Month: January 2020

Coronavirus outbreak: Medical camps in .

Source – newindianexpress.com

PATNA:  Seven Bihar districts, which share a border with Nepal, were directed to set up medical camps in coordination with the border authority to keep any suspected coronavirus cases in check.

Sitamarhi, Kishanganj, Araria, Supaul, Madhubani, East Champaran and West Champaran share their borders with Nepal. According to principal health secretary Sanjay Kumar, district administration has been asked to set up medical camps at Jogvani, Farbisganj and Raxaul.

Polio teams have also been directed to remain on alert with ANMs health workers and Panchayat representatives.

The department reviewed the preparedness with civil surgeons of all districts through video conferencing with officials. Kumar said sufficient masks and medicines have been made available to all districts. 

After sacking of Kishor, is there a third force in the making in Bihar?

Source – business-standard.com

‘Third force’ in Bihar?

The Janata Dal (United) on Wed-nesday sacked party vice-president and election strategist Prashant Kishor (pictured) and former diplomat Pavan Varma from the primary membership of the party. It said the two had been making anti-party statements.

According to sources, Kishor is preparing in earnest for the Bihar Assembly polls, scheduled for September-October. Several senior leaders of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) are upset with Tejashwi Yadav. Allies, including Rashtriya Loktantrik Samata Party’s Upendra Kushwaha and others, could also be amenable to join a “third force” in Bihar politics that Kishor hopes to shape.

It could comprise RJD rebels, these smaller parties and the Left parties. Communist Party of India (CPI) leader Kanhaiya Kumar is set to start his whirlwind tour of Bihar in the coming days. With RJD chief Lalu Prasad unwell and in jail, the question now is whether the Congress will sever its alliance with Tejashwi-led RJD and lead such an alliance against Nitish Kumar-led JD (U) and Bharatiya Janata Party alliance.

Better interpretation

The Rajya Sabha currently has an interesting mix of interpreters within its ranks. It has expanded its pool of interpreters after Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu instructed officials to ensure that the House’s “simultaneous interpretation service” in all the 22 scheduled languages of the country operates smoothly.

A total of 32 consultant-interpreters have been hired for seven languages including Dogri, Konkani and Sindhi. Instead of recruiting full-time interpreters, the Rajya Sabha Secretariat has experimented with hiring consultants to be engaged on a need to basis. Rajya Sabha Secretary General Desh Dipak Verma said this was a cost-effective way of meeting the simultaneous interpretation need.

Congress’ Shatru!

The bonhomie between maverick Congress leader Shatrughan Sinha and Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav continues to cause much consternation among Congressmen in Uttar Pradesh. Recently, Shatrughan Sinha and former Union minister Yashwant Sinha had shared the dais with Yadav at the SP headquarters in Lucknow.

The actor-turned-politician had quit Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and joined Congress in the run up to the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. He contested from the Patna Sahib seat but lost, while his wife Poonam Sinha tasted defeat as the SP nominee from the Lucknow parliamentary seat.

Congress’ Lucknow Lok Sabha candidate Acharya Pramod Krishnam took to Twitter to hit out at Sinha over his alleged disloyalty towards the Congress. Other state Congress leaders also expressed dismay over the “conduct” of Sinha and demanded that such people should be shown the door.

Jharkhand cabinet expanded, 7 take oath as ministers.

Source – hindustantimes.com

The much-awaited expansion of the Hemant Soren cabinet took place on Tuesday, with Governor Draupadi Murmu administering oath to seven ministers — five from JMM and two from Congress — taking the total strength in the state government to 10. much-awaited expansion The much-awaited expansion of the Hemant Soren cabinet took place on Tuesday, with Governor Draupadi Murmu administering oath to seven ministers — five from JMM and two from Congress — taking the total strength in the state government to 10.

Besides the chief minister, the state could have 11 ministers. Hence, one berth is still vacant in the cabinet.

The coalition government, led by chief minister Hemant Soren, took oath on December 29 last year. Two legislators from Congress — Alamgir Alam and Rameshwar Oraon — and RJD’s Satyanand Bhokta were also sworn-in along with Soren.

