Nitish Kumar flags off projects worth over Rs 500 crore
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar inaugurated and laid foundation stones of around 750 projects, worth more than Rs 500 crore, in Khagaria and Begusarai districts of the state.
As part of his ‘Vikas Samiksha Yatra’, Kumar began the day with a tour of
Gauchhari Kataha village in Khagaria, where he flagged off 294 projects worth
Rs 236 crore.
Later, at Barbigghi village in Begusarai, he inaugurated another 462 projects
totalling around Rs 321 crore. The chief minister addressed public meetings at both the places, and laid stress on eradicating social evils like dowry and child marriage, against which his
government has launched a campaign.
State government of Bihar bans electronic cigarettes.
The state government has banned electronic cigarettes in Bihar.
The manufacturing, distribution, sale, purchase, display and advertisement of e-cigarettes have been banned as well.
Online purchase of e-cigarettes has been prohibited, too.
All the products not approved by the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) and containing
nicotine have already been banned in the state. Along with these products, e-hookah also remains banned, as the youth have hooked
themselves to smoking it, too.
The centre has, moreover, put tobacco based products in the category of ‘sinful goods’, inducing higher goods and services tax (GST)
Bihar cabinet grants Rs 105 crore for Mahadalit Vikas Mission
The Bihar cabinet has approved a grant of Rs 105 crore for the Bihar Mahadalit Vikas Mission, set up with the objective of devising and implementing schemes designed
especially for the most deprived sections among the Scheduled Castes.
The Mission was set up in 2008 with a notification of the state government as an autonomous body functioning under the SC/ST Welfare Department.
Other decisions taken at the cabinet meeting include construction of a high security jail in Phulwari sharif block of Patna district at an estimated cost of Rs 56.72 crore.
Maoists and notorious criminals from prisons across the state would be lodged in this jail
Delhi Is The Richest State, Bihar The Poorest: NFHS-4
According to the findings of the 4th round of National Family Health Survey (NFHS-4), people in Delhi and Punjab are the richest in India, with more than 60 per cent of
their households in the top wealth quintile.
HOW IS THE NATIONAL FAMILY AND HEALTH SURVEY CONDUCTED?
➢ The ministry of health and family welfare recently released findings of the NFHS-4 report
➢ Its large sample size and the fact that it was carried out just a couple of years ago makes it an extremely useful source of information in analysing India’s socioeconomic
landscape
➢ The report uses a wealth index based on scores on ownership of consumer goods such as television and bicycles, and household characteristics such as availability of basic facilities like
clean drinking water.
➢ It then uses this information to classify all households into five wealth quintiles
➢ The lowest quintile has the poorest 20 per cent, while the top has the wealthiest 20 per cent of the lot.
➢ This survey is helpful in depicting the disparities in wealth-holdings across various categories and to reiterate that there can’t be one uniform government policy which can be
applied on all states, as there are different scenarios in different states.
➢ Conducted over 6 lakh Indian households in 2015-2016, it also reveals poverty as a predominantly rural phenomenon
FINDINGS: BOTTOM, TOP AND EQUAL
State-wise.
❑ Bihar has more than half of its households in the bottom quintile
❑ Delhi and Punjab have over 60 per cent households in the top quintile
❑ Goa follows next with 54.5 per cent households in the top bracket
❑ With similar number of households in all quintiles, wealth in Rajasthan is most equitably distributed among all Indian states
Community-wise
With 70 per cent of its population in the top quintile, Jain community is the most prosperous (richest) one. Only 1.5 per cent of Jain households fall in lowest two
quintiles.
Sikhs follow next, with 59.6 per cent of their people in the top wealth quintile. There isn’t much difference between Hindus and Muslims and they are very close
to the national distribution of wealth. Upper castes’ have almost double the share of households in the top quintile
compared to other caste groups.
Scheduled tribes, with 45.9 per cent of their people in the lowest quintile, are the poorest
Nitish Kumar to receive 1st Mufti M Sayeed Award for Probity in Public
Life CM Nitish Kumar has been selected for the 1st Mufti Mohammad Sayeed Award for Probity in Public Life.
He was conferred the award at an official function of Jammu & Kashmir government to be held at Jammu..
The award was constituted recently by the Jammu and Kashmir government to commemorate the death anniversary of PDP founder and two-time J&K chief minister
Sayeed who died on January 7, 2016 after nearly a week-long hospitalization in New Delhi.
Sayeed was father of J&K CM Mehbooba Mufti.
Water Resources Ministry Signs MoU with Bihar and Jharkhand for
Completion of North Koel Reservoir Project.
A Memorandum of Understanding has been signed between Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Government of India, State
of Bihar and State of Jharkhand for completion of balance works of North Koel reservoir project at an estimated cost of Rs. 1622.27 crore.
A supplementary Memorandum of Agreement has also been signed between Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation,
Government of India, National Water Development Agency, NABARD with State Governments of Bihar and Jharkhand for funding of the state share under Long
Term Irrigation Fund (LTIF) for North Koel reservoir project.
The construction of North Koel project was started in 1972 but was later halted in 1993.
The project situated on North Koel river, a tributary of Sone river will provide irrigation to 1,11,521 hectares of land annually in the most backward and drought prone areas of
Palamu and Garhwa districts in Jharkhand and Aurangabad and Gaya districts in Bihar.
Out of the estimated cost of balance works of Rs. 1622.27 crores, the common component amounting to Rs. 1013.11 crores shall be borne by the Govt. of India as a
grant from LTIF under Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY).
