recently, the art, culture and youth affairs department fixed several targets. Remaining work for the indoor stadium, including fabrication of truss and glass fitting, is to be completed by the end of May.

Work for the coaches’ accommodation and a sports hostel, including plastering and marble work, has to be completed by July. However, the framework and glass fitting for the outdoor stadium and pavilion, with a capacity of 10,000 spectators, is still to be done.

A senior official of the department told The Telegraph that it was ironical that while the work for the coaches’ accommodation and the sports hostel is almost complete, the work on the synthetic track is yet to kick off. He said: “Preparing the synthetic track will take at least two years. By that time, the buildings will probably be in need of renovation.”

[World8115]

Boring park gets a life

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Parks are meant for kids to play in, elderly citizens to enjoy their evenings and for professionals as well as homemakers to unwind after a hard day at work. But unfortunately most of the green patches in the city have turned into dumpyards over the years. But the worst appears to be over. Patnaites will get back their rightful breathing space with the urban development department launching a drive for renovating the parks.

The children’s park at Sri Krishna (SK) Puri had been lying neglected for years. With no fencing and rides for kids, children of Boring Road and SK Puri areas hardly felt like visiting the park. Nor did their parents prefer to take a stroll along its broken walkways.

The preferred destination of the morning-walkers of Boring Road and SK Puri areas was Patna zoo, around 2.5km away. The reasons were obvious — ditches and garbage in the neighbourhood park.

But the scene has started changing. If all goes well, kids will be back to SK Puri Park. Elderly citizens have started revisiting the lungs of the locality with renovation work under way.

The ditches have been filled with earth. Walkways have been repaired. A boundary wall has been erected. Garden lights, too, have been installed in places.

Sprawling over 2 acres, Bihar Rajya Pul Nirman Nigam (BRPNN) is the caretaker of the park. According to sources, the nigam has outsourced the job of renovating the park to a private agency. The renovation is estimated to cost around Rs 2-2.5 crore.

“As much as Rs 40 lakh has been spent for fencing and setting up benches. The lighting cost us Rs 30 lakh. The levelling of the park has been done and artificial grass will be grown after the rains. Saplings will also be planted at various spots,” said a nigam official.

After the renovation of the park is over, fresh tenders would be floated to invite private players to maintain the park. A nominal entry fee would also be introduced.

“The entry fee of the park will be either Rs 2 or Rs 5. It will be decided later. There will be caretakers and a park in-charge. They will be under our supervision,” the nigam official said.

Morning-walkers expressed happiness over the changing face of the park. “This is the only park in the Boring Road-SK Puri area. For several years, it remained neglected and garbage was dumped here. Few people still came here for jogging but the experience was pathetic. I am happy that the government has finally woken up from its slumber and decided to do something about it. We need green lungs like these in an otherwise concrete jungle,” said Neeraj Janvenu, a freelance writer.

Chandrashekhar Kumar, a retired government employee, who was doing yoga in the park, said he was happy with the changes.

But just the efforts of the nigam will not be enough to reclaim the park. The residents of the areas should actively participate in its upkeep. After all, it is their property.

[World8115]

Now, roads in Bihar to follow Mumbai model
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You might be cursing the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for bumpy roads every monsoon, but the Bihar government thinks otherwise. The Bihar government is impressed with the BMC’s techinques and plans to replicate its road construction and maintenance technique. A delegation of officials from Bihar’s state road construction department visited the city in December and returned impressed, which was followed by the visit of an engineer from the civic body’s roads department, Vishal Thombare, to Patna early this month.

According to civic officials, the delegation was ‘highly impressed’ with one particular technique called the ultra white thin topping (UWTT). This technique is mainly used to repair asphalted roads. Officials said that the strength of this technique lies in the fact that roads can be repaired in a shorter duration and are more durable.

“An asphalted road, which is repaired with this technique, will have no potholes at least for 10 years. The delegation from Bihar was very impressed with this technique,” said a BMC official. Also, the level of the road would not increase.

