Shiv Prakash, farmer from Buxar uses RTI to expose scams: Bihar has a hero!   Patna: according to a recent press report, Bihar now has its own RTI hero, a figure to emulate! Since 2005, Shiv Prakash a farmer made use of the very handy RTI provisions to unearth information for the benefit of farmers in Sarinja village in Buxar district. Fearless Prakash blew the whistle on a tubewell scam despite threats to his well-being. As is known, the Centre offers a 35% subsidy to poor farmers for the purchase of hand pumps and installation of tube wells. Through RTI documents, Prakash found huge... 

20 City bus service launched in Muzaffarpur along 6 routes Muzaffarpur: yesterday Muzaffarpur saw the much awaited launching of the city bus service at the Bihar State Roadways Transport Corporation office. At the launch, transport minister Brishen Patel said 20 buses would ply on different routes in Muzaffarpur. The transport department has decided to start the service on 40 routes of the district under a public-private-partnership. The aim is to provide transportation at subsidised rates. The minimum fare for a distance of 1km is Rs 2, while the highest fare stands at Rs 10 for 20km. During... 

The deadly hazards of migration: 2 Bihari barbers killed in Manipur explosion Imphal: how many times in the past have you read of Bihari migrants caught up and killed or maimed in distant lands during a bomb explosion or an accident. The fact is it is a recurring phenomenon largely due to the fact that the Bihari migrant now reaches every corner of the country. One of the hazards of leaving home is indeed being caught up in quarrels and mishaps that the migrant would have had no part of,  if he was at home. According to news reports, in one such incident, when five persons were killed, including... 

Migrants from Bihar, UP and Jharkhand in Ludhiana to have their own community hall Ludhiana: in what seems to be a first instance, the over 20 lakh migrants from Bihar, UP and Jharkhand will have their own community hall at Tajpur Road in Ludhiana. The foundation stone was laid on Sunday for a community hall. Being set up by head of Purvanchal Vikas Parishad (PVP), migrants from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Jharkhand will have their own haven in distant Ludhiana. According to V P Singh, president of PVP, it was a long-awaited dream of people from Purvanchal who are settled in the city to have... 

Gandhigiri by Muzaffarpur traffic police: roses with advice before fines! Muzaffarpur: according to latest reports, traffic police in Muzaffarpur has decided to launch a week long Gandhigiri campaign in the town. As part of an awareness drive that is to carry on for a week, the traffic police will gift a violator a rose flower, but only after delivering a brief speech on traffic rules. This is the brainwave of the Muzaffarpur senior superintendent of police (SSP) Rajesh Kumar. This bold drive puts an end to a common myth – that only metropolises and bigger cities in India have a traffic... 

Nitish will inaugurate the first River Patrolling Police Station (RPPS) on May 20 Patna: come May 20 and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar will inaugurate Bihar’s first River Patrolling Police Station (RPPS) on the banks of the Ganges near Maujipur village under Fatuha police station in Patna district. This police station has been built at a cost of Rs 56 lakh in two months time. Chief Minister would also inaugurate a number of police buildings of model police stations and newly constructed police stations on 20 May. The state government had earlier identified 18 places on the banks of major... 

Ratnakar Tripathy Bat-Ras [बतरस] Romancing in Bihar: some philosophical reflections Ratnakar Tripathy For a long time since early youth I have felt that there are two kinds of human beings, men and women. First those who react to the sight of a romancing couple with a flood of envy but rise above it to a state of empathy and celebration, even if they end up feeling a bit sorry for themselves. Reduced to sad Mukesh/Hemant Kumar/Geeta Dutt songs, they nevertheless seem to me robust specimens of our specie. Second, those who when faced with the sight of romance are never able to travel... 

रंजन ऋतुराज सिंह मेरा गाँव – मेरा देस – राजनीति -रंजन ऋतुराज सिंह Editors note: It is easy to see when this piece was written. we are publishing it for the long lasting pleasure and wisdom it may bring to our readers! प्रकाश झा साहब की फिलिम ‘राजनीति‘ रिलीज होने वाली है ! सन १९८४-८५ में उनकी ‘दामुल‘ दूरदर्शन पर देखी... 

Ratnakar Tripathy Bat-Ras [बतरस] Playing ais bais [catch as catch can] in a conflict zone by Ratnakar Tripathy Editor’s note: As the summer heat gets unbearable, the column name ‘ghoora’, meaning fireside began to seem as unpleasant as the experience of handling woolen shawls at 42 degrees Celsius. Thus the new name – ‘batras’ combining conversation [baat] and rasa, the pleasure of talking, listening and well simply chatting away. Place – a village in east Champaran, Bihar. Time – 26th April or thereabouts! I lay on a loosely strung cot dizzied by the afternoon sun,... 

Round the clock deployement of magistrates at Gandhi setu to ease traffic Lets hope the normalcy is restored.... Government has finally appointed magistrates round the clock to work in shifts at both sides of Gandhi setu bridge to ease the traffic. It should be noted here that since the repair works of Rajendra setu, near Mokama has started some 3 months back, the traffic was diverted to Gandhi setu. The congestion increased by 50,000 to 57, 000 after this diversion.Gandhi setu had history of traffic jams due to unending repairs, and also due to bad driving sense.The added congestion in traffic...