Out of remaining cost of works amounting to Rs. 609.16 crores
pertaining to Bihar and Jharkhand portion, 60% of the cost amounting to Rs. 365.5 crores shall be financed by Central Government from LTIF
making the total Central share as Rs 1378.61 crore.
Remaining 40% of cost amounting to Rs. 243.66 crores will be borne by the States through the loan financed by NABARD.
The project is scheduled to be completed in 30 months from the start of the project.
INS Vikramaditya affiliated to Armys Bihar Regiment, IAFs
INS Vikramaditya, the largest navy ship and the country’s only aircraft carrier, has been formally affiliated to the Bihar Regiment, a highly-decorated infantry
unit of the Army, and Squadron No. 6 of the Indian Air Force, the Navy.
The squadron specialises in maritime strike operations and operates the Jaguar fighter aircraft.
A glittering ceremony was held onboard INS Vikramaditya in the Karwar naval base which is nestled in the picturesque Western Ghats.
The affiliation motto is ‘Victory through Jointness’
State bans sale of loose cigarettes The Bihar government has banned sale of loose cigarettes in the state.
Bihar has become the 12th state in India to ban the sale of loose cigarettes. The notification specifies that as per Section 7 of the Cigarettes and Other
Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), 2003, pictorial warnings of harmful effects of tobacco consumption should be made on the packets of tobacco products.
According to a survey, eighty percent people use loose cigarettes. The Survey says, 54 percent adults in Bihar use tobacco products and 9
percent of them are smokers. Around 12 lakh tobacco-related deaths occur in the country every year
Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan inaugurates CPA
Conference in Patna Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan inaugurated the 6 th Conference of
Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) of India Region in Patna, Bihar.
The conference of CPA of India Region is conducted for 2 days.
Main subjects for discussion in the conference are ‘Parliament’s role in the
development agenda’ and ‘Legislature and Judiciary’.
The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA), previously known as
the Empire Parliamentary Association, is an organisation which works to support good governance, democracy and human rights
The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) currently has approximately 180 branches and is divided into nine regions –
Africa; Asia; Australia; British Islands and Mediterranean; Canada; Caribbean, Americas and Atlantic; India; Pacific,
and South-East Asia.
The CPA Headquarters Secretariat is based in London.
The India region of the CPA consists of the India Union Branch (Parliament of India) and 31 state / union territories branches.
K S Dwivedi appointed as DGP of Bihar
KS Dwivedi will take charge as Director General of Police (DGP) of Bihar on 1st March 2018.
He has replaced PK Thakur.
PK Thakur retired from his post on 28th February 2018. KS Dwivedi is an Indian Police Service (IPS) Officer of 1984
batch. His current position is Director General (training) in Bihar.
His appointment as DGP of Bihar was made by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
Sushil Modi inaugurates Bihars 1st Startup hub in Patna
Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi said the state government is committed to provide necessary assistance to youths who would come forward
to set up startups in the state. Work station and office space equipped with free of cost “plug and play” facility
would be made available for 31 startup companies in the newly inaugurated startup hub.
The startup hub would instill a sense of entrepreneurship among youths of the state, Dy CM said adding that policy and structural reforms have been initiated
recently in order to promote IT enable services and ESDM (Electronics System Design and Manufacturing) in the state.
Bihar celebrates 106th foundation day
On 22nd March 2018, celebrations for the 106th foundation day of Bihar began at three locations: Gandhi Maidan, S K Memorial Hall and Rabindra
Bhawan in Patna, Bihar.
Theme of 106th foundation day of Bihar is: “Centenary of Champaran Satyagraha and Elimination of Dowry and Child Marriage”.
Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu released the following books: ‘EkTha Mohan’, ‘Bapu Ki Chiththi’, ‘Champaran Ki Kahani’ and ‘Neel Ke Dhabbe’.
The first Bihar Diwas was celebrated in 2012.
Bihar separated from undivided Bengal in 1912 on 22nd March as an independent state.
Madhubani railway station in Bihar gets makeover with Mithila paintings
Madhubani railway station in Bihar, which was once considered as a dirty railway station has
got a makeover with the traditional Mithila paintings.
Mithila art, also referred to as Madhubani art is practiced in the Mithila region (in Bihar). These paintings constitute geometrical patterns drawn with twigs, fingers, brushes, nib-pens,
and matchsticks, using natural dyes and pigments.
More than 225 artists, comprising 80 per cent women, volunteered to paint the station free of cost.
This feat is equivalent to a world record as the total wall area of more than 14000 sq ft has
been fully painted with various themes under traditional Mithila painting style
PM Modi launches Indian Railways first 12,000 HP ‘Make in India’ electric locomotive
Indian Railways takes big step towards environment-friendly transformation: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has flagged off Indian Railways’ first ‘Make in India’ 12,000
HP electric locomotive.
The locomotive rolled out of the factory in Bihar’s Madhepura and will now go to Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh for extensive testing before it is inducted into the
Indian Railways.
The electric locomotive manufacturing facility has been set up as joint venture between French major Alstom (76%) and Indian Railways (24%).
The 3.5 billion euros project is said to be the biggest FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) project in Indian Railways.
The new high-powered electric locomotives will run on dedicated freight corridors,
pulling freight at much better speeds and doing so in a more ‘green’ way than the diesel locomotives
The electric locomotives will be gam echangers for Indian Railways as the national transporter looks to commission dedicated freight corridors for faster movement of
goods at a time when roadways is giving stiff competition.
The WAG12 (Prima 8) locomotives will be able to haul as much as 6000 tonnes at a maximum speed of 120 kmph.
The locomotives have Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors (IGBT)-based propulsion technology and are able to save energy in an efficient way due to regenerative
braking.
