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Bihar:Rajnagar BDO Remains Nonchalant !

June 24th 2008 13:37
There were high hopes when Nitish Kumar took over the reins of Bihar but his promises to rebuild the bare minimum infrastructure swiftly have remained just promises.To be fair to him, there are some visible activities but the progress is too slow to write anything about.An Auto driver would ask for an exorbitant fare of fifty rupees for a 12-13Kms journey in Delhi. But you will be lucky if any Auto driver agrees to take you to the Koilakh village that is approximately 13 kms.from Madhubani town,even if you offer to pay him more than 150 rupees.Blame the pathetic condition of the roads.The road between Madhubani and Jhanjharpur have been declared the state highway and are being built but it is progressing at a snail's pace.Even after the completion of this road,the stretch betweenRampatti and Koilakh will remain as it is now and traversing this 6 kms.stretch would be as difficult as it is now.

The situation would not have become so horrible if the concerned district officials would have been alert.But no one is bothered and the commuter's tortures are being taken for granted.
It seems that no officials ever step out from their cosy offices and venture into the hinterland otherwise they would have experienced the difficulties firsthand for themselves prompting them to devise something that would have reduced commuters' woe .
Corruption is everywhere in India but in Bihar,it is the way of life.Nothing moves here without gratifying the concerned officials. Lower level officials consider the greasing of their palms as their birthright and are fearless in demanding and accepting bribe.Ordinary villagers have no easy access to the District Magistrate and Superintendent of Police,so the lower and intermediate level officials behave with impunity.Even the Block Development Officers behave in a bizarre manner.

The villagers of Koilakh allege that the BDO of Raj Nagar Block,Mr. Tewari is more interested in his own welfare than the most downtrodden sections of society .It is alleged that in connivance with the husband of theKoilakh Panchayat Mukhia , he has been swindling funds meant for development.There is a pile of accusation against him but he remains unfazed.He was lucky to remain unharmed because while a poor person died due to hunger ,he did nothing despite being reminded of the situation beforehand.Villagers were outraged but kept quite because the hunger-death like "national shame" would have tarnished the name of otherwise this very reputed village.Butin spite of being aware of the truth the BDO remained nonchalant.
As long as these kinds of officers are at the helm,no governmental benefit will percolate to the person who needs desperate help.Hopefully these kinds of officers will be sternly told to mend their ways and be honest towards their responsibility.

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Why Bihar remained the least developed state of India?

April 30th 2008 05:20
The image of "India" has changed in recent years.It is no longer seen as a country of snake charmers and tight-rope walkers.Nowadays it is known more for its brain power and young manpower with critical skills imperative for today's knowledge economy.The perception has changed completely and there is lesser prejudice towards Indians .

The case of the least developed state of India,Bihar, is strikingly similar.It has come to be associated with everything that is regressive and out of date.But the reality is that it is not as backward as it is portrayed through various media.There are various positives which are overlooked .

After being bifurcated from the united Bengal,Bihar was created aggregating some regions which were no way similar culturally and politically.The creation of Jharkhand divided Bihar and the ascendancy of Lalu Prasad Yadav and his antics bemused people and at the same time horrified them that how a state could be governed by leaders like Lalu-Rabri.Lalu as a stress buster became so popular that he would give Johny Lever or Rajpal Yadav run for their money.Everything Lalu became synonymous with Bihar and Bihari people became subject of derision.Their overall intelligence was questioned for their compulsion of succumbing to the mercy of these greedy politicians and giving these self serving leaders such a long tenure.

On their part Lalu-Rabri ensured that Roads of Bihar were not repaired and educational institutions did not function at all.Bureaucrats were humiliated and the administrative machinery was virtually run by the political activists.Complete anarchy gripped the state and the image of Lalu was seen as the true reflection of Bihar.Unfortunately by the time the people of Bihar woke up,the damage had been done and 'glorious Bihar' became a dirty word.