A senior member of the delegation said, “Yes, they told us that utility digging did result in potholes. However, we were very impressed, particularly the UWTT technique.”

The official even said that the state would replicate it soon. “Next time we work on roads in Patna, we will use this technology.” RN Kulkarni, chief engineer, roads department said, “We are glad that they are impressed by our work.”

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LPG booking made

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In bid to provide relief to the LPG consumers who struggle to make booking and then wait endlessly to get a cylinder, the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) Limited on Tuesday introduced round-the-clock Interactive Voice Response System (IVRS) and SMS facility for gas booking and other related services.

The service was launched by food and consumer protection minister Shyam Rajak at a function organized by the IOC. Patna is the 11 {+t} {+h} city in the country to have this facility, and as Rajak announced the facility will be extended to the entire state later on.

The IOC has given a mobile number 9708024365 on which consumers can get their own mobile phones registered for booking gas through IVRS. One will have to first dial this number and go for language option, and then dial the phone number of his/her distributor with STD code. After typing one's consumer number (only digits and no alphabet even if the consumer number includes alphabets), one will have to press 1 if there is no alphabet before or after the consumer number or else press 2. The system will confirm one's complete consumer number. The consumer will then have to press 1 for refill booking, 2 for complaint registration and 3 for query.

Once a consumer gets his/her mobile phone number registered during the first booking, the system will identify one's consumer number automatically in subsequent bookings.

Under the procedure for SMS booking, the customer will have to book the first refill through IVRS and get his mobile phone number registered. For subsequent booking through SMS, he/she has only to type REFILL and send it to 9708024365. The delivery will be ensured in five days.

These services will currently be available for 34 distributorships of IOC in Patna and Danapur.

IOC general manager (Bihar & Jharkhand) B B Choudhary said introduction of IVRS in Patna is aimed to improve customer satisfaction level to a great extent. This will be expanded to cover all the major cities like Muzaffarpur, Bhagalpur, Gaya, Darbhanga, Samastipur and Begusarai by this year-end and later on whole of the state including rural segments will be covered.

Rajak said there had been increasing complaints of irregularities in the distribution of cylinders and it has become a major problem facing everybody. He said his department would constantly monitor the new system and any distributor found indulging in irregularities will be taken to task. Food and consumer protection principal secretary Tripurari Sharan Singh also expressed concern over the inordinate delays in delivery of cylinders to the consumers and hoped the new system will provide them succour.

Save trip to dealer, call or SMS for cooking gas refill
- Indian Oil Corporation launches scheme for LPG consumers, people say facility should have been available earlier

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Book your liquid petroleum gas (LPG) cylinder through a text message or a phone call now.

Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) today launched the service for its LPG consumers in the state capital.

With the introduction of an automated united system (AUS) for refill booking in place, around 4.58 lakh Indane, IOCL’s LPG brand name, consumers would be benefited in the capital. The facility would be available at 34 distributors in the Patna market.

Booking through interactive voice response system (IVRS) and SMS would be extended to all major cities, including Muzaffarpur, Bhagalpur, Gaya, Darbhanga, Samastipur and Begusarai, before the end of 2011.

IOCL customers have to book the first refill through IVRS and get his mobile phone number registered with their local distributors. For subsequent booking through SMS, he/she has only to type “refill” and send it to 9708024365.

Booking for the first time through IVRS, a customer will have to dial 9708024365. A customer will have to press the distributor’s phone number with STD code and then press 1 to confirm the number. Now the system will confirm the complete consumer number. The consumer needs to press 1 for refill booking, 2 for complaint registration and 3 for queries.

Hindustan Petroleum (HP) has already launched its SMS & IVRS service in the capital on April 9 among its 60,000 LPG consumers. HP official sources said customers would have to register themselves on 9507123456 through the IVRS system.