The electric locomotives will have LED lamps and low voltage cables – making them ‘green’ locomotives.
Technology transfer forms a major part of the initiative and as much as 90% of the
components that will be used to make the electric locomotives will be from India.
The first 5 car body shells for the locomotives will come from Belfort, but eventually
everything will be manufactured in India.
Alstom will manufacture 800 electric locomotives at the Madhepura facility and the contract also involves maintenance of these locos over a span of 11 years.
For maintenance purposes, facilities are being set up by Alstom in Saharanpur (Uttar Pradesh) and Nagpur (Maharashtra).
The joint venture aims to provide around 10,000 direct and indirect jobs in the states of Bihar, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh.
PM addresses National Convention of Swachhagrahis, launches
development projects
On April 10, 2018, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the National Convention of Swachhagrahis (cleanliness ambassadors) at Motihari, in East
Champaran district of Bihar.
The event was organized, as part of the centenary celebrations of the Satyagraha led by Mahatma Gandhi, in Champaran.
Theme of the centenary celebrations of the Champaran Satyagraha is “Satyagraha se Swachhagrah”.
Overview of Development Projects launched by PM Modi in
Motihari:
PM Modi launched development projects worth over Rs. 6600 crore in Motihari. Water Supply and Sanitation sector: PM Modi unveiled a plaque to mark the
foundation stone of Motijheel Project, the Bettiah Nagar Parishad Water Supply Scheme
and four Ganga Projects viz. Saidpur Sewage Network – Patna, Pahari STP project, Pahari Sewage Network – Zone 4, Patna and Pahari Sewage Network – Zone 5,
Patna.
Railways Sector: PM Modi laid the foundation stone of the doubling of railway lines between Muzaffarpur – Sagauli and Sagauli – Valmikinagar.
He dedicated the first phase of the Madhepura Electric Locomotive Factory to the nation and also flagged off the first 12000 Horse Power Freight
Electric Locomotive and the Champaran Humsafar Express.
Other Projects: PM Modi also laid the foundation stone for a petroleum oil lube and LPG terminal of Indian Oil Corporation Ltd at Motihari, a road lane
of National Highway-2 in Auranagabad – Bihar-Jharkhand border section and an LPG Plant of Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) at
Sagauli.
Bihar has highest rate of crime against SC/STs, Bengal lowest:
NCRB data
Bihar reports the highest rate of crimes against Schedule Caste/Schedule
Tribe population, while West Bengal reports the lowest, according to latest
data released by National Crime Records Bureau.
For crimes against SCs specifically, Madhya Pradesh is highest at 43.4 per cent, and West Bengal is lowest at 6 per cent.
For crimes against the ST population specifically, Rajasthan is the highest at
12.9 per cent, with West Bengal being the lowest at 1.6 per cent.
Since 2014, crimes against SCs have increased one percent overall, although
there was a steep rise of 5.5 percent in 2016.
As per 2016 statistics, Uttar Pradesh accounts for over a quarter (25.6 percent) of these crimes in 2016, followed by Bihar and Rajasthan.
This is further reflected in the fact that their respective capital cities constitute almost 45 percent of the total crimes against SCs among all 19
metropolitan cities.
States with low prevalence of violence include West Bengal (0.3%), Jharkhand (1.3%) and Kerala (2%).
Coimbatore and Chennai have emerged with the lowest prevalence of violence against SCs amongst all metropolitan cities, with 0.2% and 0.6%
respectively.
NDMA conducts its first-ever Mock Exercise on Bio-Disasters at Patna airport.
A five-day Day training programme, aimed at enhancing the preparedness of Airport Emergency Handlers (AEHs) to respond to CBRN emergencies at the airports, concluded
at the Lok Nayak Jayaprakash Airport in Patna.
The training programme was conducted in collaboration with the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and Institute of Nuclear Medicine & Allied Sciences (INMAS).
CBRN emergencies pertain to threats emanating due to Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear material.
During the training, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) jointly with the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) also conducted its first-ever full-scale
Biological Management Emergency Exercise.
The exercise was based on a suspected Ebola outbreak scenario.
Biological emergencies are extremely complicated to handle and require utmost expertise not only in handling the victims but also in screening them before they
escape out in community.
National Disaster Management Authority
National Disaster Management Authority, abbreviated as NDMA is an agency of the Ministry of Home Affairs whose primary purpose is to coordinate response
to natural or man-made disasters and for capacity-building in disaster resiliency and crisis response.
NDMA was established through the Disaster Management Act enacted by the Government of India in may 30 2005. The Prime Minister is the ex-officio
chairperson of it
Patna tops in 4G connectivity among 20 largest cities: Report Patna tops in 4G connectivity among 20 of India’s largest cities.
It has emerged ahead of the likes of Bengaluru, Mumbai and Delhi, said a report from OpenSignal, a wireless coverage mapping company.
4G user experience in the 20 cities was monitored for 90 days from 1 December 2017.
Four cities from India’s central and eastern regions—Patna, Kanpur, Allahabad, Kolkata, Bhopal and Lucknow—made it to the top 10 while
popular tech hubs like Bengaluru are at 10, followed by Hyderabad, Mumbai and Delhi.
Bihar Mukhyamantri Civil Seva Protsahan Yojana
Bihar govt. has now launched Mukhyamantri Anusuchit Jati Evam Anusuchit Janjati Civil Seva Protsahan Yojana to help “Mahadalits” to focus on their
studies.
Under this scheme, all the Scheduled Caste (SC) / Scheduled Tribes (ST) students will get Rs. 50,000 and Rs. 1 Lakh respectively as an assistance for
clearing preliminary round of civil services examination conducted by Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) and Union Public Service Commission
(UPSC).
