July 27, 2019 - meraapnabihar

Death Toll in Assam, Bihar Floods Reaches 198

Source: thewire.in

New Delhi: The death toll in Bihar and Assam floods mounted to 198 on Thursday, with more than 1.17 crore people affected by the calamity in the two states, officials said.

In Assam, the death toll climbed to 75 with one more person succumbing in Dhubri, while water level rose in seven districts of the state.

Due to release of excess water from Kuricchu Hydropower reservoirs in Bhutan’s Kuricchu River, western Assam districts of Barpeta, Nalbari, Baksa, Chirang, Kokrajhar, Dhubri and South Salmara are facing rise in flood water level.

According to the Assam State Disaster Management (ASDMA), 34,92,734 people in 2,753 villages in 18 districts are affected by the deluge.

Flood water entered Bihar’s West Champaran, taking the total number of deluge-hit districts in the state to 13 on Thursday. But with no fresh deaths reported, the toll remained unchanged at 123, officials said.

West Champaran was inundated following torrential rains in the past few days, they said.

The Bihar Disaster Management Department said 82.12 lakh people under 1,241 panchayats of 106 blocks in the 13 districts were affected by the flood, and relief and rehabilitation work was going on in full swing.

An ex gratia of Rs 4 lakh was provided to the next of the kin of each deceased, while every family surviving the calamity was being given Rs 6,000 through direct benefit transfer.

Above-average rainfall predicted

The Indian Meteorological department, meanwhile, has predicted above-average rainfall over the next two weeks across the country. Despite floods in the northeast and Bihar, the country has received below average rains in the past two weeks.

However, on Thursday a weather department official told Reuters that there would be above-average rainfall, which would help summer-sown crops that were wilting in some areas due to a dry spell. Monsoon rains are crucial for farm output and economic growth as about 55% of India’s arable land relies on rainfall and agriculture forms about 15% of a $2.5 trillion economy.

“In the next two weeks, we are likely to get above average rainfall, which will be well distributed across the country,” said A.K. Srivastava, head of the climate research division at India Meteorological Department.

India’s monsoon rains were 35% below average in the week ending July 24, after receiving 20% less rainfall in the prior week, raising concerns over the output of summer-sown crops.

Overall, India has received 17% less rain than average since the monsoon season began on June 1, but in some states such as Gujarat, the biggest producer of cotton and groundnut, the rainfall deficit is as high as 42%.

Pradhan Seeks Inclusion Of Srimandir, Konark Temple In Iconic Tourist Destinations

Source: odishatv.in

Bhubaneswar: After a single heritage site from Odisha was not included in the list of 17 sites to be developed as ‘Iconic Tourist Destinations’ as announced by the Centre in the Union Budget 2019-20, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has stressed on inclusion of Sun Temple and Puri Jagannath temple in the ambitious scheme.

In a letter to Union Minister of State (I/C) Tourism, Prahalad Singh Patel, Pradhan has highlighted that Odisha is home to several wonderful cultural and natural heritage sites. Among the several popular tourist destinations, Puri Jagannath temple and Konark Sun temple are the holiest pilgrimage and attractive tourist destinations in the State.

“Together with Bhubaneswar, Puri and Konark form Odisha’s golden triangle attracting millions of tourists and pilgrims from around the world and are breathing incarnations of Odisha’s socio-cultural identity,” wrote Pradhan.

The social fabric of Odisha is held together by seams of rich cultural history and devotion to Lord Jagannath. The Jagannath Temple at Puri is the ceremonial home of Odisha’s most revered deity, Lord Jagannath, and one of the four holiest dhams for Hindus. Host of the iconic Rath Yatra, the Puri Jagannath Temple is unifying beacon of Odisha’s quintessential Jagannath cult.

Pradhan further wrote that the Konark Sun Temple, the 13th century marvel is acknowledged as the zenith of Odishan architecture and recognized globally as UNESCO world heritage site.

“Keeping in mind the paramount historical, cultural and religious importance of Sun Temple in Konark and Lord Jagannath Temple in Puri for the people of Odisha, I request your personal intervention for inclusion of Sun Temple in Konark and Lord Jagannath Temple in Puri in the Iconic Tourist Sites,” Pradhan wrote in his letter.

Earlier, the Union Ministry of Tourism had identified several sites in 11 States under the Iconic Tourist Sites Development Project.

