Tag: government

Jharkhand govt must engage with Khunti citizens, protestors demand

Source: downtoearth.org.in

Every tenth person in the sites of ‘Pathalgadi’ by tribal communities face sedition charges, alleged protestors in Jharkhand. The police have invoked draconian laws, including allegations of sedition, against 30,000 unnamed people, they claimed.

The tribal protestors demonstrated in front of the Raj Bhavan — the guvernatorial seat — in Ranchi on July 22, 2019.

Those at the receiving end are mostly from Khunti, Arki and Murhu blocks of Khunti district, where ‘Pathalgadi’ was at its peak in recent years.

“The brutal manner in which the Jharkhand government is dealing with the Pathalgadi movement is a gross overreaction to legitimate and nonviolent demands from local adivasis,” development economist Jean Dreze, who has been working in the region for several years, said. The tradition of self-government should be valued and celebrated, he added.

Residents of more than 100 villages have put up stone plaques at village entrances to claim the power granted to Gram Sabhas under the constitutional provisions of the Fifth Schedule and the Panchayat (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act (PESA).

The special provisions are to protect the local community in tribal areas and recognise the role of Gram Sabha in self rule as reported extensively by Down To Earth.

The movement, however, has not gone down well with the state government, which has come down hard on some locals (includign a few intellectuals) who advocated the movement. Twenty such persons, including journalists and writers, face police cases allegedly for raising the issue on public fora.

The tribal community as well as experts have pointed out that Pathalgadi originated in 2015-16, when the government tried to take away land. People protesting under the umbrella of Jharkhand Janadhikar Mahasabha, a network of activists and people’s organisations.

Some 1.5 million people of Jharkhand were displaced, 41 per cent of whom were tribals.

In the last few decades, there have been several alleged attempts to grab land in the name of development projects (Koel-Karo hydroelectricity dams, Arcelor-Mittal steel plant, etc) in Khunti.

Ganga Cleaning: NGT Junks Bihar Govt’s Plea Seeking Review of Penalty Imposed on It

Source: news18.com

New Delhi: The National Green Tribunal has junked a plea to review its order imposing a fine of Rs 25 lakh on the Bihar government for inaction over continued damage to the river Ganga.

The green panel on May 29 had levied the penalty on Bihar, noting that there is practically no progress in cleaning the Ganga as not a single sewage infrastructure project has been completed.

A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel said the Bihar government’s action plan lacked concrete measures to combat pollution, including punitive and remedial action against polluters.

“We have considered the review application and do not find any reason as to why we should interfere with the impugned order as prayed for by the applicant state. The facts and circumstances set out do not satisfy with requirements contained in the directions referred to in the impugned order as well as the orders preceding those,” the bench, also comprising justices S P Wangdi and K Ramakrishnan, said in a recent order.

The case relates to the cleaning of river Ganga, considering its immense environmental relevance to the country as heavy pollution and contamination has rendered the river water unfit for bathing, let alone drinking.

It refused to agree with the Bihar government’s submission that the action taken by the state had not been placed elaborately before the tribunal.

“In any case, setting up of the sewerage network and construction of the sewage treatment plants is only one of the several actions to be taken by the states…

“It was in these circumstances that the tribunal had observed that the response of the state applicant and other states was deficient and laggardly, leading to the direction for payment of interim compensation,” the bench said, adding that there was “no merit” in the plea filed by the state government.

While imposing the fine on Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal, the NGT had also said that discharge of effluents is a criminal offence and directed the Uttar Pradesh government to prohibit any polluting industrial activity instead of partially allowing it.

Even a drop of pollution in Ganga is a matter of concern and the attitude of all authorities should be stringent to protect the river, the NGT had earlier said while seeking a concrete action plan on the issue.

It had asked the National Mission for Clean Ganga to take remedial action so that assistance of a suitable person is provided to this tribunal with precise information, failing which the tribunal may consider coercive measures against it.