This new scheme will help the students from economically weaker sections to focus on their education without worrying about expenses. Bihar govt. will
make payment of this amount / grant in a single installment and this money
will get transferred directly into the bank accounts of students.
Bihar Mukhyamantri Civil Service Protsahan Yojana is a next major step after
the state govt’s flagship “Student Credit Card Scheme”.
Under Bihar SCC Scheme, govt. provides loan of up to Rs. 4 lakh to a student after passing Class 12th.
However to avail the loan, the annual income of the parents of the candidates must be less than Rs. 1.5 lakh.
Other Decisions in the Cabinet Meeting.
❖ Govt. will provide an assistance of Rs. 1000 to all the boys and girls studying and living in the hostels meant for SCs / STs.
This financial assistance will be provided under the Mukhyamantri Anusuchit Jati Evam Janjati Chhatravas Yojana.
❖ Bihar govt. has extended all the schemes for mahadalits to SC / ST candidates
including scheme to provide land for housing or Dashrath Manjhi Skill Development scheme.
Now all the schemes run by the Bihar Mahadalit Vikas Mission will also be
applicable for SC / ST families.
❖ The state govt. will also provide 15 Kg Subsidized Wheat & Rice at BPL Rates to all the students living in hostels run by the SC / ST welfare dept., OBC / EBC welfare
dept. and minority affairs welfare department.
Bihar Mukhyamantri Kanya Utthan Yojana Bihar govt. has launched Mukhyamantri Kanya Utthan Yojana as a major initiative to stop
child marriage.
Under this scheme, govt. will provide Rs. 5000 on the birth of a girl child, Rs. 10000 after completion of inter school examinations (unmarried) and Rs. 25000 on passing graduation
degree.
This ambitious girls welfare scheme will benefit around 1.6 crore girls per year
This scheme is applicable up to 2 girl child of a single family.
Bihar govt. will start implementing this scheme from April 2018.
Bihar govt.currently spends Rs. 840 crore per year on girls education.
In this scheme, govt. will spend an additional Rs. 1400 crore p.a. The important features and highlights of Mukhyamantri Kanya Utthan Yojana are
as follows:-
Bihar govt. will now spend Rs. 54,100 on each girl from the time of their birth up to their graduation apart from the existing schemes like scholarship, bi-cycle scheme,
Students Credit Card etc.
Now the state govt. will spend an enhanced amount of Rs. 300 for sanitary napkins
(previously Rs. 150).
The state govt. will give incentives to the girls as follows:-
Birth (Rs 5,000) – All the girls on their birth will now get Rs. 5000 (previous amount
was Rs. 2000).This amount will be given as follows:-
❖Bihar Govt. will provide first installment of Rs. 2000 at the time of birth of
girl child.
❖The state govt. will provide second installment of Rs. 1000 to the child once
she turns 1 years old. For this amount, every 1 year old child must possess her
biometrics linked with Aadhaar Number.
❖Final Installment of Rs. 2000 will be given at the time of completion of
immunization.
❖These incentives will help in achieving the target of complete immunization
and aadhaar linkage
Passing Intermediate Exams (Rs. 10,000) – Under Mukhyamantri Kanya Utthan
Yojana, a girl will get Rs. 10,000 as incentive on passing intermediate
examination.
To avail this amount there is a pre-condition that the girl is unmarried. Married
girls are not entitled to avail this benefit. This step will help in preventing child
marriage.
Passing Graduation Degree (Rs. 25,000) – For this incentive, a girl must have
passed graduation degree from any institution.
Moreover, these incentives are not subject to any precondition for marriage. All
girls either married or unmarried can avail these benefits as at the time of passing
graduation, a girl becomes major.
In another important decision, the cabinet also decided to abolish the
criteria of 40 per cent disability in case of acid victims in order to give
them Rs 400 pension per month.
The cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar also decided to
increase the amount to buy uniform from current Rs 250 to Rs 400 for
children aged between three to six years of age at Anganwadi
Kendras
Bihar Student Credit Card (SCC) Scheme – Edu Fin Corp to Provide Loans to Students.
Bihar govt. has set up an Education Finance Corporation to provide loans under Bihar Student Credit Card (SCC) Scheme.
Subsequently, Edu Fin Corp will start providing loans up to Rs. 4 lakh from the next fiscal year i.e FY 2019.
Accordingly, govt. will provide this loan amount to students to pursue higher
studies in educational institutions.
The state govt. has launched this student credit card scheme in bihar in order to
provide high quality education to a large number of youths.
Subsequently, setting up of Education Finance Corporation will help in successful
implementation of this scheme without the involvement of banks.
Bihar SCC Scheme is a major step under 7 nischay yuva mission which focuses on increasing the gross enrollment ratio.
Interested candidates can apply online for student credit card bihar at 7nishchayyuvaupmission.bihar.gov.in
Need For Setting up Education Finance Corporation – SCC Scheme.
Existing Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) for higher studies is 13.9% in Bihar. The state govt.
wishes to raise GER to at-least 20%.
Under SCC Scheme, bihar govt. provides a guarantee of Rs. 160 for every
Rs. 100 borrowed by a student. Still the banks were delaying disbursement of funds to the eligible beneficiaries and their response also was not along
the expected lines.
So, the state govt. has decided to set up an Education Finance Corporation to tackle and resolve this issue.
Accordingly, the state govt. will implement this SCC Scheme on their own
without the involvement of banks from next year.
Bihar Mukhayamantri Alpasankheyak Rozgar Rin Yojana for Minorities
Bihar govt. has launched Mukhayamantri Alpasankheyak Rozgar Rin Yojana for minorities.