The sites include- Taj Mahal and Fatehpur Sikri in Uttar Pradesh, Ajanta and Ellora in Maharashtra, Humayun’s Tomb, Red Fort and Qutub Minar in New Delhi.

Other sites are Colva beach in Goa, Amer Fort in Rajasthan, Somnath and Dholavira in Gujarat, Khajuraho in Madhya Pradesh, Hampi in Karnataka, Mahabalipuram in Tamil Nadu, Kaziranga in Assam, Kumarakom in Kerala and Mahabodhi in Bihar.

Celestial object found in Madhubani: Transferred to Patna Museum

Source: telegraphstar.com

Celestial object with 13 Kilo Gram weight was dug out by farmers from Mahadeva Village in Madhubani District, Bihar. The report came out from state capital Patna that the object has magnetic properties also. The meteor-like object hit the field on Monday. The local farmers extracted the object from a five feet deep hole caused by the fall of the object.

As the officials suspect it as a meteorite and have been kept in the State treasury. The district magistrate had promptly sent a memo to the State Department for Science and Technology about the same.

“We have written to the state’s Principal Secretary, Science and Technology department, informing him about this particular object that looks like a piece of rock but its glitter is much more than that of unpolished stone. Its magnetic pull makes it even more intriguing”, the district magistrate Shirsat Kapil Ashok said to a local news report.

A release from the Chief minister’s office confirmed that it had been brought to Cheif Minister’s official residence on Wednesday. Later the object was brought to the Bihar Museum in Patna for a clear examination by the scientists from the Cheif Minister Nitesh Kumar’s direct order. He also added that the object will be shifted to the science museum if it is found to be a meteorite.

“These meteorites have a special role in the extinction of the dinosaur from the Earth. The size of this meteor was larger than usual. Such meteorites come burning to the earth.” said Athul Aditya Pandey, Head of the Geology Department, University of Patna.

For those who are hearing about meteor for the first time, it is an interplanetary matter which withstands and manage to pass through the earth atmosphere to reach the earth’s surface. The size could vary from as mere as few grams to more than a hundred-kilo gram.

Nitish Kumar Promotes Electric Vehicles, Reaches Bihar Assembly in Tata Tigor EV

Source: news18.com

Seeking to send out a message of environment preservation, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar arrived at the state assembly in an electric car. As his vehicle arrived at the porch of the historic building that houses the bicameral legislature, he was presented with a bouquet by Transport Department Principal Secretary Sanjay Agarwal. While climbing the flight of stairs that lead into the assembly premises, Kumar was heard saying, “It is a pleasure travelling in this car. It is almost soundless and its design feels very comfortable while sitting inside”.

Talking to reporters on the occasion, Agarwal said the car, which has been manufactured by Tata Motors, can cover a distance of 150 km upon being charged for four hours. “Factoring in the cost of electricity it can be said that the car, which is priced at Rs 11 lakh, costs 80 paise per kilometre. Besides economic viability, it also causes zero pollution. “We are in the process of installing charging points at 1, Anney Marg (the CM’s residence which is about a kilometre and a half away) and here at the Vidhan Sabha,” Agrawal added.

All such vehicles would have number plates in green to highlight their eco-friendly nature, the principal secretary said. Replying to queries from journalists who thrust their microphones inside the car as soon as the chief minister alighted, driver Ganesh said, “It is very easy to drive. There is no need to change gears frequently.” In the Union Budget presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman earlier this month, an additional tax benefit of Rs 1.5 lakh was announced on payment of interest towards loans taken for the purchase of electric cars. It was seen as a measure taken by the Narendra Modi government to promote the use of eco-friendly cars.

Enough evidence to show your ”Dadagiri”, SC tells ex-Jharkhand minister Sao

Source: outlookindia.com

New Delhi, Jul 26 The oral testimony of witnesses is enough “to show your Dadagiri (bullying tactics)”, the Supreme Court Friday told former Jharkhand minister Yogendra Sao, who has challenged his conviction and sentence in a 2011 extortion case.

The top court said this while agreeing to hear Sao”s plea challenging the April 26 order of Jharkhand High Court which dismissed his appeal against the conviction and two-and-a-half year sentence in the case.

A bench of Justices A M Sapre and Indu Malhotra issued notice and sought response from the Jharkhand government on the plea.