The tribunal also asked the states concerned to take the matter seriously and assist the bench with precise information either through senior officers or through counsel. The green panel had said people drank and bathed in the river with reverence, without knowing that it may adversely affect their health.

Keep Apex Court out of Aya Ram-Gaya Ram game

Source: freepressjournal.in

It is clear the JD(S)-Congress Government of Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy in Karnataka has lost majority. It is also equally clear the CM is using every stratagem to delay the inevitable. But why is the State Governor, Vajubhai Vala, shooting off missives to the Chief Minister and the Speaker, K R Ramesh Kumar? Why cannot he let the warring politicians sort out the mess on their own? What is the Governor’s hurry, even if a case can be made out to justify his intervention? Yes, under the Constitution he is empowered to intervene, but when both sides are engaged in a naked power struggle, it is better that the Governor adopts a hands-off approach so long as it does not degenerate into something worse. Besides, Governor’s anxiety to set a short schedule for the trust vote creates the impression that he is leaning in favour of his former party and its leader of the Opposition in the State Assembly, B S Yeddyurappa, who is keen to replace Kumaraswamay as chief minister. Having said that, it is regrettable that the ugly Aya Ram, Gaya Ram sport that the rival politicians play with some relish invariably drags in the higher judiciary as the umpire. As a result, its independence and impartiality unnecessarily gets dragged into the bitterly partisan tussle for power.

In the current instance, the Supreme Court order that virtually nullified the power of the whip to force obedience allowed the leavers from the JD(S)-Congress to absent themselves from the trust vote, thus, giving the Opposition a clear advantage. Had the coalition partners retained the power of the whip, the deserters would have forfeited their membership for failing to attend and vote for the Kumaraswamy Government. On Friday, the ruling coalition, unheeding the two gubernatorial directions for conducting the trust vote, first, by 1.30 p. m., which later, in a second directive, was revised to 6 p.m., adjourned the proceedings till Monday, July 22. In the meantime, the coalition partners would again seek the SC intervention to a) withdraw its controversial order allowing legislators freedom to decide whether or not to attend the House and, b) to challenge the validity of the Governor’s action in setting time for the confidence vote. It is argued that the Governor could not have intervened during the debate on the trust vote while he could have done the same before its start.

The Supreme Court being asked to intervene in these matters, which of course diverts its time and attention away from disposing the mountain of long-pending cases before it, ought to be unwelcome. As cited above, even if its pronouncements are meticulously fair and just, it is bound to displease one party or the other. In these days of a bitterly divided politics, it does not enhance the image and dignity of the court to be dragged in almost on a regular basis in matters involving wholly unprincipled power struggle in one State or the other.

A set of guidelines on the constitutional dos and don’ts, clear red-lines so to speak, ought to be framed by the higher judiciary so that it can be insulated from the inter- and intra-party disputes of the nature that we now witness in Karnataka. In some way, Karnataka’s game of defections with all its attendant consequences has nothing new. We have been there before several times. Therefore, a Standard Operating Procedure for Aya Rams and Gaya Rams in all its permutations and combinations ought to be put in place. The Supreme Court, when the new set of petitioners knock on its door seeking reversal of its order freeing the coalition’s defectors from the obligatory attendance in the Assembly is taken up on Monday, ought to consider appointing an amicus curie to frame the above-mentioned SOP. Since politicians are unlikely to stop playing the game of defections, we cannot have the highest court in the land being dragged in their power struggles on a regular basis.

Bihar government to hire over 1.4 lakh teachers by year-end

Source: .hindustantimes.com

Education minister Krishnnandan Prasad Verma on Tuesday assured the state assembly that the state government would complete the process of recruiting new teachers for primary and secondary level by end of this year even as Opposition RJD staged protests over the shortage of teachers in government schools.

Verma’s reply came during a starred question raised Vidya Sagar Singh Nishad of the JD(U), who sought to know what steps were being taken by the government to fill up vacant posts of teachers at Morwa block high school and the high school at Raghunathpur in Samastipur district.