Contrary to popular belief, villages of Bihar are not as bad and backwards as it is shown and perceived.Most of the villages of the Mithila region are very developed .As there was comparatively lesser urbanisation,the people used to invest in their villages.As a result villages had everything essential for living.Almost all major villages have their own power distribution system in place.The people were content and happy in their own world.There are several parts of Mithila regions where the only crime committed in decades are some petty thefts.There is absolutely no crime in these regions.People cutting across caste lines are highly educated.Even a labourer ensures that his son or daughter go for private tuition.Had there any iota of governmental support then the picture would have been contrastingly different.

Congress is equally responsible for keeping Bihar less developed because it had ruled the state after independence till the arrival of Lalu.In spite of having 70% mineral reserves ,Bihar was not given its due and those raw materials were used to promote industrialisation of other states.Congress did not stop here and went on to support Lalu despite knowing very well that it would spell a doom for the state.

Congress did this against the wishes of its very own party men.The central leadership got the result as it was able to form the government with the help of Lalu but at the cost of being wiped out from Bihar and being part of destroying the state completely.

The darkness has become lesser with the arrival of Nitish Kumar.Lalu and Nitish belong to the same strata of caste combination but whereas Nitish is truly educated and highly intelligent ,Lalu relies on his antics and laughter skills.After the arrival of Nitish Kumar,repair works are being carried out for now and when this will be over then,hopefully some developmental activities will be pursued as well. In the meanwhile there are some perceptible changes already which is very pleasing. As they say better late than never.So after remaining static for decades,the capital of Bihar is gradually wearing a modern look.The pace of construction is hectic and there is visible development all around.Gone are the days when shopping meant visiting Patna Market or Hathwa Market.Mall mania has gripped the cities now in large numbers..
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Mall mania has gripped Bihar

April 28th 2008 13:07
Patna, with a population of around 1.8 million is firmly set on the radar of nearly all major retailers.Glitzy air-conditioned shopping malls like Vishal Mega Mart and Nine to Nine Super Markets have grabbed the fancy of new-age shoppers with promises to transform the mundane shopping activity into a pleasurable experience. Developers are vying with each other to churn out retail infrastructure that compares with the best in the country. Film-maker Prakash Jha ,whose upcoming shopping mall and multiplex is ready to set new benchmarks in retail and entertainment,must be applauded for his courage because he took the initiative to invest in the state when there was a huge outflow of capital from the state due to law and order problem. The sprawling one-acre mall is being designed by a famous architect of Mumbai.
Another realty firm, Rishavnath Developers, is set to foray into construction of mega retail stores in the state. The owner of Rishavnath Suresh Singh says, "Growing untapped consumer markets in the city has made it a preferred destination for investment by leading real estate players for exploring the retail business opportunities." Asish Ranjan Jha, another real estate developer says, "Patna has no dearth of land. It is expanding rapidly. I intend to venture into a speciality mall on the outskirts soon."
Pankaj Kumar, a leading architect who graduated from Mumbai's prestigious JJ School of Arts, has a number of mall designs on his drawing board. "My hands are full. Wait a couple of years and you'll see a new skyline in Patna," he said.
The reason for the spiralling interest of mega-brands like Reliance, Airtel, Piramals, Tatas and ITC, fast-food chains like McDonalds, Moti Mahal, Kapil's Eleven, Smoking Jones, Pizza Hut, bigwigs in the apparel industry like Pantaloons, Blackberry, Lee, Provogue, Peter England and Woodland is obvious. It is fuelled by rising middle-class earnings, success of early retail format developments in the past three-four years and availability of reasonably priced real estate options.
According to research papers published by another leading economist and a keen market watcher Ajita Sinha ,investments in the retail sector are pegged at Rs 100-250 crore in the next two-three years. And it is the real estate boom — the mushrooming of malls — that will script this retail story. While there are only five malls now, 10 are in the pipeline with several more on the drawing board.


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Declare Shiv Sena an Anti National Party !