Senior advocate Rakesh Khanna, appearing for Sao, said the magisterial court did not have privilege to see entire call detail records (CDR) which included the period of alleged crime.

“Allegation is that I made a phone call and asked for money but the complete CDR was not filed. The CDR, which was filed before the trial court was till the month of March while the alleged occurrence of crime had taken place on April 24, 2011 and August 25, 2011,” he said.

Khanna said the trial court relied upon the testimony of prosecution witnesses and the informant who was an interested party.

“The oral testimony is enough to show your Dadagiri (bullying tactic). We cannot re-appreciate the whole evidence. There are concurrent findings against you by two courts,” the bench observed.

The top court, however, said that it will examine the matter and sought response from the state government in two weeks.

On April 26, the Jharkhand High Court had refused to interfere with trial court”s January 28, 2015 order convicting and sentencing Sao for two-and-a-half year rigorous imprisonment.

Sao was booked by the police on the charges of extortion on a complaint from a manager of Ramgarh Sponge Iron Private Limited and a case was registered against him on August 25, 2011.

The manager of the company has alleged that Sao threatened him on phone and demanded Rs 5 lakh.

Sao was then an MLA of Congress party and a member of the Committee of Jharkhand Legislative Assembly on Pollution Control.

Sao is lodged in jail after the apex court on April 12 ordered him to surrender before a court in Ranchi in cases related to rioting and inciting of violence.

The apex court had on April 4, trashed Sao”s plea seeking to campaign for the Congress for the Lok Sabha polls and cancelled his bail, saying he has violated the bail conditions.

Sao became a minister in the Hemant Soren-led UPA government in Jharkhand in 2013. He is named as an accused in over a dozen cases of rioting and instigation of violence.

The top court had then refused to cancel the bail of Sao”s wife Nirmala Devi. It had transferred the trial of 18 cases against Sao and Devi to Ranchi from Hazaribagh district in Jharkhand.

Both Devi and Sao are accused in a case relating to violent clashes between villagers and police in 2016 in which four persons were killed.

Devi, a Congress MLA, had led an agitation against NTPC authorities for their alleged attempt to forcibly evacuate villagers from Barkagaon without giving them due compensation or rehabilitation, according to police.

Main government office ignores Ranchi public

Source: telegraphindia.com

Dilip Munda and his elderly mother, from Murhu in Khunti district, had come to the state capital on Friday for some work related to her pension. Their ordeal began at Dhurwa roundabout, as they could not find a single auto-rickshaw to drop them at the Project Building situated around 2km from the roundabout.

“I can walk but my mother cannot due to arthritis. It is very difficult to travel to Project Building if you don’t have a bike or four-wheeler of your own,” Munda said.

The Project Building in Dhurwa, the main secretariat of the state government, houses offices of as many as 22 departments besides the those of the chief minister and chief secretary. The state police headquarters is also located on the same stretch, around 500 metres from Project Building.

The Project Building receives a footfall of around 10,000 people per day. But such an important edifice of the administration is almost inaccessible by public transport.

Very few auto-rickshaws ply on the route and common people are sometimes forced to walk for almost 2 km from the Dhurwa roundabout to visit a government office. Motilal, an auto-rickshaw driver who operates from Dhurwa roundabout to Chandni Chowk via Project Building, said that just about 10 autos operate from the roundabout to the Project Building.

“No bus operates from Gol Chakkar to Project Building hence auto-rickshaw is the only mode of communication for people who don’t have a bike or four-wheeler. We operate from around 8.45am till 6pm when the Project Building closes,” said Motilal.

A grade IV government employee who works at the Project Building however said the ordeal is a daily one for people like him as well.

“Majority of the staff and officials of the Project Building have their own bike or four-wheeler. Senior officials enjoy government facilities. But what about us? I don’t have a bike. Grade IV employees have to stay in the office till their bosses are present. Often our seniors stay in the office till late evening holding meetings. I hardly get any auto after 6pm,” he said, requesting anonymity for obvious reasons.

Ranchi Municipal Corporation (RMC) runs no bus to the Project Building.

“I was part of the board of meeting which had finalised the route map for city buses,” said deputy mayor Sanjeev Vijayvargiya. “I remember that operation of buses from Booty Mor to Project Building and from ITI to Project Building was proposed.”

Transporter Kishore Mantri, who operates majority of the RMC buses, said no bus operates from Gol Chakkar to Project Building.