“Congratulations to all my colleagues on behalf of people for taking oath as ministers. This is not merely a cabinet, but Team Jharkhand which would work to accelerate the pace of development and realise the dreams of every Jharkhandi. Let’s work together for prosperity of Jharkhand and the country,” Soren tweeted, soon after the ceremony. The chief minister is yet to distribute portfolios among his teammates though.

On Tuesday, the five JMM legislators who took oath, included party’s old guard Champai Soren, Jagarnath Mahto and Haji Hussain Ansari to first-time legislator Mithlesh Thakur. The party also inducted five-term legislator Joba Manji, the only woman to have made it into the cabinet till now.

Party veteran Stephen Marandi, a six-term legislator, ex-minister and a former Rajya Sabha member, surprisingly missed the bus. He was chosen protem speaker for the current assembly and was being considered a front runner.

“It’s the prerogative of the chief minister to choose his team. I have no hard feeling. I congratulate the new team and wish they work hard to deliver according to the mandate we received,” Marandi told reporters after the ceremony.

Congress on its part inducted two-term legislators, Banna Gupta and Badal Patralekh, into the cabinet, taking the total number of party ministers in the coalition government to four.

While both the new recruits are in their 40s, Badal at 43 now holds the distinction of being the youngest member of this cabinet. Earlier, the party had sworn-in party veterans Alamgir Alam, 69, and Rameshwar Oraon, 72, into the cabinet. “Since I am the youngest, I would request the chief minister to give me a department that needs maximum hard work,” said Patralekh.

Santhal, Kolhan get maximum representation

While it took a month for the government to expand its cabinet, both parties have tried to give representation to all major geographical regions and social groups. However, tribal-dominated Santhal Parganas and Kolhan division, which gave a decisive mandate in favour of the alliance, have got the lion’s share.

Besides the chief minister, Alam, Patralekh and Ansari represent assembly seats in Santhal Parganas. The next in line is Kolhan division that would have three ministers — Soren, Manjhi and Gupta.

North Chhota Nagpur comes next with two ministers Mahto and Bhokta. South Chhota Nagpur and Palamu division till now has only one representative each.

Socially, besides the chief minister, three ministers are tribals, two are Muslims, two each belong to the Other Backward Classes and general category, while one minister belongs to Scheduled Castes. Manjhi is the sole woman minister.

Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren Keeps Home Portfolio; Rameshwar Oraon Made Finance Minister.

Source – news18.com

Ranchi: Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Wednesday kept departments of Home, Jail, Personnel, Administrative Reforms & Raj Bhasha among others, as he distributed portfolios among the ministers.

Soren, working president of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), also kept departments of Cabinet Secretariat & Vigilance and other portfolios not allocated to any minister, a notification issued by the Secretariat of Cabinet and Vigilance department said here.

Rameshwar Oraon of the Congress got Planning-cum-Finance, Commercial Taxes, Food, Public Distribution & Consumer Affairs departments.

Alamgir Alam, also a Congress MLA, was given the departments of the Parliamentary Affairs, Rural Development Department (along with Rural Works, Panchayati Raj & NREP-Special Division), the notification said.

Satyanand Bhokta, the lone RJD member in the cabinet, has been given the departments of Labour, Employment & Training.

Champai Soren has been allotted the Scheduled Tribes, the Scheduled Caste & Backward Class Welfare and Transport departments.

Haji Hussain Ansari has been made minister of Minority Welfare and Registration departments.

Joba Manjhi is the new Women, Child Development & Social Security department minister. Jagarnath Mahato has become the minister of School Education & Literacy, Excise & Prohibition departments.

Mithilesh Kumar Thakur has taken over as the minister of Drinking Water & Sanitation. Besides Mahato and Thakur who became ministers for the first time, Soren, Ansari and Manjhi were JMM leaders.

Congress MLA Banna Gupta has been allotted the departments of Health, Medical Education & Family Welfare and Disaster Management. Agriculture, Animal Husbandry & Co-operative departments have been allotted to Badal Patralekh who is also from the Congress.

Seven of the 11 ministers were sworn-in on Tuesday. The JMM-Congress-RJD coalition government assumed power in the state on December 29 last year, ousting the BJP-led regime.

