Bihar - Projects and Development

[Babji]

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

[Babji]

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

[Babji]

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.

[Babji]

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.

[Babji]

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.

[Babji]

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_f...tent_id=153030

[pding]

http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/1...0900030002.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.

[Babji]

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.

[kronik]

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.

[Paddington]

Originally Posted by Babji

ITC to Invest Rs. 300 Cr. in Munger
Patna: January 20, 2007

How can an economist make such a foolish statement?

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.

[partha2673]

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;

[Babji]

Originally Posted by partha2673

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!

[Babji]

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.”

[Babji]

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.

[partha2673]

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?

[partha2673]

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.

[Suncity]

Originally Posted by partha2673

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.

[partha2673]

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.

[Babji]

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.

[cbeboy]

Rail projects worth Rs 15,000 cr. for Bihar


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.