“The RMC has not given me anything in writing about Gol Chakkar-Project Building route. One should not keep much hope on the RMC bus service which is on the verge of closure,” said Mantri.

The RMC has 91 buses out of which 60 are grounded as operators don’t participate in the tender process because they are not interested. Mantri runs 25 buses — his employees drive and maintain the buses and pay a fixed amount to the RMC — and for the six other buses the civic body hires drivers on daily payment.

Another official of the RMC said Project Building was removed from the route list assuming that employees working there have their private mode of transport and people arrange their own conveyance.

SC Refrains from Continuing With Pleas on Encephalitis in Bihar, Says Steps Have Been Taken to Combat Menace

Source: news18.com

New Delhi: The Supreme Court Friday decided to refrain from hearing any further the petition relating to the outbreak of acute encephalitis syndrome (AES) in Bihar’s Muzaffarpur district saying steps have already been taken to combat the menace.

The apex court took on record the affidavits filed by state government and the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in which the two said that they were cooperating and working together to combat the disease which has claimed more than 100 deaths.

The Bihar government had said that the state, in cooperation with the Centre, All India Institute of Medical Sciences and other agencies, has simultaneously provided all medical facilities to treat the affected children.

Similarly, the Centre had also said it was proactively providing all support to Bihar in containing the AES.

“Having perused the affidavit of Bihar and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, we are not inclined to continue to entertain these writ petitions any further in view of the steps which are stated to have been taken to combat the menace of the encephalitis disease that has struck the different parts of Bihar.

“If the petitioners have any further grievance, they are free to move the High Court of Patna. The writ petitions are disposed of accordingly. Intervention application(s) and other pending interlocutory applications, if any, shall stand disposed of,” a bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Deepak Gupta said.

During the hearing, the bench expressed displeasure that the petitioner has raised other issues like 57 per cent shortage of doctors etc.

“So you want us to exercise our jurisdiction for filling of vacancy of doctors. You go to Patna High Court.,” it said, adding that petitions would be filed relating to shortage of ministers, shortage of MPs in Rajya Sabha and shortage of water etc.

“We are not inclined to entertain,” the bench said.

The apex court on June 24 had taken note of the petition filed by an advocate, Manohar Pratap, who had said he was deeply “pained and saddened” by the deaths of more than 126 children, mostly in the age group of one to 10 years, in the past weeks.

It had asked the Centre and the state government to file their affidavits on the adequacy of medical facilities, nutrition and sanitation and the hygiene conditions in the state.

Jharkhand MLA resigns over minister’s reply

Source: telegraphindia.com

BSP’s only Jharkhand MLA resigned from the Assembly on Friday, protesting against an ambiguous reply of a minister to his question on reviving a cement plant that he said reflected the casual approach of the BJP-led state government while addressing legislators’ concerns.

“I am fed up. I moved a resolution for the revival of the Japla cement factory. I got upset as urban development minister C.P. Singh replied casually to my concerns, saying that I should search for investors if I was keen on reviving the factory,” said Kushwaha Shivpujan Mehta.

The MLA said the state government was not bothered about the industrial development of Palamau. “Am I running the government? Am I the minister? The factory was auctioned and its machinery sold. In the coming years, even the land of the factory will be auctioned,” he said, adding that he had held demonstrations during every House session to raise the issue.

“In the last four and half years, I have seen that the government takes questions raised by MLAs very casually,” Mehta said, referring to his private member’s resolution that was ultimately rejected by the House by voice-vote.

The Japla cement factory was set up in 1917 by Martin Burn Company. It continued production till 1984 when operations were stopped. In 1985, then Bihar chief minister Bindeshwari Dubey persuaded Dalmia group of companies to run the factory, promising Rs 5 crore as financial assistance.

But the state government only released Rs 2.5 crore. The Dalmias were unable to run the factory and it was shut down in 1991.

Last year, the factory machinery was auctioned off for around Rs 12 crore under the supervision of Patna High Court after it rejected Jharkhand government’s intervention petition seeking to stop the auction.

Mehta handed over a typed resignation letter to Speaker Dinesh Oraon during the second half of the day’s session. But an Assembly official, citing technicalities and the circumstances of his decision, said the letter would not be considered by the Speaker.

