Bowing to pressure from families of those killed in the Anaj Mandi fire on December 8, the Bihar government has decided to send the bodies of the State’s residents home by road instead of train.
Earlier, it was decided that the railways will carry the bodies in the seating-cum-luggage rake (SLR coach) on board the Swatantrata Senani Express over December 9 and 10.
However, the victims’ families objected to the arrangement, choosing to take the over 1,000 km journey by road instead.
Many of the 43 people who were killed in Sunday’s blaze were migrant workers from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. They were trapped in the building as they were asleep when the fire started.
“The families were not comfortable in taking the bodies by train, so we have decided to send them in ambulances. One ambulance will have two bodies.
“All the preparations were made for sending the bodies by train. Special coaches were also attached [to the train] but the family members [of victims] did not agree to let the bodies go by train,” said Kumar Digvijay, Joint Labour Commissioner, Bihar Bhavan.
“As and when post-mortem is being done, we are sending the bodies home. Till now 36 bodies of Bihar residents have been identified and we are trying to send them back to the State as soon as possible. The procedure is slow, but we are trying our best,” he said.
Zakir Hussain from Bihar’s Madhubanj area, who lost his brother Shakir in the fire, said though the Bihar government had made arrangements to take the bodies back home by train, there was no clarity about the procedure.
Mohammad Shamshir from Begusarai, whose neighbour Naveen Kumar (19) died in the fire, said it was not feasible to take the body in a train.
“We were not happy with travelling via a train. The train would stop at Samastipur station and our village Barijana is another 70 km from there,” Mr. Shamshir said.
According to officials, the resident commissioner of Bihar in Delhi had approached Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal for help to send the bodies back home. Upon Mr. Goyal’s intervention, the Delhi Division had arranged for the coach.
BEGUSARAI: Three men on bike shot one person dead and seriously injured two others before running away with gold in Bihar’s Begusarai district on Tuesday, police said.
Jewellers Prince Kumar and Santosh Kumar were injured in the incident whereas their car driver, 25-year-old Deepak Mahto, was killed, Deputy Superintendent of Police Rajan Sinha said, adding that the businessmen have been hospitalised.
Per initial estimates, around one kilogram of gold ornaments were looted, he said.
The incident took place near Thakurichak under Garhhara police station limits when the two jewellers were coming to Begusarai in a car after alighting from a train at Barauni railway station, Mr Sinha said.
The three men on bike blocked the car’s way and indiscriminately fired at the passengers inside, killing the driver on the spot and injuring the businessmen, the officer said.
The exact amount of the looted ornaments could be ascertained once the jewellers regain consciousness, he said. Police is investigating the case and a manhunt has been launched to nab the accused, he added.
Begusarai(Bihar): Union minister Giriraj Singh on Sunday gave a dressing down to a government official in his Lok Sabha constituency here for apparently showing reluctance to alight from a vehicle while speaking with him.
Singh has been touring flood-affected areas of his Lok Sabha constituency since Saturday. This morning, while he was travelling on foot, accompanied by supporters, local residents and a Deputy Superintendent of Police Ashish Anand, the car of Nishant, Sub-Divisional Officer of Teghra, pulled up close by.
When Singh addressed the official, he replied from within the car, irking the minister’s supporters.
The firebrand BJP leader got sore and remarked, “Why would he alight from his vehicle. He is a babu (an honorific used in Bihar to describe bureaucrats). I greet him with folded hands.”
The official, subsequently, got out of his car and tried to placate Singh, who gave him a piece of his mind.
“While touring this area I have heard a lot of tareef (praise) for you from the people. Please ensure that more of this does not happen,”
Singh remarked with trademark acerbity.
“You must ensure that relief is provided to all the people of the sub-division without any discrimination. I remember that a relief camp had been set up here in 2016 when areas were similarly inundated. A camp should be set up again. Else I am going to stage a dharna in front of your premises,” he told the official, who nodded with folded hands.
Singh also said that he would apprise the chief minister and the chief secretary of the flood situation in his constituency. “And please do not remain under the illusion that I will be content with speaking to you. I am going to speak to the Chief Minister as well as the Chief Secretary about the flood in my constituency. So you better set your house in order,” he warned.
Singh gave up his sitting seat of Nawada in the general elections this year and retained Begusarai for his party by trouncing CPI’s Kanhaiya Kumar by over four lakh votes.
Though the Monsoon has arrived long back over Bihar and Jharkhand, due to the absence of any significant weather systems, Monsoon remained deficit over these states. Only scattered rains were observed over a few places.
At present, a Cyclonic Circulation is lying over southeast Uttar Pradesh and adjoining Madhya Pradesh. Also, a trough is extending from Northwest India to Northwest Bay of Bengal across Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand.
These two systems will act as a catalyst and enhance the rainfall activities over Bihar and Jharkhand. We expect moderate rains over most of the places with few heavy spells during the next 24 hours. As a Trough is likely to shift further North, rainfall activity would cover most parts of Bihar and then the heavy rains might intensify. As per our experts, these heavy rains would continue over Bihar till July 11. Jharkhand too would receive moderate to heavy rains during the next three to four days. Thereafter, rainfall will decrease over the southern part but light to moderate rains will continue. Places like Supaul, Purnia, Araria, Patna, Gaya, Katihar, Aurangabad, Rohtas, Bhojpur, Begusarai, Munger, Nalanda, Buxar, etc are likely to be impacted by heavy to very heavy Monsoon rains in the next 24 hours.