Subsequently, this scheme will create employment opportunities for the
alpasankhyaks (Minorities) belonging to families having modest income.
Accordingly, govt. will allocate Rs. 100 crore per year for employment generation
from FY 2017-18.
The state govt. has amended the guidelines of Chief Minister Minorities Employment
Loan Scheme.
Now, these new guidelines will boost the employment opportunities for minority
candidates (Muslim, Sikh, Parsi, Buddhist & Christians).
Under this scheme, unemployed candidates can avail loan amount up to Rs. 5 lakh
for businesses & Startups. Bihar govt. will utilize the funds as Revolving funds.
Eligibility Criteria
The age group of the candidates must lie between 18 to 50 years. Candidate must belong to the district where he has to start his / her business with
the loan amount in Bihar.
The candidates must not be serving in any govt. or semi govt. job.
Accordingly, candidate must belong to the minority category.
Moreover, the annual income of the family from all sources must not exceed Rs. 4
lakh (amended
Bihar govt. will provide loans up to Rs. 5 lakh to the selected
candidates on the following interest rates:-
Under this scheme, interest rate applicable is 5% of the loan amount calculated
quarterly.
The moratorium period / waiting period of this loan is 3 months which is absolutely
interest free.
If a candidates pay the loan amount in the specified time, then govt. will provide
relaxation of 0.5% in interest rate.
Loan Repayment – The candidates have to repay their loans in 20 equal quarterly
installments. This scheme will provide benefits to the unemployed youths through
Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) in their bank accounts
Bihar governor Satya Pal Malik gets additional charge of state
Bihar governor Satya Pal Malik received additional charge of Odisha as incumbent
S C Jamir completed his five-year term.
A five-time chief minister of Nagaland, Jamir has been governor of Maharashtra
(2008-2010) and Goa (2004-2008), besides holding additional charge of Gujarat
(July-November 2009).
Asian Development Bank to give $84m loan for water projects in Bihar
Multi-lateral funding agency Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed a $84 million
loan agreement to finance water supply projects in two cities of Bihar.
The loan will finance water supply improvements and expansion in Bhagalpur and
Gaya towns in Bihar.
This is the second tranche of ADB’s $200 million multi-tranche financing facility for Bihar Urban Development Investment Programme, which was approved in 2012.
The Manila-headquartered funding facility is aimed at providing sustainable urban infrastructure and services in Bhagalpur, Gaya, Darbhanga and Muzaffarpur in
Bihar.
The loan finances will support civil works sub-projects and would benefit 1.1 million people in the two project towns with increased coverage of treated
water supply by 2021.
Train 400 urban local body (ULB) staff in the management and operation and maintenance of water supply systems and help ULBs improve technical
and financial management of the water supply operations.
The loan with a 25-year term, includes a grace period of 5 years.
4
th International Dharma-Dhamma Conference held in Nalanda.
President Ram Nath Kovind inaugurated 4th International Dharma-Dhamma
Conference on “State and Social Order in Dharma-Dhamma Traditions” at Rajgir
in Nalanda district.
Nalanda University, in collaboration with the Centre for Study of Religion and Society, India Foundation, Ministry of External Affairs and
the Vietnama Buddhist University, organized the conference from January 11 to 13 at Rajgir International Convention Centre, about 100 km from the state
capital.
The event was organised as part of commemorative events to celebrate Silver Jubilee (25) year of ASEAN-India Dialogue Partnership.
Bihar is national topper in FY17 growth, with 10.3 pc
Bihar clocked a growth rate of 10.3 per cent in 2016-2017 as against 7.5 per cent in the corresponding fiscal a year ago, riding largely on the back of the services
sector, according to the latest Economic Survey tabled in the state Assembly.
Bihar’s growth rate is higher than that of the national average of 7.0 per cent, the 12th Economic Survey of Bihar said.
The state has consistently been revenue surplus, which increased from Rs 5,101
crore in 2012-13 to Rs 10,819 crore in 2016-17, Bihar Deputy CM Sushil Kumar
Modi told reporters after tabling the survey on the first day of the Budget Session.
The Gross Financial Deficit (GFD) of the state government rose by Rs 4,418
crore in 2016-17 over the previous year, compared to an increase of Rs 883 crore in 2015-16, added that the GFD is projected to grow to Rs 18,112 crore in
the current fiscal.
On borrowings, he said the total debt in 2016-17 was Rs 21,577 crore. The agriculture sector has witnessed a growth rate of 6.9 per cent in 2016-17
with total cereal production increasing to 180.99 lakh ton.
Rice production stood at 82.39 lakh ton in the fiscal, a hike of 21.1 per cent over the previous year, while wheat output also recorded a rise from 47.36
lakh ton in 2015-16 to 59.86 lakh ton in 2016-17.
Vegetable and milk production, too, witnessed an increase in the reporting fiscal.
The survey, divided in two volumes for 2017-18, also highlighted lower crime rates in the state.
There was substantial impact of prohibition on the crime rates in Bihar.
The highest decrease in crime rates was recorded for kidnapping for ransom (66.6 per cent), followed by murder (28.3 per cent) and dacoity (22.8 per cent)
60 artworks exhibited at Bihar Museum
At least 60 artworks by artists from different parts of the country have been displayed at a 15-day exhibition at the Bihar Museum.
Christened ‘Constellation’, the exhibition has been jointly organized by the Bihar Museum and Vadodara-based Sarjan Art Gallery.
The exhibition, was from April 5th – 20th.
Bihar CM Inaugurates State’s 1st Driving Training Institute in Collaboration
with Maruti Suzuki India
Nitish Kumar has inaugurated the state’s first Institute of Driving Training and Traffic Research (IDTR) in Aurangabad.