“He submitted a typed resignation letter when the session was going on. But after that he stayed back and took part in proceedings because many MLAs asked him to. So his resignation has automatically turned infructuous. Had he left the House immediately, then the matter could have been considered,” said a senior Assembly official.

Asked whether he was serious about quitting the House, Mehta admitted he did not know the nitty-gritty of House procedures.

“Today I submitted my resignation to the Speaker. Now the ball is in his court. But I am fed up,” he said, adding that the state government had never taken his concerns seriously.

“I had raised the issue of district-level reservations in government jobs and displacement of local residents due to the Batane water reservoir. But none of these were taken seriously by the government. HRD minister Neera Yadav virtually scolded me on one occasion,” he claimed.

Students In A Fix As Bihar Presses ‘Refresh’ On Medical Counselling, Admission

Source: .ndtv.com

NEW DELHI:

After completing the seat allocation process for the first round of counselling, Bihar Combined Entrance Competitive Examination Board (BCECEB) cancelled the allocation status and admissions done on the basis of first list. Following which, the board invited all registered students to fill fresh choices for allotment. Now, the board has opened counselling registration window for those students who were not able to register the first time, thus pushing the counselling dates further back.

The delay in the counselling process is being attributed to faulty seat-matrix that was released earlier and based on which the first allotment list was published, but the board is yet to confirm the reason.

Students who had completed the admission process after the first round are the most affected as the change in the seat matrix could lead to them being allotted a lesser ranked college after fresh allotment. Meanwhile, fresh registrations can also mean more competition for a seat during the allotment process.

While, BCECEB is busy sorting out the medical admission process, several other states are either in the process of completing second round of counselling on state quota seats or have begun the second round of counselling.

For students who did not register for medical counselling in Bihar the first time around can register for the counselling from July 27 to July 29. The updated seat-matrix, the alleged reason for cancelling previous allotment, will be released on August 2 and seat allotment result will be released on August 5, 2019.

Indian-American adoptive father of Sherin Mathews begins life sentence

Source: thehindu.com

The Indian-American foster father of 3-year-old Sherin Mathews, sentenced to life in prison for the death of the toddler who was found dead in a culvert in 2017, has begun serving the jail term in Dallas.

In a case that attracted much international attention, Wesley Mathews (39), pleaded guilty on June 24 to a lesser charge of injury to a child in Sherin’s tragic death.

He was originally charged with capital murder by authorities in the US state of Texas after they discovered Sherin’s highly decomposed body after a massive search that lasted 15 days.

On Thursday, Dallas County Sheriff officials said that Mathews was transferred from Dallas County jail to state prison at around 12:58 AM Thursday.

A Dallas County jury heard the case, and Mathews was sentenced to life in prison in Sherin’s death on June 26.

Mathews has since filed another appeal in the case asking for a new sentencing trial. His attorney alleges photos of Sherin’s body were “prejudicial”.

“Jurors expressed visible emotion when shown the exhibits,” defence attorney Brook Busbee wrote in the appeal.

The appeal also claims that evidence of prior injuries on Sherin’s body “prejudiced the jury”. The court filing said that those injuries cannot be linked to Mathews.

The father had reported Sherin missing after he put her outside October 7, 2017, because she wouldn’t drink her milk. Her badly decomposed body was found 15 days later in a culvert.

Prosecutors argued Mathews hid his crime, making it impossible to determine exactly what happened to the girl because of how badly decomposed her body was.

Mathews testified that his daughter choked on her milk and that he wrapped her body in a trash bag because he wanted “to do something nice” for her.

Sherin’s adoptive mother, Sini Mathews, was also criminally charged after the child’s body was found, but that case was later dismissed after the Dallas County District Attorney said there was not enough evidence to prosecute.

Mathews and his wife Sini Mathews, both hailing from Kerala, adopted Sherin from an orphanage in Bihar’s Nalanda district in 2016.

Police charged Sherin’s foster mother Sini with child abandonment in November 2017, after Mathews told officials that the couple left the toddler alone the night of her death while they went to dinner with their biological daughter.

Sini’s case was dismissed in March this year after prosecutors said they could not prove it beyond a reasonable doubt.

Sherin’s death attracted the attention of the Indian government and then External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj took keen interest in the case and also instructed the Indian mission in Houston to make sure that the Indian toddler received justice. India revoked the Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) immigration status of Wesley and Sini after Sherin’s death.

The government further tightened the adoption process after Sherin’s tragic death.