Expressing satisfaction on the launching of the service, Sumita Singh, a homemaker at Boring Canal Road, told The Telegraph: “This service should have been started much earlier.”

At the launch, food and consumer protection minister Shyam Rajak said: “Since the scheme is new, the consumers will face some initial problems. We need complete co-operation of both consumers and distributors. The government will take stern action against erring distributors who will try to scuttle the process.”

Asked whether or not distributors would try to scuttle the process, R.N. Dutta, senior area manager, said: “There is no chance of distributors interfering with the system, as it is computerised and we have a dedicated server for it. The moment distributors switch on their computers, the main server would download all the bookings to them.”

When pointed out that the system did not work in Calcutta, Dutta said the service was launched in Calcutta five years back when it did not work owing to faulty software. But we relaunched it last month with IVRS, which is running well.”

[World8115]

Shopping malls spoil shopaholics for choice, chart biz metro success route

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Shopaholics in Patna now have the luxury to indulge themselves, courtesy a spurt in the number of shopping malls mushrooming across the city.

But aficionados claim malls are not just about shopping but the complete experience. The growing popularity of the newly opened P&M Mall is testimony to the newfound love of Patna residents.

“Around 20,000 people visit the P&M Mall everyday. The footfall touches goes up to 40,000 or 50,000 on weekends and holidays. If this is the response to Big Bazaar — the only outlet that has opened its doors at present — think what would happen when the other retail outlets open in the first week of June,” said Pankaj Kumar, marketing head, P&M Mall.

Hold your breath — Meena Bazaar, an outlet for women’s apparel, will open in the first week of May. The food court will be functional by May 15 and the retail outlets and multiplex will up shutters by June 1.

Kulbir Singh Sohil, a resident of SK Puri area, said: “Malls have become an integral part of the lifestyle of youths in Patna. It is high time we had more malls. We can hang out there for hours. Also, an array of products are available under one roof at these malls.”

Builders and realtors are raking in the moolah that the boost in the retail, entertainment and hospitality sector is generating.

“The state government has been very supportive. The city residents are also willing to spend. The P&M Mall — constructed on government land where the Bihar Industrial Area Development Authority had its office earlier — has become a win-win situation for both citizens and the government. This kind of co-ordination is necessary for the fast development of these areas,” said Nanhey Kumar, state convener, Builders’ Association of India, Patna.

He added that retail stores like Vishal Mega Mart and 9to9 have come up in Patna in the recent times but most of these were of small and medium-scale.

“A proper mall needs to be spread over at least 40lakh sqft to 50lakh sqft. A multi-storeyed building, spread over such a large area has the potential to retain prospective customers for five to six hours, and generate proportionate sales,” said Nanhey.

Boring Canal Road resident Karan Khaitan said: “Malls are a one-stop shopping solution. If Patna is adapting to the cosmopolitan lifestyle, then malls are a must. I am extremely happy with the P&M Mall, as apart from retail shopping people can also savour delicacies in the food court and watch movies from an array of choices at the multiplexes.”

The enthusiasm of Patna residents has also encouraged the business community to invest in shopping malls, a number of which are coming up all over Patna.

Vasundhara Metro Mall on Boring Canal Road, P-Mall on Exhibition Road, Vaishali Mall near Rajendra Nagar and City Centre Mall near Patna Museum are some of the cool hangouts that Patna residents can visit in the near future.

“City Centre, Patna, is a mega project. The mall would be spread over an area of 3 acres with a world-class hotel on the upper floors. The entire project is at a nascent stage at present,” said Pramod Diwedi, assistant vice-president, marketing, Ambuja Realty.

He added: “We are working on the design at present. Apart from the mall, the urban township would have residential and official apartments as well. City Centre, Patna, is going to surprise everyone in the city with a never-before experience in urban shopping culture.”

Shopaholics, we are sure, are more than willing to take out their credit cards and indulge in that inexplicable pleasure of buying.