The institute is set up in collaboration Maruti Suzuki India Limited (MSIL), India’s
largest car manufacturer.
Ministers of Bihar Government, senior officials from the State Government and officials from MSIL were present during the inauguration.
The IDTR will set standards for quality driving training and also impart driving training, theoretical and practical, to aspiring and existing drivers.
The institute will focus on the ‘Train-the-Trainer’ model, to have a multiplier effect
and upgrade the driving skills of a larger number of people.
In addition to imparting driving training, MSIL will support the
Government in conducting road safety awareness programs for people and school children in the state.
Apart from the IDTR in Aurangabad, Bihar, MSIL manages 2 IDTRs in Delhi,
2 in Haryana, 1 in Uttrakhand and 1 in Gujarat.
Bihar to hand over its three thermal power plant to NTPC
Bihar government has decided to hand over its three thermal power plants to central power sector undertaking –the National Thermal Power
Corporation(NTPC).
The three power plants are:
Begusarai-based Barauni Thermal power station (BTPS), Muzaffarpur-based joint venture—the Kanti Bijli Utpadan Nigam Limited (KBUNL) and Nabinagarbased
joint venture—the Nabinagar Power Generating Company Limited (NPGCL).
BCCI Technical Committee Approves Bihar’s Participation in Ranji Trophy
In a major relief for the Cricket Association of Bihar, the Sourav Ganguly-led technical committee of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) decided to adhere with the
recommendation of the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators and decided to reinstate Bihar in next year’s Ranji Trophy.
In fact, the committee also recommended an option of including the North-Eastern
states in the Ranji Trophy.
It was thought to be the way forward and the players of Bihar and in the North- Eastern states deserved an opportunity to fight it out against the best players in the domestic
circuit.
It is now up to the general body of the BCCI to approve the recommendation of the
technical committee.
100 BPOs catering to women, SC/ST to come up in Bihar: Ravi Shankar Prasad
100 BPOs will be opened at Common Service Centres (CSCs) in Bihar as part of the government’s efforts to empower women and people belonging to Scheduled caste
and Scheduled Tribe.
It will be opening smaller BPO centres of 5-10 seats for SC and ST in villages BPO centres have already come up in Patna and Muzaffarpur, while such centres
would soon be opened in smaller cities like Samastipur, Dewaria, Ghazipur etc.
Besides, the best performing Village Level Entrepreneur, run by SC and ST, will be rewarded Rs 1 lakh cash prize,
71,672km power cables to be replaced across Bihar in 3 years
Work on replacement of 71,672km damaged power cables that transmit electricity across 38 districts of the state is expected to begin by the end of May.
Last year, the state government had sanctioned Rs 2,827.51 crore for the project that is likely to be completed in three years
Of the total amount that was sanctioned, Rs 1,520.62 crore will be used for
replacing 39,541km power cables in north Bihar region (Muzzafarpur, Vaishali,
Sitamarhi, Siwan and Gopalganj, among others).
Similarly, Rs 1,306.89 crore will be used for changing 32,131km cables in south
Bihar (Bhagalpur, Munger, Nalanda, Patna, Bhojpur, Gaya and Sasaram,
Power minister inaugurates solar lamp distribution centre in
Bihar
Union Minister R K Singh inaugurated an assembly and distribution centre for solar study lamps at Mahuli village in Arrah and also laid the foundation
(remotely) for a photovoltaic module manufacturing plant in Sherghati block of Gaya district (Bihar).
Local women Self Help Group (SHG) will assemble solar study lamps in the centre and distribute them to underprivileged students who do not have
access to electricity.
Thus the Centre will not only provide kerosene-free affordable illumination to students, but also empower rural women with the skills to assemble,
distribute and repair solar lamps.
The initiative is part of the central government’s scheme of providing 70 lakh solar study lamps in five states, where rural household electrification levels are low
In Bihar, the target is to provide more than 18.84 lakh underprivileged students
with solar study lamps. Around 4.57 lakh such lamps have already been distributed
to the students.
The solar photovoltaic module manufacturing plant will be first of its kind in the
state, and will be entirely owned and operated by local women Self Help Group
Federations.
For this purpose, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between
the Bihar Rural Livelihood Promotion Society (BRLPS) – Jeevika, IIT-Bombay, and
the Cluster Level Federation of women self-help group members.
As part of this initiative, 16,000 Indian villages with a significantly large number
of low income households will be able to buy LED bulbs for a special price of Rs 50 under the Unnat Jyoti by Affordable LEDs for All (UJALA) programme.
In Bihar, 635 villages will benefit under this programme.
The 70 Lakhs Solar Study Lamp Scheme
Ministry of New & Renewable Energy – Government of India, has sanctioned
the 70 Lakhs Solar Study Lamp Scheme, that aims to provide 70 Lakhs rural
students with high quality, affordable clean light in the form of solar study
lamp through skill transfer to local communities in the five states of Assam,
Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha and Uttar Pradesh
Available to those which have more than 50% un-electrified households, as per the status
reports generated by Ministry of Power and available on the Garv dashboard.
The key objectives of the scheme include supporting education, livelihood generation, curbing
kerosene dependency, generating awareness and confidence in solar technology and reaching
out the most marginalized communities.
Blocks will be the unit of intervention and have been identified based on:
Blocks with more than 50% households dependent on kerosene as their main source of lighting
as per census, 2011 blocks with significant percentage of scheduled tribe and scheduled caste
population.