“We are in the process of recruiting teachers. There is a shortfall of teachers as many schools have been upgraded from middle to high school while the process of upgrading high schools to plus two level is also going on. But we will do the appointments soon,” said the minister.

However, opposition members remained unconvinced by the minister’s reply and demanded that the government inform the House about steps being taken for teachers’ appointment. RJD’s Lalit Kumar Yadav, Bhola Yadav and Congress leaders, including Sadanand Singh, were vocal in slamming the government over the delay in filling up the vacancies.

In totality, the government plans to appoint around 40,000 teachers for the high and plus two schools and around 1 lakh teachers for primary and middle schools. The government has already initiated the process. For secondary teachers, applicants having qualified STET ( state teachers eligibility test) are eligible while for primary level, those having qualified TET( teachers eligibility test) are eligible. At present, there are around 4 lakh government teachers including contractual teachers.

In another short notice question, education minister said the government had started the process of transferring money to students enrolled from class 1 to 8 in government schools via direct beneficiary transfer (DBT) to purchase course books from this year by replacing the old practice of distribution of books after printing them through government agencies. “ Transfer of money to school students via DBT for purchase of books is proving much useful and fast, unlike previous times when the distribution of books used to get delayed for months,” said, the minister.

He elaborated that the government has already transferred Rs 528 crore to around 1.47 crore students, covering almost 90% of the students in government schools. “ Out of the total students having given money through DBT, 70% of the students have got books. We will ensure that rest of the students gets books early,” the minister.

Intervening at this point, deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi too emphasised how the DBT method had proven to be much easier.

Jharkhand government seeks national fair tag for Deoghar Shravani mela

Source: hindustantimes.com

The Jharkhand government will send a proposal to the Centre requesting national fair status to Deoghar Shravani mela, the cabinet decided on Tuesday. The formal proposal will be made soon.

Putting a seal on the tourism department’s proposal, the state cabinet decided to take it up with the Union government in the form of a recommendation with the plea to declare Shravani mela a national fair, said cabinet secretary Ajoy Kumar Singh in Deoghar while briefing media persons after the meeting.

The mela is held in Baidyanathdham (Deoghar) every year in the month of Shravan (the fifth month of Hindu calendar from mid July to mid August) wherein people offer Gangajal to the Shivalingam situated in Babadham temple. It is one of the 12 Jyotirlingas in India wherein kanwarias (devotees) in lakhs from various parts of the country and foreign lands throng the temple city.

The cabinet also put its seal on removing state value added tax (VAT) that is being levied on liquor and human consumption items sold at army canteens of the state besides the border security force (BSF) training school in Meru (Hazaribag).

It cleared the decks for the construction of two new roads and reconstruction of three existing roads as well.

The new roads sanctioned are: Dumka ring road (7.45 km) at the cost of Rs 36.77 crore (revised estimate), BishnugarhNarki road (22.96 km) in Bokaro costing Rs 41.57 crore and Fatehpur More- Bangi road via Bhelwaghati (Rs 50.51 crore) in Giridih.

The roads for which widening and strengthening was cleared are: Katra-Kerakona road in Gumla (11.40 km; Rs 56.72 lakh) and the 6.31 km Koeridih-Dighria road between Punasi and Jasidih in Deoghar district costing 27.92 crore.

Re 1 stamp duty scheme misused, Jharkhand loses Rs 1.07 crore

Source: newindianexpress.com

RANCHI: The Jharkhand government has suffered a loss of Rs 1.07 crore due to widespread misuse of a scheme that allows registration of property worth Rs 50 lakh by women at only Re 1 stamp duty.

Launched by the state’s Raghubar Das government in June 2017, the scheme made registration of immovable property worth Rs 50 lakh in the name of women free of stamp duty save for a token amount of Re 1. For property above Rs 50 lakh, women had to pay Rs 50 lakh as registry charges.

The stamp fee was waived only if the property was registered in the name of women.

“So far, 1,52,521 women have benefitted from the Re 1 registry scheme,” Jharkhand Land and Revenue Minister Amar Bawari told reporters on Tuesday.