March 5th 2008 13:06
Mumbai is the commercial hub of India and the most vibrant Indian city.More than seventeen million people reside there and the migrant population has far exceeded the original inhabitants.There are some local leaders who have rose into prominence by exhorting violence towards these migrants and Muslim communities.Initially South Indians were targeted and now it is the turn of North Indians.This kind of vandalism is against the fundamental rights of the citizen of this country so the press condemn this by full force at its command, as a result these otherwise rotted characters come into limelight and show their near and dear ones that they are on television.

The union government is led by congress party who is known for creating monsters for some short term political gain and then fall prey to it.The union home minister is just a blot on the name of governance.If such a capable person can become the home minister then anybody can become anything.These kind of anarchy has encouraged every mafia to dream big and step the ladder by turning out constitutional provisions and indulge in thuggery to scare industrialist and extort heavy amount from them.These are happening in Mumbai for many decades but the intensity has reached to an alarming level in recent months.Government has failed to discharge its primary duty and is trying to buy votes by enticing them through loan waiver and sundry schemes. Had any other government in Maharashtra,the situation wouldn't have worsened to such an extent.Perhaps Mayawati would tame these anti Indian fellows


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The Masterstroke Of Lalu P.Yadav

February 29th 2008 11:14
Everything went according to the script and Lalu Prasad Yadav can now afford to admire his "masterstroke"Railway Budget.He did everything the same way he does on the Budget "eve".Journalists were invited in the morning at his residence and the rustic Lalu's charm was beaming across channels.The whole day he kept giving interviews to journalists and lapped the world attention fixed on him immensely.

The initial reaction of the budget was as per expectation.But this euphoria soon evaporated when the fine prints were analysed and meaning between the lines were revealed


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Raj Thackerey:A disgusting Goon !

February 5th 2008 08:14
The goons of Raj Thackeray were beating up the hapless Taxi-drivers and roadside vendors and the police was watching them as mere,meek spectator.None of the political parties have come forward and condemned the mayhem it deserved.Some customary lip services have been made but no one has dared Raj Thackeray to behave as yet.Politicians fear loosing the Marathi Votes if they come forward to protect the poorest sections of our society.They don't consider the humiliation of the poor by goons like Raj Thackeray, something serious which warrants their immediate attention .Had it been someone like Rahul Gandhi at the receiving end of the thugs, then the whole machinery would have gone crazy and the thug would be already behind the bars.But who cares for the poor?

These utter shameless politicians go begging to the homes of the poor at the time of elections and once they secure their votes,they simply vanish to misappropriate funds in whatever ways they can.Rahul Gandhi,the uncrowned prince making merry on national wealth,had no gumption to utter a word of sympathy and he hopes to be the prime minister of this country on the strength of their votes.If he thinks that he can befool such a large population,then he is day dreaming.People have come to know that these are a selfish lot who are only concerned for their welfare and lucrative political prospects.They enter into politics because they can not do anything else for their living.It is easier for them to reach at the top echelon of power by befooling people.But they don't realise that millions of people can not be cheated perpetually and they will be rejected ultimately.The time has come to reject the likes of Advanis,Gandhis and others who are there merely for politicking for their own good.These fellows have no concern for the poorest sections of India.They are national leaders, yet they choose to remain quiet because it would dent their prime ministerial prospects.God save India from these self serving politicians! The only recourse left now to the common people is to rely on regional leaders who have the gumption of showing concern in moments of crisis like that in Mumbai


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Agony Of Tax Payers !

January 31st 2008 12:19
This is the most difficult time for the hundreds and thousands of honest taxpayers.Sahrukh Khan, despite of paying a whopping 27 crores to the Income Tax departments can still afford smiling.But for many ordinary mortals it is nothing sort of rubbing salt to their wounds.A government servant drawing a meager salary, in a metro city like Mumbai,would be struggling for survival itself.
There are vast majority of people who are not able to invest anything due to the meagre salary they get and as a consequence have to pay the amount that is equivalent of a month of their salary. A teacher employed with a public school had to pay around 20000 which forced her to seek loan in order to pay monthly bills. This situation forces many to adopt corrupt practices because those who accept bribe are financially well off and never ever bother abut the superfluous Income Tax.
Employees of Central government are hopeful that the implementation of the pay commission would solve some of their woe. But they are sadly mistaken as this would entail greater tax burden. The only solution is to save somehow but it is easier said than done


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Diminished importance of local political activists in India !