All enrolled school students (Class 1 to Class 12) in the intervention blocks will have an
opportunity to buy the solar photovoltaic technology based lamp at a discounted price of Rs.
100 per lamp.
HDFC Bank opens its 100th branch in Bihar
Private sector bank HDFC opened its 100th branch in Bihar at Patna
with an aim to expand banking services in the state.
The new branch, which is located on Fraser Road in Patna, was inaugurated by Navin Puri, Country Head, Retail Branch Banking, HDFC Bank.
At present HDFC bank has 100 branches and 273 ATMs in the state, it said and added that the bank’s journey in Bihar began in 2002 by
opening its first branch at Exhibition road in the state capital.
Bihar Budget 2018 The Finance Minister of Bihar, Mr. Sushil Kumar Modi, presented the Budget for
financial year 2018-19 on February 27, 2018. The Deputy Chief Minister presented a budget of 1.76 lakh.
The Gross State Domestic Product of Bihar for 2018-19 (at current prices) is estimated to be Rs 5,15,634 crore. This is 11% higher than the revised estimate
for 2017-18. Note that the GSDP in 2017-18 is expected to be 26% lower than what was estimated at the budget stage
Total expenditure for 2018-19 is estimated to be Rs 1,76,990 crore, a 2.4% increase over the revised estimate of 2017-18. In 2017-18, the revised estimates
indicate that expenditure is expected to be Rs 12,799 crore (8%) higher than the budget estimate
Total receipts (excluding borrowings) for 2018-19 are estimated to be Rs 1,60,735
crore, an increase of 19% as compared to the revised estimates of 2017-18. In 2017-18, total receipts (except borrowings) fell short of the budgeted estimate
by Rs 4,048 crore.
Revenue surplus for the next financial year is targeted at Rs 21,312 crore, or 4.13% of the state Gross Domestic Product (GSDP). Fiscal deficit is targeted at Rs
11,204 crore (2.17% of GSDP).
Departments of Rural Development, Education and Home saw the highest increase in allocations.
Education: Rs 32,126 crore has been allocated towards education. Of this, Rs
14,039 crore has been allocated towards the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan. Rs 2,171 crore has been allocated towards the Midday Meal Scheme.
The World Bank’s project on Enhancing Teacher Effectiveness in Bihar will be implemented. Rs 116 crore has been allocated towards it.
Agriculture: An agriculture road map has been set for the state for the period 2017-2022. This road map will provide for the overall development of the
sector, food and nutrition security, and improving farmer income.
The total allocation towards this road map is Rs 1.54 lakh crore (for 2017-22).
Home: A National Emergency Response System will be set up for citizens to
provide them with essential services during difficult situations.
Through this system assistance will be provided in the areas related to police,
health, firefighting, and female harassment.
SC and ST Welfare: Rs 16,734 crore has been allocated towards SC welfare,
and Rs 1,565 crore has been allocated towards ST welfare.
Bihar’s Economy
Economy: The Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) of Bihar grew by 7.5% in 2015-
16, and by 10.3% in 2016-17 (at constant prices). In 2016-17, the GSDP (at constant
prices) was Rs 3.32 lakh crore.
Agriculture: Agriculture in 2016-17 grew at 6.6%. However, the sector witnessed
negative growth of 1.2% between 2011-12 to 2015-16.
Total crop production in the state increased from 173.64 lakh tonne in 2011-12 to
180.99 lakh tonne in 2016-17.
Per Capita Income: The Per Capita Income of Bihar has grown from Rs 23,525 in
2011- 12 to Rs 29,178 in 2016-17 (an increase of 24%).
The per capita expenditure on social services has increased from Rs 1,878 n 2011-
12 to Rs 3,767 in 2016-17.
The total expenditure in 2018-19 is targeted at Rs 1,76,990 crore. This is 2.4% higher
than the revised estimates of 2017-18. This expenditure is proposed to be met through
receipts (other than borrowings) of Rs 1,60,735 crore and borrowings of Rs 20,520
crore.
Total receipts for 2018-19 are expected to be Rs 1,81,255 crore, which is 17.6% higher
than the revised estimate of 2017-18.
Capital expenditure for 2018-19 is proposed to be Rs 40,250 crore, which is a decrease
of 2.4% over the revised estimates of 2017-18. This includes expenditure which affects
the assets and liabilities of the state, and leads to creation of assets (such as bridges
and hospital), and repayment of loans, among others.
Revenue expenditure for 2018-19 is proposed to be Rs 1,36,740 crore,
which is an increase of 3.9% over revised estimates of 2017-18. This
expenditure includes payment of salaries, maintenance, etc.
In 2018-19, Bihar is expected to spend Rs 18,089 crore on servicing its
debt (i.e., Rs 7,326 crore on repaying loans, and Rs 10,763 crore on
interest payments). This is 25.7% higher than the revised estimates of
2017-18.
Budget Highlights :
❖The allocation towards pension
is Rs 15,829 crore, which is 20% lower than
the revised estimates of 2017-18.
❖Rs 4,308 crore has been allocated towards power companies.
❖The state government has guaranteed Rs 1,700 crore towards Bihar State
Power Company Limited. This will be provided through consortium of banks.
❖In 2018-19, 9,000 km of roads will be constructed.
❖Under the Jeevika scheme, 10 lakh Self Help Groups (SHGs) and 15,000 Village
Organisations will be set up. Further 2.25 lakh SHGs will be provided with Rs
3,500 crore from banks.
❖8 lakh farmers will be provided with new technologies in agriculture
❖Rs 4,729 crore will be allocated towards Panchayats as per recommendations of the
14th Finance Commission
❖A National Emergency Response System for citizens will be set up.