“But the scheme, which aimed to empower the women in the state, has also been misused. Till now 238 cases have come to our notice where women have benefitted from the scheme more than once. The state government has suffered a loss of Rs 1.07 crore. We have recovered Rs 27.90 lakh from the violators and process is on to recover more,” Bawari added.

West Singhbhum farmers wary of Jharkhand government’s agriculture incentive scheme

Source: hindustantimes.com

Tribal farmers of Jharkhand’s West Singhbhum district want to stay out of the state government’s flagship scheme Mukhya Mantri Krishi Ashirvad Yojana (MMKAY), fearing that their land would be acquired if they share land details to avail the monetary support under the state government scheme.

Confusion reigned all around the poor tribal population in the hinterlands after 2017, when the state’s BJP-led Raghubar Das government attempted to amend the British-era tenancy laws – Chhotanagpur Tenancy Act (CNT) and Santhal Pargana Tenancy Act (SPT), as well as the Land Acquisition Act, 2013. Though the government could not amend the CNT and SPT Acts, it successfully brought changes in the Land Acquisition Act to waive off the social impact assessment (SIA) clause for land acquisition, which enables the government to acquire land for specific purposes such as building of schools, colleges or hospitals.

The opposition parties, however, had fought tooth and nail to prevent the government from amending the laws in 2017. It charged the government of acting on behalf of corporate interests to acquire tribal land. A message, thus, was spread among tribal population that the government wanted to alienate them from their land.

The misinformation became so deep-rooted that even Prime Minister Narendra Modi had to assure tribal voters in West Singhbhum during the 2019 Lok Sabha election campaigns that no one would acquire their land.

Eyeing the assembly elections scheduled to be held in November-December this year, the BJP dispensation in the state has fixed a deadline for the state bureaucracy to disburse agriculture incentives announced by the government for fiscal 2019-20.

The state government, in line with the centre’s Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana (PMKSNY), had also announced that small and marginal landholders having landholdings up to five acres, will get an annual incentive of Rs 5,000 per acre for Kharif crop production.

But residents of many tribal villages under Manjhari, Gudri, Sonua, Bandhgaon, Manoharpur, Noamundi, Hatgamharia, Jhinkpani and other blocks in West Singhbhum district expressed their concern and reluctance to avail the monetary benefits under the scheme. They believe that government would take over their land if they share land details to avail the financial benefits under MMKAY.

Some residents of Jhangiburu villager in Manjhari block had even sent a letter to the deputy commissioner (DC) last week to raise their concerns.

Ram Soren, a Kisan Mitra who is supposed to collect villagers’ application in Noamundi Basti under Noamundi block said, “Out of around 50 farmers in his village, only 25 have applied for the monetary benefits.”

“Villagers are saying that the government did not give them benefits under the Indira Aawas Yojana and other schemes as promised earlier. Now it is luring the tribal people with MMKAY to acquire their plots in the name of financial support,” Soren said.

West Singhbhum deputy commissioner (DC) Arava Rajkamal, however, on June 10 had issued letters to 217 mukhiyas (village head), asking them to convince people not to get swayed by rumours. He had also sent a team of district administration to Jhangiburu village to sensitise the villagers.

On Thursday, the DC along with other officials, visited Asura village in Jhinkpani block to convince people to apply and avail the financial assistance that would help them in purchasing seeds, pesticides and other goods for better agricultural production.

“Farmers are free to use the said money for agricultural purposes and the administration is not going to ask for fund utility proof,” DC Rajkamal said.

He informed that out of 1.5 lakh beneficiary farmers in the district, only 38,819 farmers have so far applied for the scheme. As many as 12,800 farmers had received the first instalment of Rs 2000 out of Rs 6,000 annual benefit under PMKSNY. 35,000 more farmers have now applied.

“It is a rumour that farmers’ lands would be acquired or transferred if they furnish land details in Form C. Through the forms, we are just taking their approval for depositing respective amount directly to their bank accounts,” Rajkamal said.

