June 2018

BIHAR   Railway projects hanging fire in state   The railways’ ambitious move to execute the pending projects on a cost-sharing basis with the states is yet to bear desired results in many states, including Bihar where certain projects are hanging fire because of resource crunch. According to a Railway Board official, Jharkhand and Karnataka have positively responded to the railways’ … Read more

BIHAR Bihar likely to ban single-use plastic   Deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi said the state government would try to ban single-use plastic within a year.     He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi tried to enlist the help of developed nations in terms of technology and funds to curb pollution, but countries like the US refused. … Read more

BIHAR Japan to help Bihar become‘vital gateway’ of Northeast, says envoy   Japanese ambassador to India, Kenji Hiramatsu said his country was keen to co-operate with Bihar for positioning it as the vital gateway to north eastern region and ASEAN, finding solutions to urban problems, disaster risk mitigation and promoting tourism through infrastructure development and … Read more

BIHAR State seeks Rs 1,100 crore from Centre for power connections   The state energy department is to submit within a week a detailed project report to the Centre to seek Rs1100 crore for providing household electricity connections under Saubhagya scheme that envisages payment of power installation charges to every household in 60:40 ratio by the Centre … Read more

BIHAR Penalty on discoms for load shedding from financial year 2019   Union minister of state for power and renewable energy (independent charge) R K Singh said power distribution companies (discoms) would have to pay penalty for load shedding in any area from the next financial year. Singh said the discoms would also have to bear the … Read more

BIHAR   Chhattisgarh eyes Bihar model for booze ban   Taking a leaf out of Bihar’s stringent prohibition law, Chhattisgarh government too wants to implement total prohibition.   Enforcing prohibition was a very difficult task in Bihar as certain educated people and different lobbies were dead against the state government’s move. The critics took alibi of … Read more

BIHAR After prohibition, Bihar gets high on milk and honey   Chief minister Nitish Kumar  reiterated that liquor would remain banned in Bihar although the government was to amend some of its legal provisions to prevent the misuse of stringent law, but the jury is still out on the positive changes of prohibition in society, as has … Read more

BIHAR Economists asked to study Bihar-specific development issues   Economists participating in the three-day annual meeting of Bihar Economic Association in Gaya have emphasised the need to conduct studies on Bihar-specific issues for speedy development of the state.   Some of the conference participants regretted that enough was not being done to dissect the different dimensions of … Read more

BIHAR Bihar’s Shahi Litchi may soon have GI tag   The famed Shahi litchi, grown extensively in many north Bihar districts, may soon be bestowed with the Geographical Indications (GI) tag. The details of the luscious fruit have been advertised in the Geographical Indications Journal, number 107, of June 5, 2018. The journal has been … Read more

BIHAR New crop insurance scheme gets govt nod   The state cabinet gave its nod to the Bihar State Crop Assistance Scheme which will replace the existing system of crop insurance with effect from kharif (monsoon) season this year. Sources said once the new scheme comes into effect, farmers would be paid a compensation of Rs 7,500 per acre … Read more