❖Rs 2,477 crore has been allocated towards the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network
System.
❖An allocation of Rs 120 crore has been made to set up a State Cancer Institute in the
Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna. A cancer hospital will be set up in
Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital, Muzaffarpur at a cost of Rs 150 crore.
❖Rs 2,440 crore has been allocated towards the construction of 330 km length across
6 state highways (SH 58, SH 82, SH 84, SH 85, SH 102 and SH 105).
❖Has set a target of providing electricity to all households by December 2018, besides
creating a separate agriculture feeder for providing irrigation facility to every field by
the end of 2019
❖The government will be setting up 3 new Krishi Vigyan Kendras in this budget in
Muzaffarpur district of Bihar.
❖In order to promote organic farming, the Bihar government will give 6000 rupees to
each farmer.
Receipts in 2018-19
The total revenue receipts for 2018-19 are estimated to be Rs 1,58,051 crore, an
increase of 18.7% over the revised estimates of 2017-18. Of this, Rs 35,448 (22.4% of
the revenue receipts) crore will be raised by the state through its own resources, and Rs
1,22,603 crore (77.6% of the revenue receipts) will be devolved by the centre in the
form of grants and the state’s share in taxes.
Non Tax Revenue: Bihar has estimated to generate Rs 4,446 crore through
non-tax sources in 2018-19. Of this, Rs 1,600 crore will be received from
non-ferrous mining and metallurgical industries.
Tax Revenue: Total own tax revenue of Bihar is estimated to be Rs 31,002
crore in 2018-19. The tax to GSDP ratio is targeted at 6% in 2018-19,
which is marginally lower than the revised estimate of 6.9% in 2017-18.
This implies that growth in collection of taxes will marginally reduce as
compared to the growth in the economy.
❖State GST is expected to be the largest component of Bihar’s tax revenue. It is
expected to contribute Rs 15,000 crore.
❖ Sales tax is expected to be the second largest component of tax revenue for the
state. It is expected to generate Rs 7,890 crore.
❖The Bihar government expects to generate Rs 4,700 crore from stamp and
registration fees. This is 2.2% higher than the revised estimates of 2017-18.
❖Tax on vehicles will contribute to about 7% of the tax revenue, which amounts to Rs
2,000 crore.
❖The remaining amount will be generated by the state through land revenue, and
taxes and duties on electricity.
Education: Bihar has allocated 18% on education in 2018-19. This is higher than
the average expenditure allocated to education by 18 other states (using 2017-
18 BE).
Health: Bihar has allocated 4.4% of its total expenditure on health, which is
marginally lower than the average expenditure of 18 other states.
Agriculture: The state has allocated 1.6% of its total budget on agriculture and
allied activities. This is significantly lower than the allocations of 18 other states
(6.4%).
Rural development: Bihar has allocated 8.7% of its expenditure on rural
development. This is higher than the average (5.6%) of the 18 other states
NITI Aayog releases Baseline Ranking of Aspirational Districts
The NITI Aayog launched the baseline ranking for the Aspirational Districts
based on published data of 49 indicators (81 data points) across five
developmental areas of Health and Nutrition, Education, Agriculture and
Water Resources, Financial Inclusion and Skill Development, and Basic
Infrastructure.
The CEO also announced that the ‘Champions of Change’ Dashboard for realtime
data collection and monitoring will be open for public viewing from 1
April.
The dashboard will facilitate District Collectors of all the aspirational districts
to input the latest available data of their respective districts
The Aspirational Districts programme, through real-time monitoring and
proactive course corrections, reinforces the mechanisms of cooperative &
competitive federalism between the Centre and the States, down to the
Districts.
From May 2018, Districts will be ranked on their “incremental progress” i.e.
Delta Ranking, exemplifying the spirit of competitive federalism.
Districts can learn from each other’s experiences using the “Best Practices”
document that NITI Aayog has prepared and circulated to the district
collectors.
About ‘Transformation of Aspirational Districts’ programme
Launched by the Hon’ble PM in January, the ‘Transformation of Aspirational Districts’
programme aims to quickly and effectively transform some of the most
underdeveloped districts of the country.
The broad contours of the programme are Convergence (of Central & State Schemes),
Collaboration (of Central, State level ‘Prabhari’ Officers & District Collectors), and
Competition among districts driven by a Mass Movement or a Jan Andolan.
With States as the main drivers, this program will focus on the strength of each
district, identify low-hanging fruits for immediate improvement, measure progress,
and rank districts.
The Government is committed to raising the living standards of its citizens and
ensuring inclusive growth for all – SabkaSaath, SabkaVikas.
To enable optimum utilization of their potential, this program focusses closely on improving
people’s ability to participate fully in the burgeoning economy. Health & Nutrition,
Education, Agriculture & Water Resources, Financial Inclusion & Skill Development, and
Basic Infrastructure are this programme’s core areas of focus.
After several rounds of consultations with various stakeholders, 49 key performance
indicators have been chosen to measure progress of the districts.
Districts are prodded and encouraged to first catch-up with the best district within their
state, and subsequently aspire to become one of the best in the country, by competing with,
and learning from others in the spirit of competitive & cooperative federalism.
NITI Aayog in partnership with the Government of Andhra Pradesh has
created a dashboard for monitoring the real-time progress of the districts.
District Information Officers underwent training on March 23, 2018 on how
to enter data to the dashboard and generate MIS (Management Information
System) reports.
On April 1, 2018 districts will start entering data.
Beginning May 2018, districts will be ranked based on progress made (‘delta
ranking’) on a real-time basis. The dashboard will be open to the public to
monitor the progress of the Aspirational Districts.
WhatsApp