“A group of people with antidevelopment mindset have been spreading rumors. Strict legal action would be taken against those involved.”


Ban private practice of Bihar government doctors, give allowance: IGIMS director

Source: dustantimes.com

With the Bihar government considering granting autonomy to some of its health facilities, director of the Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (IGIMS) has advocated banning private practice of government doctors while granting autonomy to healthcare institutions for improved patient care.

The IGIMS, which is Bihar’s only autonomous medical institution, built on the pattern of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), has achieved many milestones during the recent past. Seeing its success, the state government now wants to replicate the IGIMS model at five other healthcare institutions of Bihar.

Among the institutions being considered for grant of autonomy are the multi-specialty Patna Medical College Hospital (PMCH); the Indira Gandhi Institute of Cardiology (IGIC), a superspecialty centre for cardiology; Rajendra Nagar Government Hospital, a superspecialty centre for eyecare; Lok Nayak Jaiprakash Narayan Hospital, a superspecialty centre for orthopaedics; and the New Gardiner Road Hospital, a superspecialty centre for endocrinology and nephrology.

Bihar’s principal secretary, health, Sanjay Kumar, had recently said that the government was actively considering autonomy for five of its premier health facilities on the pattern of IGIMS.

Dr Nihar Ranjan Biswas, who belongs to the AIIMS-New Delhi and is on deputation to the IGIMS as its director, suggested that government doctors be given non-practising allowance (NPA) and should be available round the clock, as was the practice at AIIMS.

Dr Biswas had floated the idea of “full autonomy to medical institutions” in presence of health minister Mangal Pandey, speaker of the Bihar legislative assembly Vijay Kumar Choudhary and principal secretary, health, Sanjay Kumar, during a seminar on kidney transplant organised at the institute on May 26.

Sharing his recipe of success, Dr Biswas said, “Medical institutions should be granted full autonomy in the true sense. With autonomy, appointment of director as also selection of faculty members should be done through all-India competitions.”

Dr Biswas was also averse to the idea of extending free treatment to patients. “The government should subsidise the cost of treatment and diagnostic tests, but not make healthcare facilities available free of cost to patients,” he added.

Doctors were, however, divided on banning private practice in Bihar. While the Bihar Health Services Association (BHSA) supported giving doctors NPA and remuneration at par with the Centre, the Indian Medical Association (IMA), Bihar, opposed it, saying it should be “optional”.

“Government doctors should be given the choice whether they want to avail of NPA or not take it and do private practice. The decision to ban private practice should not be thrust upon all doctors. If doctors who do not opt for NPA were to resign, many government medical colleges will risk being derecognised by the Medical Council of India (MCI) due to faculty shortage,” said Dr Sahjanand Prasad Singh, immediate past president of IMA-Bihar.

Asked if that meant that doctors wanted to have the best of both worlds, Dr Singh said, “In a way, yes… but it will also benefit the state. Giving NPA and remuneration to all state government doctors at par with the Centre will be a huge burden on the state’s exchequer.”

BHSA general secretary Dr Ranjit Kumar said, “We have already given an undertaking to the government in 2007 that we want NPA. Private practice remains banned on paper after the government withdrew NPA from March 2001. However, a majority of government doctors continue to do private practice.”

Senior doctors of the two associations, on condition of anonymity, said that many doctors of AIIMS-Patna and IGIMS, all getting NPA, were continuing with their private practice due to poor implementation of rules.

The Bihar government had banned private practice and paid NPA to its doctors for a limited period of 11 months between March 1, 2000 and February 2001 before withdrawing NPA.

Jharkhand government eyeing intellectual property rights for Peda and Sohrai

Source: newindianexpress.com

RANCHI: With the intention of claiming patents on Deoghar’s ‘peda’ and ‘Sohrai’ painting of Hazaribagh, the State Government has decided to conduct a research survey for guidance in establishing intellectual property rights and geographical indicators of Jharkhand, outsourcing the work to the National Law School of India in Bengaluru.