January 11th 2008 06:52
Politics is not something that is discussed extensively at the thousands of “Chouk”,spread over all across India now.There has been gradual shift of intensity in recent years because the importance of local political activists have diminished.There are some states where only people of dubious characters are seen politicking.The student politics has been completely hijacked by the spoilt rich brats and their associate,mostly muscle men known for their criminal records.

The good thing however is that the local affairs are being given more attention now.Sensing the changed mood and preference,News Papers have been forced to change their marketing and Circulation strategy.Almost all the News Papers have started now multiple edition and they subcategories that too district wise.Television Broadcasters have woken up too and very soon there will be numerous Local Television Station .NDTV realized this too and has started “Metro Nation”as the first initiative in that direction.Sahara Group ,T.V.Today Group and Zee Group have already started local Television Stations


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Narendra Modi Retains The Chair !

December 25th 2007 23:40
It is jokingly talked that when some Japanese propsed Lalu Prashad Yadav to hand them over the Buddhist circuit to restore the roads and other related infrastructure so that the tourist could have less harrowing time traversing the region.They proposed that they would complete the task in an year only.Lalu is said to have reported that he could convert the whole of Japan and make that country similar to Bihar in less than one month!
Japanese never came back to Lalu again but Lalu's prophesies has come true in the case of Congress.Congress started aping his brand of politics intoto and many leaders anxious to be noticed by the madam, resorted to big mouth politics ignoring the real and hard political facts at the ground level.
The victory of Narendra Modi was a foregone conclusion as no Indian would like to be constantly humiliated in spite of bearnig the burnt of continued terrorism for many years in the name of secularism.Indians by and large are very liberal and Hindu never wear religion on their sleeves.But when in the name of secularism their feelings are hurt they are bound to react.Congress failed to recognise this and accepted the CPM Prescribed brand of secularism,which is not relevant for a country like India and yet again lost the state which had almost come to its lap.Had the congress been equally sensitive to the feelings of all religious communities then the situation would not have been such bad for the secular parties


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A NEW WORLD ENVIRONMENT ORDER

December 20th 2007 09:22
India has once again proved that it can protect its own and developing countries’ interest at international fora. It all happened at the Indonesian holiday resort, Bali, where about 190 countries from across the globe entered into a roadmap to take action to reduce greenhouse emissions in the atmosphere forcing climate change. In this UN conference on climate change India achieved a tough deal. It forcefully argued and defended against imposition of binding targets on developing countries and made the rich, industrialised nations to provide fund and support transfer of clean technology to poor and developing countries. Timely initiative by India at the fort-night long meet ensured that the developed countries cannot simply put the onus on the poor nations. Accordingly a decision was taken at the extended session where leaders have decided to adhere to new set of principles, that will, over the next two years, help the countries decide a post 2012 deal. By next two years, the deal will be drawn making it clear what is expected from each country.

Under the United Nations Treaty called the UN framework on climate change, there is an existing deal called the Kyoto Protocol. It demands that the 36 big emitters, mostly industrialised nations, reduce their emissions by a fixed percentage by 2012. Bali conference was to discuss what happens after 2012. The Kyoto protocol expires in 2012. At present only the rich nations, responsible for more than 70 percent of emissions, are expected to cut carbon emissions. But they demanded that after 2012, even the developing countries also start some kind of emission cuts. This means a complete u- turn of the existing treaty. India and other similarly placed countries contend that such a step will pose a hurdle for economic growth. India argued that the rich countries who are the worst polluters should take responsibility. This argument has been taken care of and a roadmap for the future course of action finalised


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