Jharkhand Literary Meet to start in February.

Source – telegraphindia.com

Ruskin Bond is expected to enthral audiences once again at the third edition of Jharkhand Literary Meet to be held at Audrey House, the usual venue, in Ranchi on February 1 and 2.

According to a schedule released by Tata Steel, the meet will be inaugurated by Sahitya Akademi Award winning writer Mridula Garg on February 1, who will also speak at a session titled Sharpness of the Pen. Tata Steel According to a schedule released by Tata Steel, the meet will be inaugurated by Sahitya Akademi Award winning writer Mridula Garg on February 1, who will also speak at a session titled Sharpness of the Pen.

The session will be followed by a one titled Rusty Rewind, when Bond, the crowd puller of the second instalment of the meet, will share his “joys of writing Rusty”.

In another session, Beyond the Veil, the same day, writers Hem Borker and Andaleeb Wajid will participate in a discussion on Stereotypes and Pre-conceived Notions About the World Around Us.

Actor couple Pankaj Kapur and Supriya Pathak will share their “filmi safar” in a session titled Badalte Screen, Yaadgar Kirdar. A cultural event Sham-e-Sufiyana will feature Sonam Kalra.

On February 2, author Avik Chanda will speak on a session named Itihas ki Agar Magar and explore if Dara Shikoh could have changed Mughal history. This will be followed by a session, Once Upon a Crime, when Bond, in conversation with lit fest director Malavika Banerjee, will reveal how murder mysteries reflect their times.

There will also be a session on recitation of poems by the poets themselves. The last event of the meet, Dopehri, will be held at Mayuri auditorium of CMPDI in the evening when Kapur will regale the audience with his reading.

“The meet brings leading minds on one platform,” Tata Steel VP (corporate services) Chanakya Choudhury said.

Minor tribal girls become pregnant in residential schools, causes unrest in Jharkhand.

Source – indiatoday.in

As shocking as this may sound, minor tribal girls in Garhwa district of Jharkhand are becoming mothers.

Manjhiaon Kasturba Residential School in Garhwa was set up to educate tribal children. Now, cases of minor girls becoming pregnant have come to light. In the past two years, three such cases have been reported.

Two months ago, a Class 8 girl was reported to be pregnant. An enquiry was initiated and arrests were made. The police in Chhattisgarh are now trying to arrest the warden of the school and a doctor.

It is alleged that the doctor and warden helped the Class 8 girl deliver a baby discreetly.

After this incident came to light, it was reported that the girl had gone to her village where she had an affair with a boy named Chandan and the baby is Chandan’s.

However, sources said that like Muzaffarpur shelter home case, minor tribal girls in Garhwa were forcibly sent to influential people.

As the matter was being probed some 30 km from Manjhiaon, another such case was reported from Kandi Kasturba Residential School.

Chairperson of Kandi Kasturba Residential School Anita Devi said her daughter also studies in the same school and the matter needs high-level probe.

However, in an exclusive conversation with Aaj Tak, Principal Secretary of the department AP Singh said that the school is safe. “The past case is being scrutinised from every angle. The girls go out of school either to visit their hometowns or for some other work but the administration does not interfere with their private life.”

Seven more ministers to be inducted in Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren cabinet.

Source – newindianexpress.com

RANCHI: Seven Ministers will be inducted in the cabinet when the Chief Minister Hemant Soren expands his cabinet for the first time on Tuesday.

The cabinet expansion will take place in Raj Bhavan here on Tuesday at 4 p.m.

Five MLAs from the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and two from the Congress will take oath as the cabinet Ministers.

Hemant Soren took oath as Chief Minister on December 29 along with two Congress and one Rashtriya Janata Dal Legislators as the Ministers.

The two Congress Legislators who will take oath on Tuesday include Banna Gupta and Sri Badal.

The five JMM Legislators to take oath are Champai Soren, Haji Hussain Ansari, Jaggarntah Mahto, Jobha Manjhi and Mithilesh Thakur.

The JMM, Congress and RJD alliance had won 30, 16 and one seats in 81-member Assembly respectively.