The State Cabinet on Tuesday sanctioned Rs 33.55 lakh for the purpose.

The Cabinet gave its approval for research, survey and filing application for the registration of Geographical Indication of Jharkhand and guiding in establishing intellectual property rights centre for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME).

Officials said that the survey will be focused on MSMEs and the research will help them get intellectual property rights over products.

The MSME Centre in Ranchi will function as the nodal office for this survey. The famous Deoghar peda and Hazaribagh Sohrai art and many other products and art forms of Jharkhand may also come under this survey,” Urban Development Secretary Ajay Kumar Singh told the media on Wednesday.

Peda is offered to Lord Shiva at Deoghar. As per an estimate, annual turnover of peda is around Rs 50 crore, with a remarkable increase during Shrawani Mela.

Sohrai painting, on the other hand, is an indigenous art form practised by the women, where ritualistic art is done on mud walls to welcome the harvest season and to celebrate cattle.

‘By reinventing Bihar Tourism, we hope to give a boost to the tourism sector’

Vinay Kumar IAS, director, Department of Tourism, Government of Bihar spoke to Joy Roy Choudhury of the dept’s major plans

What are the major tourism infrastructure development projects being implemented in the state now?

For the first time, a comprehensive Tourism Policy has been formulated and is being implemented. Tourism has been accorded the status of industry in the state, and a Tourism Protection Force shall be in existence very shortly. Very serious and planned steps have been taken to build, improve and renovate infrastructure. Selection and training of tourist guides are under way. A Tourism Enterprise Survey has been conducted with the assistance of Ministry of Tourism, Government of India. Two more studies, namely, Visitor’s Motivation Survey and Visitor’s Expenditure Surveys, are under consideration. Buddhist circuit roads are to be converted into four-lane highways with the cooperation from the Japan International Cooperation Agency. There are also plans for empanelment of travel businesses and complete overhaul of Bihar State Tourism Development Corporation (BSTDC). Major infrastructure projects include creation of meditation and convention centres in Bodhgaya and Rajgir, development of circumambulatory paths in Bodhgaya and Rajgir, development and beautification of all tourist sites, creation of new sites, and development of tourism-related roads and wayside amenities.

How are you promoting the Buddhist circuit in the state?

The Department of Tourism intends to promote, among others, the Buddhist heritage, the Jain circuit, rural tourism, the Sufi circuit, Gangetic and eco-tourism. Bihar Tourism believes that Bihar is to the Budhhists what Saudi Arabia is to the Muslims.

We organised a two-day International Buddhist Conclave in Nalanda in February this year in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India. Over 150 foreign delegates, mainly drawn from south-east and east Asian countries, were invited. We attend all major tourism events in the country and the London and Berlin events abroad. BSTDC has prepared special Buddhist packages which have been a hit. We hold Rajgir and Bodhgaya Festivals in the months of December and January which have become reputed. We are initiating negotiations with major airlines of Buddhist countries to bring regular and chartered flights to Bodhgaya. The Mahaparinirvana Express, run by the IRCTC, has been another powerful vehicle to bring tourists to the state.

The state government is advocating Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) to promote tourism in the state. Tell us about the major private-sector projects under implementation/on the anvil in the state.

As I mentioned earlier, tourism enjoys the status of industry in the state and by virtue of it all major policy concessions and exemptions are available to tourism ventures of the private sector. An important example of private-public partnership is the Ganga Cruise, which is quite popular among foreign tourists. Another such partnership in the making is setting up of star-category hotels on properties of BSTDC on long-term lease basis.

How are you planning to position the state as a favourable tourism destination for both domestic and foreign tourists?

Bihar currently receives about four and a half lakh foreign tourists every year. By reinventing Bihar Tourism, improving the infrastructure and building up the brand image, we hope to give a boost to the tourism sector.

Bihar Government has been trying hard to provide employment opportunities to the educated unemployed youths of the state. Selection and training of guides is one important initiative. Promotion of various tourism enterprises in hotel and restaurant businesses will be the main focus of the government.