[World8115]

New city buses to have CCTV

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Beware eve-teasers and pickpockets! The buses of soon-to-be-launched city bus service will have CCTVs installed on them to keep an eye on such elements and nab them.

As many as 70 sleek buses will start plying in the city early next month. These new 32-seater hi-tech buses of Tata Motors will have all modern facilities. To keep a check on crime or any untoward incident, there will be an emergency alarm button at driver`s seat, which will be directly connected to the control room.

These buses will also have global positioning service (GPS) devices to monitor their speed and help the control room know their exact location. To avoid fire, there will be an inbuilt fire extinguisher in each of the buses. For the entertainment of passengers, there will be music system too.

There will be two reserved seats for physically challenged and eight seats for women on these buses. They will also have support bars for standing passengers. Unlike metro city buses, these buses would have single entry and exit door. To avoid fraud, electronic-ticketing system would be introduced inside the bus.

In the case of breakdown of a bus, passengers would not have to suffer, as a back-up bus would reach the spot within a short while.

These new city buses would be covering seven routes. One will have to wait for nearly 15-20 minutes to catch the next bus on these routes. The bus timings would be from 5 in the morning to 11 in the night.

"On each route, every fourth bus would be ladies special. These pink coloured buses will have lady conductors," said Uday Singh Kumawat, transport secretary.

"Initially, there will be daily ticket system, but we are working out details of monthly passes," said Kumawat, adding "right now we are launching non-AC buses, but the department is planning to come out with AC buses in future."

The maintenance, parking and fuelling of these buses would be done at the Phulwarisharif depot.

[World8115]

Capital aims to outdo Kota

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The city can easily surpass Kota as the biggest coaching hub in the country. Even a hoarding of a coaching institute in busy Dak Bungalow roundabout reads, “Let’s make Patna the next Kota”.

Kota in Rajasthan has been a big coaching hub for some time now. It has a large number of institutes, each claiming to produce several IITians every year. But Patna is not far behind.



The capital boasts of more than 1,500 coaching institutes, big and small, for JEE and other entrance exams. Many national-level coaching institutes, including FIIT-JEE, Brilliant Tutorials, Pie Classes and Akash Institute, have opened their centres.

Leaving aside national-level coaching institutes, there are regional players like Vision Classes, Sriti and Margdarshan. Individuals or a group of teachers run coaching institutes as well.

R.B. Sharma recently joined a coaching institute in Patna after teaching at Kota for several years. He said: “There is no reason why Patna can’t be developed on the lines of Kota as more than 50 per cent of the teachers and students in Kota are from Bihar.”

Sharma said the annual turnover of the coaching business in Kota stands at more than Rs 1,000 crore. He said: “Coaching has helped many other businesses in Rajasthan to flourish. If this money is diverted to Bihar, especially Patna, it will boost the economy.”

Rohit Srivastava, who teaches at a coaching institute in the capital, said: “According to my knowledge, more than 10 teachers have come down from Kota to Bihar last year following improvement in the law and order situation in the state.” If quality institutes come up in the city, Bihar students would stop opting for coaching institutes in water-starved Kota.

Every year, more than 20,000 students from Bihar go to Kota to prepare for IIT-JEE but hardly 10 per cent clear the examinations. Sikander Kumar, who appeared in IIT entrance examination this year after taking tuitions from Bansal Classes, said: “In Kota, only brilliant and sincere students get teachers’ attention.”

He added that it is not the case in Patna. All students are given equal attention by the institutes.

Sikander said the fee in coaching institutes in Kota is very high. He said: “On an average, a student has to spend more than Rs 3.5 lakh, including Rs 1.5 lakh tuition fee, for JEE preparations in Kota in two years. In Patna, the fee structure is less compared to Kota institutes.”

Anand Rajan, another student who took tuitions in Kota, said: “The only advantage of Kota is that a student can learn from teachers in mathematics, physics and chemistry under a single roof at a coaching institute. In Patna, there are quality teachers but not under a single roof.”