Amid coronavirus, Bihar Girl admitted to Patna Medical College and Hospital with fever.

Source – newindianexpress.com

PATNA/KOLKATA: A 29-year-girl from Bihar’s Chapra district was referred to Patna Medical College and Hospital on Monday with flu-like symptoms. 

Ekta Kumari, who returned from China on January 22, is a student at China’s Tianjin University and had left the country after the coronavirus outbreak.

“She is coherent and not panicking. She wanted to get proper medical care,” said a doctor from Chapra, who did not want to be named.

According to principal health secretary Sanjay Kumar, Ekta reported a mild fever and is suspected to be suffering from the virus, but it hasn’t been confirmed. 

Meanwhile, a researcher from Bengal’s Birbhum district is stranded at a hotel at Wuhan City in Hubei province for four days because of the outbreak. He went to Hubei University on January 21.

“I have been in my hotel room since Friday. I am not allowed to leave. Doctors are visiting me thrice and the hotel authorities are providing food,” said Kazi Arif Islam.

In north Bengal, the state government has set up three checkpoints to scan those who are coming from Nepal.

One more held for Jharkhand massacre, 16 arrested so far.

Source – thehindu.com

One more person has been arrested in connection with the killing of seven people allegedly by ‘Pathalgarhi’ movement supporters at Burugulikera village in Jharkhand’s West Singhbhum district last week, taking the total number of arrests to 16, police said on Tuesday.

Martin Logma, 27, was arrested on Monday and produced before a local court in Chakradharpur, which sent him to 14-days judicial custody, an official release said.

The other 15 accused, aged between 19 and 60 years, were arrested on Sunday and charged with murder and rioting, among others, it said.

They were produced before the court of sub-divisional judicial magistrate, Chakradharpur on Monday which sent them to 14-days judicial custody, the release said.

Supporters of ‘Pathalgarhi’ movement had allegedly kidnapped the seven villagers of Burugulikera in Guddi block on January 21 and killed them for allegedly opposing their stir. Their mutilated bodies were recovered from a forest, around 4 kilometres from the village the next day.

Proponents of ‘Pathalgarhi’, a tribal movement, want that no laws of the land should apply to the tribal people.

They write tenets on large stones and erect them in their areas of influence.

The killings that took place days after the JMM- Congress-RJD coalition government assumed power in the state on December 29, triggered widespread outrage and Chief Minister Hemant Soren ordered an investigation by a special investigation team (SIT).

Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren expands Cabinet, inducts 7 ministers.

Source – tribuneindia.com

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Tuesday expanded his one-month-old Cabinet, inducting seven ministers in the Council of Ministers.

Governor Droupadi Murmu administered the oath of office and secrecy to the newly inducted ministers in a simple ceremony at Raj Bhavan here.

Five of the new ministers are from the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha and two belong to the Congress.

The JMM-Congress-RJD coalition government assumed power in the state on December 29 last year, ousting the BJP-led regime.

Soren inducted Champai Soren, Haji Hussain Ansari, Jagarnath Mahato, Joba Manjhi, Mithilesh Kumar Thakur (all from the JMM), Banna Gupta and Badal Patralekh (both from the Congress).

Mahato and Thakur are first-time ministers and Manjhi had been a minister in previous NDA governments before she joined the JMM. The other four had been ministers in the previous UPA governments.

With five newly inducted ministers belonging to the JMM, the senior ruling party has six members in the council of ministers, including the chief minister, while the Congress has four and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) one.

Now the council of ministers has 11 members, leaving the scope to induct one more minister.

As per the constitutional provisions, Jharkhand can have a maximum of 12 ministers including the chief minister.

The previous Raghubar Das government had run the dispensation with only 11 ministers all through its five-year term.

It was the first expansion after Soren took oath as the 11th chief minister of Jharkhand on December 29, 2019 along with Congress leaders Alamgir Alam and Rameshwar Oraon and Satyanand Bhokta of the RJD.

The expansion of ministry was earlier scheduled to be held on January 24. It was postponed at the request of the chief minister in the wake of the killings of seven villagers in West Singhbhum district.