This will be the first long spell after the initiation of Monsoon and the rains are likely to pay visit most parts of the states. Till date, for the Monsoon season, Bihar is rain deficit by 49% while Jharkhand is deficit by 44%. There are chances that with these hefty rains, deficiency levels might get recovered with a good percentage.
Carved out of the old Munger district and notified as a district on October 2, 1972, Begusarai is a major industrial centre of Bihar. Indian Oil Corporation’s Barauni Refinery, one of the country’s oldest oil refineries, is situated here.
Btraces back its history to the Buddhist period when it was called ‘Anguttarapa’, as mentioned in Buddhist literature ‘Majjhim Nikaya’. There have been evidences of continued habitation here since the Mauryan period. It was an important centre of administration, art and culture during the Pala period.
Places of Interest
Situated 5 km west of Begusarai town on National Highway 31 at a place called Ulao, this temple is more than a century old and is embellished with exquisite murals of rich Rajasthani Shekhawati Art of painting. The theme of the paintings is based on the Ramayana, the Mahabharata and other Hindu epics.
Panch Mandir Barauni Refinery
HERITAGE Panch Mandir, another temple situated in close proximity to the Radhe Shyam Temple, is replete with Pala-era statues of various gods and goddesses and other artifacts of the same period. The Shivalinga in the temple also belongs to the Pala period.
Museums
The KP Jayaswal Radha Krishna Chaudhary Memorial Archaeological Museum, situated on the local G D College premises, has on display many statues and artifacts found during various archaeological excavations. There’s also a Government Museum at Lohia Nagar.
Son of The Soil
Famous Hindi poet, Rashtrakavi Ramdhari Singh Dinkar, belonged to Simaria village in the district. There’s a bust of the poet installed in the village to commemorate his contributions to the Hindi literature. The Dinkar Jayanti Samaroh Samiti, of which the Begusarai district magistrate is the ex-officio head, organises a Dinkar anniversary function at the Dinkar Bhawan in Begusarai town every year on September 23. Literary doyens of Hindi from across the country attend the function at which two Hindi litterateurs are feted.
Fairs & Festivals
The month-long Simaria Mela, organised on the bank of river Ganga at Simaria Ghat during October-November every year, draws thousands of devotees from Bhutan and Nepal. The devotees stay in thatched houses and take a dip in the river as there’s a widespread belief that a dip in the Ganga during the period washes all sins. The atmosphere becomes supremely religious during the period, and the festivities end with Chhath festival.
HOW TO REACH
Distance from Patna: 120 km
By Air:(Air Route Map)
Nearest Airport Jaya Prakash Narayan International Airport, Patna Private and state transport buses as well as taxis are available from Patna, Muzaffarpur, Bhagalpur and all other important towns of the state.
By Rail: (Rail Route Map)
Nearest Railway Stations Begusarai Jn is situated on the Barauni-Katihar section of ECR. Barauni railway station is situated 15 km away from the district HQ. Hathidah railway station is situated about 20 km away from the district HQ.
By Road: Connected by good roads with all Indian cities.
Where to Stay: Guest Houses: The state government, Barauni Refinery, Barauni Thermal Power Station and the Barauni Sudha Dairy have their own guest houses.
Hotel Yuvraj, Barauni, STD Code : 06243 Phones : 265524/264780 AC rooms and suites available with tariff ranging from Rs 1,500 to Rs 3,500 Hotel Samrat, Barauni, STD Code : 06243 Phone : 265534 AC and non-AC rooms available for Rs 180 to Rs 700 Hotel Blue Diamond, Begusarai, STD Code : 06243 Phone : 242181 AC rooms and suites available with tariff ranging from Rs 500 to Rs 1,500 Motel Sayonara, Begusarai, STD Code : 06243 Phone : 244078 Non-AC rooms available with tariff ranging from Rs 325 to Rs 500
Local Transport: Auto rickshaws, Cycle-rickshaws, tangas.
In Emergency,Contact, STD Code : 06243 District Magistrate: 212285 (Off), 200584 (Res) Superintendent of Police: 213015 (Off), 200519 (Res)
Medical Emergencies,Contact, STD Code : 06243 Dr. M.N. Roy (Surgeon): 212849 Dr. Nalini Ranjan Singh (Ortho): 212877 Dr. Ramashraya Singh (Surgeon): 217281 Dr. K.K.Singh (Physician): 213630 Dr. Binay Kumar (Physician): 218440 Dr. Dinesh Prasad Singh (Physician): 212189 Sadar Hospital: 210002
Tourist Season October-March as the Simaria Mela is held during the period. Besides, this is the time when Kawar Lake remains abuzz with migratory birds. The temperature is also comfortable except during the period between December-end and mid- January when it’s cold.
Clothing: Light cotton in summer and woolen in winter (specially during November to January).
